Tuesday, March 23, 2010

The Middleaged Happiness Project

Hello & Welcome to Me.
And you're only going to get a v. Short Bit of Me this post because v. soon I must hop into bed.
Those of you that are familiar with my Daily Habits know that I claim to be a Stickler for a Strict Bedtime.
In a frantic effort to grow some much needed Melatonin, I set myself a goal of 9.30 pm bedtime with lights out no later than 10.
For a while things went swimmingly. As soon as the requisite time rolled around, I meekly hopped into bed like a Happy Little Automaton & turned off the light.
A Whole New World of Yawning at Nite (instead of in the mid-afternoon) opened up. And believe it or not, I actually Went to Sleep.
I was gobsmacked & perhaps more than a little smug.
But then the v. long Summer Hols rolled around & Bedtime suddenly seemed irrelevant.
Set You Chickens Free, I yelled to myself. Who cares about Melatonin, I asked with a slight sneer.
I went back to school still eschewing The Strict Bedtime. But to the Outside World, I was keeping up appearances.
Oh, the Web of Lies I told! Even to you, Dear Reader!
Anyway, now I'm back On the Wagon. It's my second nite.
Last nite I went to bed at perhaps 9 & listened to an audio recording of 'The Happiness Project' on my iPod. I was spellbound by the author, Gretchen Rubin's voice. It was reassuringly No Nonsense & matter of fact with slight upper notes of Take No Prisoners. I was hooked.


I'm now desperate to scamper off into bed & listen to some more.
I can't tell you much about 'The Happiness Project' except that Gretchen decided that she wanted to be happier with her life. Not that she wasn't. In fact, she scored herself a 3.5 out of a possible 5 on a Happiness Scale.
I could Not Possibly rate myself in that way. I wouldn't know how to begin.
Anyway, she decided to read up everything there was to read about Happiness & after she knew everything she decided to spend a year putting it all into practice to see what worked & what didn't.
That's about as far as I got.
But I'm going to start my own 'Middleaged Happiness Project'.
In fact, I already informally started one, although I didn't know it just after Mr. Ex-Middleaged left which is nearly 20 Big Months Ago.
I'll tell you more tomorrow.
Sweet Dreams.

2 comments:

Darla said...

Happiness is what I strive for but I'm satisfied if I reach content.

Love the necklace with the blouse - the geometrics just sing.

Darla

Della Street Dreaming said...

thank you Darla! I think contentment is fabulous!