the happiness experiment
I mentioned in a recent blog that I’m reading the book Be Happy, by Robert Holden. One of the exercises he had me do, as a reader, gave me an idea for a little experiment of my own. This morning I started that experiment, and I thought I’d tell you how it’s going at midday.
Let me give you some background and tell you about the experiment first. Not too long ago I began reconstruction of my happy place - determining the people, place, and things I’d have in my life that would truly make me happy. That place is still under construction in my mind, but I can already see pieces of it in my mind as if I lived there. So I asked myself this question: what would happen if I spent a few minutes first thing in the morning thinking about my happy place?
I thought about this for a little while, then I had an even better idea: Why llimit it to just first thing in the morning? Why not do it whenever I had a couple of minutes during the day, or whenever something happened that would normally irritate me? That’s the experiment I’m living today. To think about my happy place, experience it, and pull that experience into everyday life.
I’m not quite through half the experimental day, but I have to tell you, today is going much better than a “normal” day goes. I’m much happier than usual, and while I haven’t asked my co-workers, I’m sure that I’ve complained a lot less than usual too. I have the distinction of being the curmudgeon on the programming staff at work, and I’m looking to pass that title to someone else - I want to be happy. Frankly, I’m tired of being a cynic, so I’m changing. Not future tense, as in I will change, but present tense - I am changing. To paraphrase Ghandi, I am being the change I wish to see in the world. My world anyway.
The day is far from over, but rather than a sense of dread or prolonged agony, I find myself upbeat, ready, and expectant. Tonight is my first night back in jujitsu class after a two week layoff, so I’m almost certain to be sore tomorrow. But strangely, perhaps, I’m looking forward to that too - it means I’m back on the mat, where I belong.
I’m changing my attitude. Changing altitude can’t be far behind.