Before I start writing about my next happiness adventure, I thought I would first reflect.
Ok, so I started the blog, am I happier? Well certainly I have been overwhelmed by the comments and support from everyone.. but is that happier? It has been quite exciting writing a blog and checking on how many people have clicked on my page, and I guess that adrenaline rush does make me a bit happier... so yes.. I'd say that writing this has made me that little bit happier.
So after realising that my first happiness rule was to just be me, I started to think that this happiness project might be quite nice to implement on my poor unsuspecting 7 year old. Actually, she is not unsuspecting. The happiness adventure started several months back with an innocent question "mummy, what are you reading?". And so my description of the happiness project started.
I then thought it would be great if we could do this together, the two of us. Lets just make a list of all things that make us happy and lets just do it. Oh how Naive Am I. My 7 year old just looked at me and said "mum, you're weird". I cannot dispute that. So I thought the best thing to do is to subtly start to ask random happiness questions, but the problem with modern 7 year olds... they are actually smarter than us.
So here I am at the end of August. Any mention of the word "happiness project" and my 7 year old shoots daggers at me with her eyes. The word "happiness" is now banned (by her) in the house and I am not allowed to talk about it. So, this brings me onto my second realisation - this is a journey that you have to do alone. You can't make people (and your loved ones) buy into your happiness. You cannot infect the happiness by sneezing on them. You have to accept that only you can change yourself. And there is a strong strong chance that the people around you may not even respond to the happier and more positive you. You will have to learn to live with that disappointment. So I am going solo, its my happiness project and now my ONLY outlet is this blog. Only time will tell whether my personal adventure might have an impact on those around me.
Ok, so I started the blog, am I happier? Well certainly I have been overwhelmed by the comments and support from everyone.. but is that happier? It has been quite exciting writing a blog and checking on how many people have clicked on my page, and I guess that adrenaline rush does make me a bit happier... so yes.. I'd say that writing this has made me that little bit happier.
So after realising that my first happiness rule was to just be me, I started to think that this happiness project might be quite nice to implement on my poor unsuspecting 7 year old. Actually, she is not unsuspecting. The happiness adventure started several months back with an innocent question "mummy, what are you reading?". And so my description of the happiness project started.
I then thought it would be great if we could do this together, the two of us. Lets just make a list of all things that make us happy and lets just do it. Oh how Naive Am I. My 7 year old just looked at me and said "mum, you're weird". I cannot dispute that. So I thought the best thing to do is to subtly start to ask random happiness questions, but the problem with modern 7 year olds... they are actually smarter than us.
So here I am at the end of August. Any mention of the word "happiness project" and my 7 year old shoots daggers at me with her eyes. The word "happiness" is now banned (by her) in the house and I am not allowed to talk about it. So, this brings me onto my second realisation - this is a journey that you have to do alone. You can't make people (and your loved ones) buy into your happiness. You cannot infect the happiness by sneezing on them. You have to accept that only you can change yourself. And there is a strong strong chance that the people around you may not even respond to the happier and more positive you. You will have to learn to live with that disappointment. So I am going solo, its my happiness project and now my ONLY outlet is this blog. Only time will tell whether my personal adventure might have an impact on those around me.
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ReplyDeleteAhh, thats a mean thing to say... but expected no less
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DeleteIts ok...i was joking too in my dry cynical way
ReplyDeleteThat's a relief .. I thought that I'd upset another human in this sad world so deleted all my comments from your page, and then went into temporary hiding.
Delete-- self indulgent moment ---> For the last six months I have been trying to fathom what the heck is going on with this sick world. Some have told me it's the fault of the governments, the corporations, the military industrial complex, while others tell me to get on with my life and not worry about it. I've seen so many horrors in real life and on the web in what these crazy people are doing to us and the planet that it may have sent me a little crazy. I go through moments of anxiety and bliss while trying to help people aware of whats going on in the world. They seem to be oblivious to it all, like a happy family taking a picnic in a field of lions, unaware of what could happen..
I will try and work it out some more ;o)
Glad we cleared the air.
ReplyDeleteWell I was hoping to touch on this subject in future blogs, but the world has indeed turned into a sad and horrific place, and I did think am I being selfish in pursuing my own happiness in the face of others misery? Indeed in my youth I was very vocal and active, and went on protests, however as I aged, I became more mellow. You see you can scream shout and get angry all you want, that will never change anything. You can however only change yourself and if you want to save humanity, you need to save yourself from yourself first. I am a strong believer in that....
.. 'save yourself from yourself' .. how many times have I heard that one before. Are you an addict of some kind :)
ReplyDeleteIt could just be a 'question of balance' - putting oneself in a state of mind that is ready for battle in that 'protest' or fight for 'truth' - and then taking a moment to calm down and then being ready for love, laughter and joy.
How someone like yourself is able to manage with child and other stuff is itself all of those things combined, while protecting the little ones from the bad..
you don't need to be an addict to admit your fatal errors. Its all about looking at yourself critically and listening to what people are telling you. I agree with you, life is all about balance, no point being all happy and lovely then letting people walk all over you. That just makes you a fool, but that balance is a hard one, and as we are seeing in this sick world, one that is difficult to achieve. lets keep struggling on :-)
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