Happy Independence Day weekend everyone! In honor of summer, and the very brilliant idea that is the long weekend, I thought we'd take a little field trip beyond our 40 Days blog world, and check out how someone else is shepherding her ducks into a row. (I feel like Mr. Rodgers, right before he boards the little train that takes us into the Neighborhood of Make-Believe...)Today, we're going to visit my friend Gretchen Rubin. Gretchen runs one of my favorite blogs, called The Happiness Project. On THP, she has gathered the most interesting, diverse, and unexpected collection of information on the subject of happiness that I've ever seen. I love her approach: not everything will be for everyone, but she casts her net far and wide and then lets us step up to this buffet of options to choose what we'd like to try.
One thing I'd like to try is her idea of creating your own commandments. These aren't meant to be an alternative to the ten God provided, but rather a personal supplement, sort of like the little kid bumpers at the bowling alley or training wheels on a bike--reminders of who we are and what matters to us that keep us from falling over. The point of commandments is that you don't violate them--or when you find that happening, you do a gut check, figure out why, and recalibrate. That intrigues me. I suspect that I already have personal commandments that I live by, but it seems worthwhile to think for a bit about what they are.
This weekend, check out Gretchen's site. Take note of what catches your attention and come back and tell us about it. Tell Gretchen, too--introduce yourself and say hello. You can even congratulate her on her book, which comes out at the end of this year.
Our field trip dovetails interestingly with today's chapter from Ecclesiastes, which tells us how when God enables us to enjoy our lives, it's a gift. One of the hallmarks of this gift is that we "seldom reflect on the days of [our lives] because God keeps us occupied with gladness of heart."
Gladness of heart sounds an awful lot like happiness. So I wonder if perhaps our ultimate Happiness Project might be to ask God to give us what King Solomon calls "satisfaction with our lot in life"? I don't mean that we force ourselves to settle--just the opposite, actually. I mean that we ask for the supernatural peace that allows us to enjoy where we are on the way to wherever God is taking us. That's my prayer for today :)
Have a wonderful weekend!!!
5 comments:
Can't wait to check out the blog!
I will do the same! I need supernatural peace while I'm on this path.
Have a wonderful holiday everyone!!!
That's a great verse about having gladness of heart. That's my prayer today, as well as supernatural peace. Great things to think about!
Supernatural peace ... I'm up for that, you betchya!
In the meantime, I'm off work today for a long 4th of July weekend so I'm heading to the bookstore and then I'm treating myself to an ice cream (either choc-choc something or butter pecan--YUM!).
Hmmmm ... does ice cream count as a Happiness Project?
Happy 4th of July!
Smiles,
Stella
I visted The Happiness Project and I love the idea of writing my own commandments I think it will serve as a daily reminder of the areas that I need to work on and hold myself more accountable for.
I also think when I get married (someday soon), that as a couple it would be great to start off with our own 10 commandments that we follow in our marriage.
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