A Fresh Start
January 4, 2011
I always think of the year as having two fresh start opportunities – September with back to school and its new beginnings and then the flip of the calendar to a new year in January. “Self-help” books (now more often referred to as “Health and Well Being”) tend to garner more attention during these times of year so I thought we’d take a peek today at one of the titles in the genre deemed “buzz-worthy”.
“For those who generally loathe the self-help genre, Rubin’s book is a breath of peppermint-scented air.” (The Cleveland Plain Dealer)
Gretchen Rubin devoted a year to an experiment in which she “test-drove the wisdom of the ages, current scientific studies, and lessons from popular culture about how to be happier”. She recorded her findings in a blog and then in this book. View the video below to understand the impetus for her project.
The Happiness Project has been wildly popular; book clubs galore are reading this together and challenging one another to pursue “Happiness Projects” too. The book (and Gretchen’s) appeal is apparently in the lack of “preachiness” – resolutions and tasks are left open for a reader’s personal interpretation while the author readily admits her failings. She does not feel her way is the only way, she simply shares her experience and enthusiastically encourages others to pursue their unique version of Happiness Project.
Let us know if you’ve read the book and what your thoughts are. Have you launched your own Happiness Project for 2011?
