Sometimes living life in a big family does feel like a three-ring circus, but that's my life, and, all-in-all, I LOVE IT!

Thursday, March 1, 2012

The Happiness Project And My Little Exercise Guru

I'm reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin (thank you, Jill [you can find Jill's blog HERE], for the recommendation [you can find Jill's book post HERE]).  I'm loving it! 


So far, for me, a few of the most notable things from this book, and the most significant to my life:


I had everything I could possibly want, yet I was failing to appreciate it.  Bogged down in petty complaints and passing crises, weary of struggling with my own nature, I too often failed to comprehend the splendor of what I had.  I didn't want to keep taking these days for granted.  The words of the writer Colette had haunted me for years: "What a wonderful life I've had!  I only wish I'd realized it sooner."  I didn't want to look back, at the end of my life or after some great catastrophe, and think, "How happy I used to be then, if only I'd realized it."


~and~


I needed to change the lens through which I viewed everything familiar.


~and~


...people have an inborn disposition that's set within a certain range, but they can boost themselves to the top of their happiness range or push themselves down to the bottom of their happiness range by their actions.


~ and what struck me most especially was this:


...people desire other things, such as power or wealth or losing ten pounds, because they believe these things will lead to happiness, but their real goal is happiness.


This book is helping me to appreciate my life right here and right now:
Such as watching my little exercise guru jump, and jump, and jump!
(I love this little guy's energy!)




Oh, this happy little boy!  Seriously, sometimes I feel like my heart could just burst.  I look at my grandchildren and I think, "It's not possible, it's just not possible to love someone this much."
This wonderful, joyful, heavenly, impossible, miraculous, "I more than love you" feeling ~ it must be the Spirit of God.  This amazing 'more than love' feeling is something that makes me very happy and I get to experience it everyday.

7 comments:

  1. I'm so glad you are reading this Eileen! I absolutely loved it. I highlighted so many quotes and I hope to often go back and read them again as a refresher. I'm looking forward to her next book "Happier at Home" that is coming out in September.

    We should all be like cute little Eoghan. He is one happy little guy!

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  2. Oh Eileen - I needed this SO much today - "thank you" you are a saviour
    Loving you
    Gail
    peace.....

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  3. This looks like it would be a very interesting book to read. Thank you for posting about it here. Your little one is so sweet!

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  4. That 'I more than love you feeling' you speak of, Eileen...continues to grow and grow, right along with the grandkids!

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  5. Those are really challenging quotes. Thanks for picking them out...and I couldn't get the action part of the jumping guru picture, but he sure is precious in still life, too!

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  6. Oh, I went back and tried again. THIS time I got it! How could you NOT love it?!?

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  7. You too have so much energy!!! Grandmothers really do! Though different from the MOM in us we have more perseverance, I think! I so admire you!!! Cathy

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