personal commandments::I

Not too so long ago, I stumbled upon a unique blog entitled, quite directly, The Happiness Project. And what a thought-provoking find it has been. Rather than some happy-slappy psycho-babble rhetoric that you might guess, the founder, Gretchen Rubin is seeking a deep, a spiritual, an ever-abiding type, day to day type of happiness that we all desire. Not one that dismisses the frustration, disappointment or grief that is part of a rich and genuine journey, but a sort of happiness that remains at the foundation even during those moments, days or months when it is difficult to be happy.

What I appreciate about her project, in particular, is that she is all about the tangibles, the nitty gritty, if you will, of what is actually essential to maintaining happiness. I tend to slip rather unexpectedly into little bouts of despair when I am overwhelmed and having a working of knowledge of how to actually avoid or climb out of these little slips is a Godsend. Thinking about the personal commandments and other aspects of The Happines Project has really helped me identify the stumbling blocks in my quest for good cheer.

So following Ms. Rubin's lead, I've gone ahead a created a list of twelve "Personal Commandments". (You can find her's over at the website in the sidebar.) It is still a work in progress, but here is the first of my "personal commandments":

I. Be the change I want to see.
Ghandi thought of that one actually, but I really love it. It is such a wonderful edict that can be applied in any cause in life, great or small. So many lectures, complicated strategery, and frustrations can be avoided altogether by simply living, speaking or behaving in the manner I seek from those persons or situations around me. What I especially like about this statement is that it so directly conveys the idea of being and living the change rather than demonstrating, or worse yet, "setting" an example.

Commit to and, with sincerity of heart, live the change.