I have been a fan of Gretchen Rubin‘s blog for quite some time and read her book, Happiness Project this year. She often interviews well known people and ask them the same questions about happiness. I thought I’d answer the questions for myself.
What’s a simple activity that consistently makes you happier?
Emailing happy three things with Kim.
What’s something you know now about happiness that you didn’t know when you were 18 years old?
I am responsible for my happiness. I don’t think I really understood that I had a responsibility towards myself to be happy and take care of myself. I often put other people’s well being over mine.
Is there anything you find yourself doing repeatedly that gets in the way of your happiness?
I think a lot of my peers do this. Whenever I compare myself to others, I can easily get sucked into a black spiral of gloom.
Is there a happiness mantra or motto that you’ve found very helpful?
I don’t have a specific mantra or motto but I do have a specific way of living. I try very hard to see the small and great things in my life. “Small and great” sounds like an oxymoron but what I mean is the simple things that occur every day that are easy to overlook but are awesome. While Kim and I were driving to the Midland airport from Marfa, we left before the sunrise. Subsequently, we were able to see the sky change its colors as the sun rose. We excitedly narrated the color schemes to each other as new colors were unveiled. If you were to listen in our conversations, you’d think we were children intellectually witnessing a sunrise for the first time. Sunrises are everyday things but when you remember to look at them with fresh eyes, they’re pretty great.
If you’re feeling blue, how do you give yourself a happiness boost? Or, like a “comfort food,†do you have a comfort activity?
I like going to the movies by myself when I’m feeling blue. It’s my way of taking a break from my mind chatter. When my mind chatter isn’t tormenting me, journaling can also give me a happiness boost. Oddly, I really enjoy being by myself when I’m feeling upset. My extroverted tendencies subside when I’m not well.
Is there some aspect of your home that makes you particularly happy?
I have a small collage of photos of a few of my favorite cities. I love seeing it because it conjures up some fond memories.
Have you ever been surprised that something you expected would make you very happy, didn’t – or vice versa?
As a teen, I was enrolled in a private all girl school for high school. I really thought my life was going to end as I was separated from kids I went to school with for eight years. I’m not sure what would have happened if I went to the high school I wanted, but I had a pretty awesome high school experience and the friendships I’ve managed to take away from the experience are my oldest friendships.
Questions: Pick a few questions and answer them!