The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin has inspired me to take stock in how I walk through the world. While I am generally someone who almost always finds the light within challenges, I am not someone who expresses pure joy easily. I will benefit from developing my own tools or personal commandments to better strive for not only more contentment, but dare I say simchah (happiness) within my daily life. For the next 13 days, I will become transparent as I actively develop my own personal Happiness Project.
I am struck by a very simple reality. Even though I feel a strong sense of inner peace and contentment, I don’t necessarily feel real joy or happiness on a regular basis. Intensity permeates my being; I am constantly reflecting the realities of world, the communities I live, and my own life too. I love life and yet I, like so many, have become trapped by life’s realities. Allowing oneself to be trapped does not serve us well. My hope Is that by creating more simchah tools, I can go to a ‘happy place’ more frequently.
Perfection is far from my realm. With each breath, I make mistakes. This journey is a work in progress. Regardless of how perfect or imperfect things seem, feeling inner happiness more frequently is the goal. I’d love to find moments of pure simchah each and every day. For me, finding simchah, can only happen when I find balance in spite of all the realities that exist as I celebrate the good.
As a seeker. I need to embrace the light more and to figure out the meaning of happiness on a personal level. While this may be the busiest time period in my life, I will post each day over the coming 13 days. I will explore my own personal commandments towards my own search for happiness.
Simchah, joy, is one of the forty-eight middot (values) that are expressed/taught in Pirkei Avot, Ethics of our Fahers. Each word in the book teaches us how to walk through life. With that I will use my writing to explore my own personal eleven commandments over the coming days. Who says there has to be only Ten Commandments?
Looking forward to finding out how my Eleven Commandments evolve through my writing and actions. Hang on for the ride and consider letting me know your thoughts. Over the next thirteen days, I will explore my personal commandments each day discussing one of the below commandments in order. My guess is that some posts will be short and sweet and others will be a bit longer.
Growth can only come with action; my hope is that as I delve into my thoughts, I will utilize the tools that exist as a means of striving towards actively feeling and engaging in simchah. On the last day, I will wrap up with this writing journey and try to move into more actively engaging in joy while utilizing each of the tools that touch me.
Personal Commandments are
- Be myself.
- Be the change you want to see in the world
- Take spiritual time each day
- Live more consciously
- Seek peaceful connections
- Honor your body
- Breathe deeply
- Listen before speaking
- Find the light
- Trust the universe
- Allow nothingness
This list is inspired by the Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.
Catch you tomorrow as I explore the first commandment and work towards transformation.
l’Chayim (To life),
Chava
I love it!