When a good friend recommended that I read The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, I didn’t know whether to be insulted that the dark half-moons under my eyes had tipped her off to my impending senior angst, or grateful that she too shared my terror and found solace in that innocent blue and yellow hardcover.
As the full title of the work suggests, The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun, recounts one woman’s year-long project to become happier. Unlike other more drastic undertakings, such as that chronicled in Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love, Rubin’s goal is not to find happiness by escaping the confines of a mundane life, but rather by enhancing the joys of everyday living. Although I’ve always been wary of the self-help aisle, this simple endeavor struck a chord in my state of flux as a college senior, anxious about leaving the cozy world of M&Cs and ivy-laden buildings.
Rubin truly began her Happiness Project as a graduate of Yale Law School, serving as a clerk for Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. Although leading a life many pre-law students, like me, wistfully dream of, Rubin realized that the law did not ignite her passion as much as her hobby, writing, did. In a brave move, she abandoned her prestigious legal career and pursued her dream of publishing novels, ultimately publishing several New York Times best-selling works.
The Happiness Project itself was born one day on a New York City cross-town bus, when Rubin realized that her life was fleeting. As she reflected on the quick growth of her two daughters, the seeming shortness of her decade-long marriage and the meteoric rise of her career, she discovered one of the Secrets of Adulthood that she uses to frame the lessons of her book: “The days are long, but the years are short.” Although she didn’t characterize her life as distinctly unhappy, she realized that there was much room for improvement in enriching her daily experiences.
The format of the book follows a monthly account of Rubin’s experiments in applying her happiness research to improve specific areas of her life. For instance, beginning with energy in January, in which she addresses her sleeping, diet, exercise and overall well-being. To frame each month, she follows her personal Ten Commandments, such as “Be Gretchen,” to personalize her own Happiness Project. She outlines a few mini-goals to address the purpose of that month and charts her success in accomplishing these on her Resolutions Chart. When beginning a new month, she continues to chart the goals for the previous months as well.
The theories that she test-drives to improve her life are derived from an extensive array of happiness gurus in pop culture, science and ancient wisdom. She channels, and quotes, the beliefs of sages such as Oprah, Thomas Jefferson, the Dalai Lama and Woody Allen. In addition, in March, as she attempts to “Aim Higher” to focus on her career, Rubin follows through with her mini-goal of learning a new technology by starting a blog about her Happiness Project. From that point on in the book, she bolsters many of her own experiences with those of her readers, many of whom are inspired to begin their own Happiness Projects with the Toolbox she created for the site.
Rubin’s book has had wide appeal in the two years since it hit the shelves. Her A-type personality does not alienate readers, as her struggle to focus on the moment and treasure the joys of each day is universal. Although the book details her personal Happiness Project, the core structures of her life (family, work, leisure, health) are easy for anyone to relate to. Her successes and failures also offer practical lessons applicable to all, as readers relate to her resolutions to be a more pleasant partner, find more positivity in the mundane, remember blessings and cherish health.
A Mount Holyoke student, no matter the class year, will agree with the value of the wisdom she tests out and the advice she gives. Too often, students struggle with one of Rubin’s Secrets of Adulthood: “Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.” Instead, we can focus on one of her Splendid Truths she derives from the research and her experiences, in which she realizes that a key element of happiness is the spirit of growth in which it occurs.
Armed with this knowledge, a Mount Holyoke reader might be inspired to take a new language, join a new organization or make time for a hobby (that doesn’t include Hulu). And for the seniors, fearful for their happiness in this time of transition, we are spurred to take this spirit of learning with us into the real world. After borrowing The Happiness Project from my friend for over seven months (sorry, Carol!), I was unwilling to let it end as I prepared for my LSAT and readied materials for my thesis. As I considered my future, as even first years do, I realized that I had learned more than the fact that the self-help section may not be for just the recently dumped and workplace navigators. I had discovered my own Splendid Truth: “Happiness is possible without M&Cs and Mountain Day, since in the real world there are plenty of mountains to climb and plenty of nights where carrots and graham crackers aren’t the only option.”
Anyone looking to improve their happiness at any stage of life, and who isn’t enamored with traditional self-help novels, will delight in the conversational relatability of this book and may even be inspired to undertake their own Happiness Project.
Related posts:
- An intro to Senior Projects
- Senior Art Projects
- Friedman’s sex guide keeps readers honest and aware
- Luis von Ahn to speak on CAPTCHA project
- The liberal arts and senior year: the value of indecision
