Melissa Field
  • Home
  • Healing Center
    • Chakra Packages >
      • Complete Chakra Balancing & Healing Package
      • Crown Chakra Healing
      • Third Eye Chakra Healing
      • Heart Chakra Healing
      • Root Chakra Healing Package
      • The 7 Chakras - Affirmations
      • The 7 Chakras - Tune-Ups
    • Relief From Anxiety or Depression Package
    • Guided Meditations
    • 30 Day Vibration Raising Course
    • 10 Day Manifesting Magic Course
    • Empowering Visualizations
    • The Mystic's Journal
    • 7 Days of Calm
  • Blog
  • About
    • This Website
    • The Meditations
  • View Cart
  • Home
  • Healing Center
    • Chakra Packages >
      • Complete Chakra Balancing & Healing Package
      • Crown Chakra Healing
      • Third Eye Chakra Healing
      • Heart Chakra Healing
      • Root Chakra Healing Package
      • The 7 Chakras - Affirmations
      • The 7 Chakras - Tune-Ups
    • Relief From Anxiety or Depression Package
    • Guided Meditations
    • 30 Day Vibration Raising Course
    • 10 Day Manifesting Magic Course
    • Empowering Visualizations
    • The Mystic's Journal
    • 7 Days of Calm
  • Blog
  • About
    • This Website
    • The Meditations
  • View Cart

The Happiness Project

3/13/2018

 
Picture

​Last month I was perusing my local used bookstore when I came across something called "The Happiness Project". I began to read it and discovered it was about a woman's year long journey to be more happy.

The idea that she made happiness a goal for an entire year excited and intrigued me. So often I hear about happiness projects being a goal of 30 days or something similar. I could only imagine what would change for me if happiness was my priority for twelve months straight.

I then sat with the feeling that if making happiness a priority for a year feels revolutionary, it means I'm not making it a priority now. And if it's not my motivation, what is? My answer to this was two things - one, to accomplish things so I don't feel awkward when I'm socializing. I need to tell people what I'm doing and what I've done so that they won't perceive me as being lazy and undisciplined.

It stunned me to realize a large motivating factor for me is what other people think of me. 

My other priority in life is how I'm going to feel taken care of. How will I make money? How will I survive? This too surprised me, because as a writer I had always told myself I was living the opposite of the pursuit of money and security. And yet this has been a driving force in how I feel and what I want for most of my life.

I'm so used to the idea that this world is about survival that even in the pursuit of my purest, most beloved passion I forgot to bring happiness into it.

What then would happen if I thought of what makes me happy and made that my priority? 

The author of the book started on January 1st, dedicating each month to a happiness goal. This too felt revolutionary. So often we put all of our plans for change into one pressure-filled moment. We want our News Years resolutions to sweep through and change our whole life, without considering that each resolution needs time to be nurtured and rooted. 

Since I bought the book in mid-February I decided to wait until March 1st to begin. That would give me more time to read about her journey, which was already inspiring and uplifting me. Just hearing about how someone else's life positively changes for the better can do so much to get us up and going. Even though I wouldn't begin for several weeks, I decided to go ahead and write my list.

Once I'd finished I'd wondered if I'd done a good job. Was it a good idea to make a month dedicated to laughter? How would I laugh more? Maybe that was too vague... and what about the goal to be outside more? I don't love gardening and yet I'd included that as part of an outdoor-oriented month...

The fact that I wasn't sure if I knew what would make me happier speaks volumes in itself.

But then I thought of something I wanted to add and as I went down the list there was nothing I wanted to remove to make room for it. So that was it. I had my list. (And I did sneak that thing in - it was a spiritual tome I've been wanting to read, and I piggy backed it on my meditation month).

It's now mid-March and I still haven't officially started my happiness project. I want to completely finish the book before I do so, as I know one of my non-happy habits is rushing. When I begin I book I devour it as fast as I can, sometimes falling asleep while I read. I get an idea for a project and I dive in, giving it hours at a time before I stop to ask myself how I'm feeling and if I'm ready for this next step. 

I had already noticed my leadfoot when it came to kick starting things in my life, so I didn't officially put "slow down" in the list. I'm considering it an over-arching, year long goal that will support all the other ones.

You don't need the book in order to begin your own happiness project. The author has tons of information online, including a blog, podcasts and a starter kit for a Happiness Project group.

How do you feel about a year of happiness? Does it sound like a lot of work, or like you'd change your priorities and find a new way of living?
Picture

Comments are closed.

    Categories

    All
    Depression / Anxiety
    Enlightenment
    Fear
    Growth/Change
    Healing Center
    Inspiration
    Meditation
    Power Of Thought
    Quotes
    Raise Your Vibration
    Reader Favorites
    Self Love
    Social Issues
    Success/Failure


    ​Popular Posts:
    ​

    40 Days of The Golden Thread
    Anti-Anxiety Mini Toolkit
    Success & Failure Are Not the Only Two Options
    People are the Universe & The Universe Loves You
    This is a photo of a potato. It sold for $1,000,000.
    Feel What You Feel (There Are No Wrong Feelings)
    I'm Not Going to Play This Game Anymore
    Be The Change
    Creativity Aligns You With the Energy of the Universe
    Third Eye Chakra Meditation
    Surrender to the Universe and the Universe will surrender to you
    12 Books for Spiritual Explorers
    Clearing the Old & Embracing the New (Meditation)
    Expect Miracles
    How to Ignite Passion, Power & Creativity with your Breath
    Do Not Wrestle the Monkey
    The Double Slit Experiment & The Power of Focus
    Today is the day I believe in my success
    Free Solo: How One Man Did the Impossible
    Please stop saying "I hate the sound of my own voice"
    Fear Is the Jet Fuel That Will Burn Your Life Down
    Stop Seeking and Start Vibrating
    4 Things My Childhood Business Taught Me About Life
    Strength Grows in the Moments You Think You Can't Go On
    HU: The meditation mantra that changed my life
    You can be happy or you can be right
    Manifesting Vs. Creating
    Accessing Parallel Lives & the True Dynamics of Your Brilliant Self
    The Toolbox, Aka You Got This
    The Miracle of the Diaries
    Thousands of Millions of Universes
    You Are Not Required to Put a Stranger’s Comfort Above Your Own
    I trust... I trust... I trust
    How can I make your day better?
    Validation & Hope Vs. Toxic Positivity
    Watch the Waves in the Ocean
    A Seed Grows in Darkness
    Turn Your Fear into Excitement So You Can Pursue Your Dreams
    What if I never again felt I had to validate my existence?
    Sometimes you're tired
    Meditating on The Violet & Blue Flames
    Why We Need to Stop Using the Expression "It Wasn't Meant to Be"
    No One Else Can Do What You Do
    Let's Play a Game
    You
What customers are saying:
​
I love your meditations! I have been listening to them on a daily basis.
- C. Arellano

I found the twin flame meditation deeply relaxing. I had been experiencing a lot of anxiety about my twin flame and it calmed me into blissful peace.
- K. Fisher

The 30 Day Journey was so magical. Thank you.
​- M. Fischer

​
​Home

Guided Meditations

Healing Center

Blog

Picture

Breathe. You got this.
Photos used under Creative Commons from Trevor King 66, gaudiramone, iggyshoot, Arya Ziai, OakleyOriginals, k.isikawa_G3, Ron Cogswell, nan_hann, Greenbelt Alliance, lorenkerns, Studio N Photography, YorkshirePhotoWalks, swambo, docoverachiever, daveynin, dyniss, symphony of love, darkday., Rob Briscoe, Niranjan Ramesh, Sunny_mjx, Vilb1, Kai Lehmann, Yogendra174, lukas schlagenhauf, sling@flickr, Studio N Photography, BPPrice, mypubliclands, absentadrinker, Kirt Edblom, doublejwebers, yto, dc_gardens, Ali Burçin Titizel / Gti861, Robert Cheaib - Theologhia.com, "KIUKO", dolbinator1000, Jean-Marc Liotier, Giorgio Galeotti, chakrawandelingen, Dear M, Bryce Womeldurf, ZeePack, tx_mattster, Me in ME, Robert.Pittman, symphony of love, Mycatkins, Neville Wootton Photography, Arya Ziai, plasticrevolver, EVO GT, wuestenigel, john.gillespie, Gonmi, j-dub1980(THANK YOU FOR 100k+ Views), diegodacal, torbakhopper