Book Review: The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

While strolling Barnes and Noble, I found this book which seemed to be a great pick-me-up, especially with the new year right around the corner at the time that I bought it. I'm quite familiar with self help books as they are my "go-to" books when i'm not feeling totally myself. 

Are you ready to find out why I picked this book up instead of the ones surrounding it? The title! The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun. So that means somebody else finds joy out of cleaning their closets too?! YES! I honestly felt like this book was written for me after seeing that title. But after reading it, I realized that this book is relatable to EVERYONE.

Author, Gretchen Rubin takes you through a year of her journey to a life of happiness. But don't be misled! This book isn't about her, it's about the tactics she used to lead a happier life.

Each chapter is based on a different month of the year. For example, Chapter 1: January, Chapter 2 February and so on. Each month of the year has a different focus. Those focuses being love, energy, work, leisure, friendship and more. She even has a chapter about parenthood, which although it doesn't relate to myself, I learned to have more patience and a better sense of understanding of people because of it.

The book inspires you to take your own journey to happiness over the course of a year by starting out with the foundation of happiness. You don't need to follow her exact course to happiness as everyone's lives and priorities differ from one another. In my own happiness project, i've swapped out of few of her focuses like parenthood and friendship for topics I felt fit me better, like family and calmness.

I want to point out two things before you shut out the idea of giving this book a chance:

1) I know there are people who are not "readers".

You don't need to consider yourself a "reader" to really enjoy the concept of this book. This isn't a story per se. This isn't a book you read to escape reality and find yourself in a new world with new characters. This is a relatable journey with beneficial tactics to a life of happiness and inner peace.

2) I know there are people saying, "But i'm not unhappy. I'm content with my life already."

This isn't a book about people who are suffering depression or feeling hopeless. This is a book that takes you from whatever emotional stage you are in, whether it's sad, confused or content, and bringing it to another level of happiness. It changes your paradigm of what your happiness could be.

With 2014 here already (I feel like i'm aging quickly and i'm only 20 years old), I think now is the perfect time to start a Happiness Project and stick to it. This book is powerful in its influential way to make you critically think. It's worth a read. Trust me.

Here is a link to the book: The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

Here is the author's website: Gretchen Rubin's Website

Here is the author's twitter: Gretchen Rubin's Twitter

Let me know if you read it!

I hope you enjoy it!

April Maroshick

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