More on how to be happy more

I know I've talked to you about Gretchen Rubin before - basically, I love her. She's done a really great job isolating topics that influence her own happiness and translating them to everyday issues and concerns effecting the greater public. Her story -she's a Yale-educated lawyer, she clerked for Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor then switched gears, wrote presidential biographies and is now a happiness expert with a new book set to hit shelves in 2009.

From Gretchen:

A few years ago, on a morning like any other, I had a sudden realization: I was in danger of wasting my life. As I stared out the rain-spattered window of a New York City bus, I saw that the years were slipping by. “What do I want from life?” I asked myself. “Well…I want to be happy.” I had many reasons to be happy: My husband was the tall, dark, handsome love of my life; we had two delightful girls, ages 1 and 7; I was a writer, living in my favorite city. I had friends; I had my health; I didn’t have to color my hair.

But too often I sniped at my husband or the drugstore clerk. I felt dejected after even a minor professional setback. I lost my temper easily. Is that how a happy person would act? I decided on the spot to begin a systematic study of happiness. (A little intense, I know. But that’s the kind of thing that appeals to me.) In the end, I spent a year test-driving the wisdom of the ages, current scientific studies, and tips from popular culture. If I followed all the advice, I wanted to know, would it work? Well, the year is over, and I can say: It did. I made myself happier. And along the way I learned a lot about how to be happier. Click here for those lessons.

My favorite is #7 which I mentioned in a previous post, but I think I like it because it is not something I have to work on. Number 10 is particularly helpful I think:

Take action. Some people assume happiness is mostly a matter of inborn temperament: You’re born an Eeyore or a Tigger, and that’s that. Although it’s true that genetics play a big role, about 40 percent of your happiness level is within your control. Taking time to reflect, and conscious steps to make your life happier, really does work.

This is something I work on everyday - just becoming conscious of what makes me happy (and what upsets me) and taking steps to ensure I make those things happen. One thing, for example, is the state of affairs in my kitchen and living room. I love walking in the door to see a counter clear of clutter and nicely folded blankets on the couch and pillows arranged ever so symmetrically. Each night, once DC and Bay are in bed I "refill my water" glass and arrange both rooms. Eight hours later I wake up to the smell of coffee and the sight of cleanliness, ten hours after that I come home from work to order and comfort. Seriously, it's the little things that make me happy.