Am I happier now, then I was a year ago when I started the project? As I look over my happiness project, here is what I can say. My happiness project forced me to live out what I thought I was and who I thought I was. At times, that worked for the best, at other times it felt like I was wearing a sweater that was too tight. Sometimes when I was walking the talk, I realized that I am not that person. I do not care about the things I thought I cared about. I am not sure if I was always different or the change was more recent. Here are things I learned for better or for worse.
In the end, this challenge gave me permission to be myself. I learned a bit more about who I am and who I am not. I learned strategies for going slowing and giving myself more grace. I did not do everything I planned, but I think I know so much more about myself now than I did a year ago. That knowledge is the gift. By knowing myself better, I am able to do better and feel more confident in doing what I think is right even if it does not meet societal expectations.
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This past December I had planned to focus on embracing my elfish nature and really doing Christmas the way I love to, but life had other plans. With our moving right before Christmas that simply did not happen. Although we did have a Christmas tree before we had our furniture. I am coming to realize that our plans do not always go the way we intend. As I reflect, I am realizing that this happiness project did not take into account life and at times specifically in December it was unrealistic. I plan to share one more post after this to reflect on the project as a whole and the influence it had within my life.
Happy November!I woke up this morning ready for a new month and with it a fresh start. I know you do not have to wait for a new month or a Monday or even a new day to start again, but I love how beginnings feel like fresh starts. I love that each month my focus shifts. This month I am focusing on joy.
You may or may not know that November has become a month that many people attempt to write a novel. I plan on doing that this month, writing what may or may not be a novel. If you want more information this website has resources. Here are my specific goals for the month. November: Be Playful and Seek Joy -Trust intuition -Do things that are fun -Incorporate a daily activity that I am looking forward to or that makes me happy -Play more board games -Write fiction stories As I have continued on this journey of trying to find happiness, I have realized a number of things. First, I should trust myself more than others, if that is the only thing I take away from this project then I will count it as an unqualified success. I also have learned to let go of what I think I should enjoy. When I planned this out last January, I thought I would want to watch more TV and movies this month, I thought I would want to play more video games, but as I have trusted myself I have realized that those things do not bring me joy or happiness. I get joy from baking, reading and learning. I get joy from being present in the moment, from jumping in the crunchy leaves, and just stopping and taking a breath and noticing how the leaves on a particular tree are aglow. Someone once described the falling leaves as natural confetti and I love the image and the idea of celebration that I now see anytime I look at the leaves. I have to say finding what those things are for you makes all the different, because trying to fit into a box that is not the right size or shape just leaves you feeling constantly uncomfortable, at least it does for me. I have used this project to come into my own and I am glad I am here. What goals do you have for November? How do you plan on making it your own? Happy October and Happy Fall!
I have been cooking up fall foods and I plan on posting soon about fall desserts. As I continue on this happiness project, I have been reflecting on me a year ago. I can honestly say I am already happier on a daily basis. I am learning to find what works for me. To pick myself up when I start again. This month my focus is simple and so are my goals. I plan on listening to my intuition. I want to spend this month focusing on trusting myself. I am going to work on this by doing things I enjoy, not pushing myself in all directions to do things I dislike, something I am good at, but instead accepting what I like and making that the focus instead. I also plan on checking in with myself before adding commitments or agreements to my schedule. I also will work on this by listening to my body when it comes to food, exercise, movement and life choices. As we start a new month I also wanted to share that I am participating the in the Last 90 Days challenge, which is a plan to end the year the way I would like to start it by making small changes to be the person I would like to be. If you would like more information on this challenge to participate with me, check here. Today is the first of September ergo new goals for my happiness project. The overarching theme is go slow. I like to rush, to do everything now and I am growing to realize that this is unsustainable.
I plan on doing this by focusing on being more present in my interactions and living a life intentionally. The small steps I am working on are: -Single Tasking- Doing only one thing at a time. -Take Deep Breaths- When I feel stressed or overwhelmed, taking a deep breath and considering the reality as opposed to the story I have told myself. -Stop and Think- I want to slow down my reaction time to ensure I am being aware of my choices. -Have Meaningful Conversations- One of my core beliefs is that connection with others is the reason I am here, so I want to take the time to talk, to delve deep and to bear witness to the lives of other people, as well as sharing my own. -Be Present- Stay where I am rather than avoiding or trying to plan ahead. -Be Mindful- Notice the small daily things within my life. What small steps are you taking in your life to find small moments of happiness? Happy August 1st!
This month I am dedicating myself to creativity. I find myself having the energy and space in my life to want to participate in creative endeavors. This month I am going to be creative, I plan to... -Creatively Write -Write More Book Reviews -Take and share more photos -Bake more artistically -Create more recipes and test them -Try getting in touch with my inner crafter -Knit something -Sew something -Crochet something I feel like I am already off to a good start. I started a book called The Pie Life today and was inspired to bake a pie (just for clarity the book does not really discuss pie, but pie as a metaphor for life). The pie was pumpkin and Nutella swirled with a ginger snap crust. How do you incorporate creativity into your daily life? What creative endeavors do you choose? Happy Fourth of July! Funnily enough I am writing this from Canada. As I sit here reflecting upon my happiness project, I think of what I have learned. I have started to take steps to change and accept myself all at the same time. The month of July my goal is to be more of an activist. I care about the world, but I often do not act. I leave it to others. Here are my current ideas for activism.
My goal for June is to laugh more. I tend to take myself and life seriously at times too seriously and so I am looking forward to June as a month of really being present and enjoying laughter. I am going to do this by:
What are your plans for June? How do you plan to make the most of this month? For my happiness project, I am using May as my month to tend to the spirit. I used to believe that spirit was going to church or participating in a specific faith tradition. I have slowly learned that although that is important to me, that is not enough. Even if I go to church every Sunday, I do not feel spiritually connected. I needed more, something deeper, something lasting.
Also I should mention that I find spirituality in an amalgamation of traditions. I take a little from here and a little from there and am slowly making the path for myself. To actually type that makes me nervous, but I am realizing I have to do what make sense for me even if it doesn’t make sense to anyone else. I have thought of a number of ways to meet this need. To start with, I am reading my way through the Psalms and reflecting upon them. Considering how they apply to me and my life. I have been meditating daily for a few months now and I am continuing with more focus and intention. I have been practicing Vipassana meditation. I do not believe all the tenets, but I have found practical and real benefits within my life and my thinking, so I am continuing. I also practice daily yoga, slowing down and moving my body with purpose. One other way I have found to tend to my spirit is through books and reading. I plan this month to read more books about faith, and religion. Reading about faith in others inspires and finds way to connect with me. I have loved the above books and look forward to finding more books that connect with me. The final way I plan on tending to my soul is by writing in a journal. I write daily and I find that using it as a safe space to explore and consider what is going on internally keeps me sane and helps me to be aware of my thoughts, between this and meditation my awareness increases and my ability to make conscious choices about how I am living my life improves. How do you tend to your spirit or soul? What practices do you find useful that make you feel connected and alive? I feel like this happiness project has become something I enjoy, a way to explore my life and live in a way that makes sense for me. My theme for April is to challenge myself. I want to attempt things that take a little more effort and push me out of my comfort zone. I want to try new activities, join new groups and do things I am not sure about. I think pushing out of what is comfortable will lead to growth.
I am starting this today by not eating any dairy. I will write more about the why and how of that later. I started to do more things I love last month, and I plan on bringing that into this month. I still sometimes struggle with letting myself find the joy in simple things and not having to defend or justify my actions. I will continue to work on that as a way to challenge myself. I challenge me to have more fun and worry less. I think this happiness project is a way for me to get back in touch, for me to find what brings me happiness and see how that can be a part of my day to day life. Happy April! (the best thing for April Fool's that I have seen thus far is on Google Maps) I love new months and new beginnings and for me this is both. A point to refresh and reflect, to consider the past and how I want to move forward. |
About MeI'm Sarah; a wife, traveler, foodie, and adventurer. Archives
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