As I wrote last week, I'm making my way through the book The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. In the intro, she lays out the steps she took to start her year-long journey to make herself happier. One of the key elements she suggests is writing out a list of 12 commandments. Why, 12? Maybe because 10 was already taken? Who knows. Regardless, I was really inspired by the idea of coming up with my own personal principles that I want to strive to live by.
And what a better place to write down my 12 commandments than in the super cute little notebook I got in the mail yesterday from blog friend Erin! (I absolutely LOVE getting things in the mail. Except bills. Booo.) Thanks, girl -- it is a wonderful little present AND it goes perfectly with our Be Happy theme!
So without further ado...
my twelve commandments
So, what do you think? I think I've got some pretty good guiding principles that will help put me on the right path. How nice to have something in writing that I can reference when I'm having a tough day or need a little pick-me-up! Especially when I'm having such a blah day like today, this was a great way to help me keep things in perspective (hmmm maybe that should have been one of my 12 commandements!). And some of these aren't exactly commandments, but honestly they are things I constantly need to be reminded of. I usually find myself in need of an attitude adjustment and my 12 commandments will definitely come in handy as I always strive to be a better person.
Gretchen also recommends just writing out all of the things that make you happy and all of the things that make you unhappy so you can start moving towards making concrete resolutions. I'll have to save those for next week!
To read other stories of happiness from this week's linkup, click here.
i love your commandments! they are making me rethink mine, actually! being gracious is so important...and i love that you remind yourself to wear heels- i totally agree, you just feel different when you wear them!
ReplyDeleteOh yeah I love these. I'm working on mine and what a cute notebook from Erin!
ReplyDeleteIsn't the notebook precious? I'm going to use it for all my Happiness Project notes :)
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see your Commandments!
Thank you, but I'm sure yours are wonderful. It was hard to pick only 12! I could have thought of so many more. They all need subcategories haha :)
ReplyDeleteAnd yes -- sometimes you just gotta face life in a fabulous pair of shoes!
I love number 7. I work in a very casual environment so sometimes I feel weird dressing up but I love it and I feel good when I do it, so, why not? Love the notebook too!
ReplyDeleteI just had to put #7 on there! Sometimes, heels can really just make the difference in how I feel! Glad to know I'm not alone! And as I always say: It's better to be overdressed than underdressed!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by :)
Ahhh yay!! It makes me so happy that you used your notebook for your commandments! That just made my whole day (well 2 days technically). You're the best :) and these are such great commandments! xo
ReplyDeleteThe notebook is the PERFECT little tool to help me with my own happiness project! Thanks again for the super sweet gift. It's already come in handy!! The commandments weren't as hard as I thought -- it's the resolutions that I think will be really tricky!
ReplyDeleteI really like this Alyssa, both the idea and your 12 commandments. I'm not sure that #7 would work for me, but I can affirm it for you! I shall have to think through my own 12. I may be a day later and more than a few dollars short, but you've given me something to ponder here. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThanks Andrew. And hey, if you wanted to steal my #7 commandment, there is no judgement here! :)
ReplyDeleteI appreciate this comment! Let me know if you do make your own 12 commandments one of these days.
Well I always thought it would be interesting to try out heels, but didn't figure I'd find much acceptance, so thanks for your openness! I'm still thinking about my 12 so I'll let you know when I post them.
ReplyDeletewhat a great idea! and i love that notebook you wrote them all down in
ReplyDeleteIsn't that notebook the cutest? It was the perfect gift!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by :)
so personality notebook.verg beautiful
ReplyDeleteLove em! I also love that you actually *wrote* them down. I should show you the pic in my journal where I scribbled (and I mean literally scribbled) my initial ideas. After having had these for awhile now, I'm wondering if they've helped you or not? Do you read them daily? How do you interact with them? Is there anything you'd suggest? Mmmm, maybe you should answer all my questions with a blog post? lol.
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