The inspiration I received from reading so many interesting and enlightening blogs is one of the reasons I decided to start my own blog. One of the first blogs I began reading on a regular basis was The Happiness Project, written by Gretchen Rubin. Reading this blog (and having it conveniently sent to my in-box on an almost daily basis!) has been truly life changing for me. Not only has it inspired me to create my own blog, but it has inspired me, in many ways, to re-create my entire life. One of the things I really admire in Gretchen's work are her Twelve Commandments, or the twelve key messages she constantly comes back to on her website and through her blog posts.
The Twelve Commandments
1. Be Gretchen.
2. Let it go.
3. Act the way I want to feel.
4. Do it now.
5. Be polite and be fair.
6. Enjoy the process.
7. Spend out.
8. Identify the problem.
9. Lighten up.
10. Do what ought to be done.
11. No calculation.
12. There is only love.
Some of these commandments need explanation, and, for that, I encourage you to go to The Happiness Project website at www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project. Right now I'd like to take a look at my three favorite commandments -- "Be Gretchen," "Act the way I want to feel," and "Do it now."
Gretchen's first commandment -- "Be Gretchen" -- is the most important for me because I firmly believe that, in order to find true and lasting happiness, we must focus on being who we are. It never creates anything but pain when we try to be what we are not. Being who we are is of the utmost importance when we are striving to create a positive world around us.
The second commandment that really strikes me is "Act the way I want to feel." I've discussed this concept in some of my blog posts before, but I believe it is worth revisiting. In life it is nearly impossible to avoid sadness and pain and situations that bring negativity into our lives. Pain is inevitable, but we can control is the way we react. If you want to be happy, act happy. If you want to feel positive, act positive. This is not always easy, but it almost always benefits me when I choose to act out an emotion, even if it is not the way I really feel at that moment. Some might say, It sounds like you're being fake. What's the point of pretending to feel a certain emotion? And to that I would respond: try it. If you're feeling down and you force yourself to act happy (even if this is only a smile), you will actually feel happier. People around you will respond with more positivity, and this will make you even happier. It's certainly not easy at times, but it really does work.
A third commandment that I really appreciate is "Do it now." This commandment ties in with yesterday's post. Life is short and, if you want to (and can) do something, do it now. I also believe that this commandment speaks to the idea of avoiding procrastination. If something can be done now, do it. Take care of it. Get it out of the way. It may seem like a pain, but you will feel so much better once you complete a task. I believe it was in one of Gretchen's posts that I read this idea: if it will take less than a minute to do, do it. For example, if you need to respond to an email and you can do so in under a minute, do it. Don't put it off because it will still be there, waiting to be done, and who knows what might come up in the meantime. On a broad or small scale, Gretchen's commandment is a good one to follow. Do it now and you will experience much more positivity both in relation to that task and in relation to all of the other things you have to get done.
If you visit The Happiness Project website, you can read more detail on Gretchen's commandments. You can also read her blog posts and learn more about her upcoming book (which I am so looking forward to reading when it comes out!).
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