Day 27 The Happiness Project

Stumbling around the online world of Happiness, I came across the name Gretchen Rubin.

Gretchen started The Happiness Project - a much more organized approach to what is essentially the aim of this blog. She spent a year testing out various Happiness Hypotheses, cherry-picking from philosophy, science, and self-help books.

If at all comparable to my attempt, Gretch is resoundingly more professional, disciplined, and distinctly less cynical. In respect of certain elements I wouldn't say we stand poles apart, BUT Gretch is American (SO loaded a comparison and one I fully intend to take the liberty of making and... ignore), grad of Yale Law School, professionally successful, married to a hedge fund manager, and has kids. Her motivation for The Happiness Project was an 'epiphany on the cross-town bus'. She asked herself ‘what do I want from life, anyway?’ and concluded 'I want to be happy'. So, happily, Gretchen spent a year being happy, wrote a book, got to number one in the bestsellers, and now is, I would bloody hope, happy.

The theory and intention behind The Happiness Project is of course goodhearted. HOWEVER what grates at me is similar to my concerns surrounding the pseudo-psychological self-help crap. Whilst the self-help nonsense could potentially be taking advantage (particularly fiscally) of people in a vulnerable position, Gretchen seems to come from a Good Place. Her default setting isn't one of sadness - so she starts from apparent fine-ness (mental, physical, financial stability) and builds up. Which is great, but does lead to a rather superficial outlook on the purpose and reasoning behind positive thinking.

It reeks slightly of a yoga-pant-clad-latte-swigging life that can be improved by Clearing Out Ones Walk-In Wardrobes or Resolving Not To Shout At Ones Incredibly Wealthy Husband. Ha! Sorry. It's just all a bit egocentric, as if Gretchen is 'playing' at trying to be happy. BUT ultimately why should it matter? The whole happiness industry is egocentric and superficial. Anyone getting out there and enthusiastically spreading a Good Message shouldn't be shot down because of where they're coming from... as I've said throughout, if it works for someone then that's A Good Thing. Perhaps it's because the best advice I've received is from those who have Been There, had a few hard-knocks and know how to deal with it. But then that's assuming the whole happiness industry is designed exclusively for those coming from a bad place. Perhaps I am completely incapable of making a coherent point today?!

I can also, as a little side note, recognise the blinding irony that all my criticisms of self-help drivel does in fact constitute my own self-help drivel. WHICH does, in light of the above babble, stand this entire mission for lent in an egocentric light BUT surely, in the same vein, giving up chocolate or alcohol or the more conventional choices for lent work to the same means? Additionally, if lent is to abstain from indulgence, I am therefore asserting that negative thinking is an indulgence, which it isn't (or is it?). WHICH ALL IN ALL JUST ENDS IN BRAIN ACHE.

RIGHT. In the absence of a walk-in wardrobe, hubby, kids, or indeed latte (woe is me!!) I'm going to follow point 5 from Gretchen's Six Tips for Tackling a Dreaded Task.

5. Commit. We’ve all heard the advice to write down your goals. This really works, so force yourself to do it. Usually this advice relates to long-term goals, but it works with short-term goals, too. On the top of a piece of paper, write, “By the end of today, I will have _____.” This also gives you the thrill of crossing a task off your list.

Err, so essentially just write a to-do list.

In other news, tomo I am going to discuss why the self-tanning lotion behemoth, St. Tropez have picked alabaster skinned Kelly Osbourne to be their Self Esteem Spokeswoman. I mean, OBVIOUSLY I associate tanning, the Osbourne family, and self-esteem. And if that isn't superficial enough for you I don't know what is.