Currently reading The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin. Such an eye opening read. Gretchen has her Twelve Commandments, Secrets of Adulthood, and Two Supreme Rules...so far.
Got me thinking...what are my Twelve Commandments, Secrets of Adulthood, and do I have any Supreme Rules? Let's start with the Happiness Commandments
Gretchen's Twelve Commandments are:
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.
I am only halfway through her year (June), so I don't know yet how she is addressing all twelve of those, but I have been impressed and inspired by the parts I have read.
So, let's see what my Commandments are....in no particular order.....
1. Be Debi....I think I will copy that one. I have been working on this for the last two years, and it seems like a solid guiding principle for me.
2. Be Kind. Be Safe. Be Neat...as a preschool teacher (a lifetime ago), I had three rules for my class, Be kind, Be Safe, Be Neat. I got that slogan at a training somewhere and I found that it could apply to every situation I encountered and it was easy for the students to remember.
3. Respect... Myself & Others.... treasure and cultivate friendships, show others I value them, accept them for who they are and offer myself the same courtesy I would offer others in terms of forgiveness, acceptance, and tolerance.
4. Laugh Every Day....laughter heals and is contagious, find ways to embrace that.
5. Be Generous...or giving? Give to others...that's the point. Through kind words, actions, donations, gifts, etc. Give.
6. Get Outside....read an article the other day that said being out in trees actually helps elevate our moods. It talked about something scientific, I don't recall the details, but I can attest to the reality.
7. Move Every Day...as in my body. Feel good physically, feel good mentally.
8. Challenge Myself..as in my brain. Step outside my comfort zone and explore new things...wait that's another one...
9. Explore...the world around me...I have already been focused on this, so it seems appropriate to include it.
10. Simplify Life...as in declutter my space, declutter my mind, pare down, only keep what I value and what brings me joy.
11. Do What Needs to be Done...I'm going to claim that one too. I tried to find another way to say it, but I think Gretchen nailed it! Just do what needs to be done....As Nike says, "Just Do It!" or as in the infamous words of Larry the Cable Guy..."Get 'er Done!"
12. Embrace Joy!
There is my list! It sounds a little more selfish than hers did. However, I know from reading about her first six months of the project that making yourself happy helps to make others happy and making others happy, helps to make you happy! It's a happy circle!
Happiness Project....challenge accepted!
Wait....I forgot one...an important one! That would be 13. Can I have 13 Commandments? Of course I can, they are my commandments. I can have a million if I want, although that might me a little hard to manage. But 13, 13 I can do....
13. BE Creative.
Wait....I forgot one...an important one! That would be 13. Can I have 13 Commandments? Of course I can, they are my commandments. I can have a million if I want, although that might me a little hard to manage. But 13, 13 I can do....
13. BE Creative.
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