Book #1 of 2013

"There are times in the lives of most of us when we would have given all the world to be as we were but yesterday, though that yesterday had passed over us unappreciated and unenjoyed." -William Edward Harpole Lecky. 

So part of my New Years Resolutions this year is to read 13 books in 2013. Cross book #1 off my list. It might not count since I did start reading it last fall, but I finally finished it!

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin is a not a book that would normally take months to read. However, with it being a self-help book (I love a good self-help book), and since I actually owned a copy of the book I decided to take my time, highlight some parts, re-read some sections and not stress myself out about getting it finished. The quote above might just be my favorite part of this book. The author is a happy woman, who takes us through her journey to become even happier. She covers topics from marriage and parenthood to vitality and leisure. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who just wants a little reminder of all the reasons to be happy and a little nudge to become even happier yet.

A few of my favorite thoughts from this book:

"Happy wife, happy life" sounds great - but it is actually a tremendous responsibility.

"By being happy myself, I was better able to try to make other people happier."

"You're only as happy as your least happy child."

"It is easy to be heavy; hard to by light."

This last one reminded me that you have to choose to be happy (and sometimes it's hard) and when you are negative, it only sucks the joy out of other people. On the flip-side, when you surround yourself with negative people it sucks the joy out of you. I needed that reminder.