Truths of Adulthood

In the Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin comes up with 12 pieces of wisdom that she calls "The Truths of Adulthood." Basically, these are things she has come to realize as she has gotten older. Last night, I started scribbling down some of my own truths of adulthood and this is what I came up with:

- It's normal and ok to fail.
- People don't notice your mistakes as much as you do.
- The greatest joy comes from giving others hope and reassurance.
- You're always more loved than you realize.
- Your abilities are stronger than you know.
- At the end of the day, it's not as big of a deal as you think.
- It's the little things that make the biggest impact.
- You still have more to learn.
- You're not right nearly as much of the time as you think.
- A nurturing spirit is a healing spirit.
- Complaints breed contempt, a thankful word breeds appreciation.
- Giving advice isn't as important as a listening ear.

These are things I struggle to practice sometimes, but I firmly believe they're true. What are your truths of adulthood? Try scribbling some down. Once you get started, you'll be surprised to see what comes out.

The Happiness Project

At the recommendation of my mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and aunt (in-law?) I started reading this book called The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. It's a book that Rubin wrote to document an experiment in which she tried doing little things differently in her life in order to increase her level of happiness. At first, I was a little skeptical. I thought, "Happiness is an extreme in some ways, and I doubt someone can just 'decide' to be happier and actually succeed at it." Before you take me for a morose person, let me say that I do believe in happiness; I just never really saw it as something one could just achieve at whim. I partly didn't want to read the book, but I gave it a try.

I'm only into the first chapter (I read the preface too,) and I'm actually quite impressed with the book. This woman isn't trying to reach a new level of joy or be in a constant state of euphoria; she's just making small changes in her daily routine that impact her mood for the better. For instance, part of her happiness project is to declutter her apartment, get more sleep and exercise, read more, etc. She finds that these little things give her more energy and greater self-esteem. She also notices herself able to wake up easier in the morning, get more work done, is more patient with her children, and feel more organized.

I can really appreciate that these small things that she impliments into her life make a noticeable impact on her mood. I think that it's easy for me to forget that sometimes it's the little things that can make a big difference. This book has inspired me to start thinking about the little things more, and explore what I can do to better my overall attitude and outlook.

writing our own vows

I actually started writing my vows several months ago. I think maybe a few weeks after we got engaged. I know it was a little soon to start writing them, but the vows have been one of the things I'm looking forward to the most for our wedding. When you're younger and you think about your wedding, lots of times you think about the dress you'll wear, the flowers, the music, etc. I gave those things some thought, but I always thought the most about the vows. I've always known I would write my own vows, because it seems way too personal to have someone else write them for you.
So, I've had my vows written down for a while, but I keep going back to them and wanting to change them. I read through them several times, and then I don't altar them at all. This has been the cycle for a little bit. I want to be able to communicate how much Ryan means to me, but it's difficult to do. Sometimes words just come up short.
So I'll continue to think about how I can improve my vows, knowing that no matter what, I'll never be able to tell him what he has brought into my life, and what I hope to bring into his.