12 Jun My Commandments for Happiness
Coming up with commandments for happiness was a major part of Rubin’s project.
They complimented and guided her resolutions.
Using her guidance and examples I was able to formulate my own. These commandments affirmed me, supported my goals and defined where I wanted to go and what I wanted to achieve.
My Happiness Commandments
Heal
Love yourself
Slow Down
Be flexible
Act the way you want to feel
Be in the moment
Use time wisely
Listen
Ask questions
Treat others how you want to be treated
Be grateful
Be realistic
Ask for help
Try to be better with every new day
Lighten up
Be a learner
Always be Adrienne…
MAY 2017 – And we’re off! – happiless
Posted at 20:04h, 15 June[…] is – it doesn’t matter that I failed. It only matters that I try again. Oh that’s totally a commandment! (Added!) This is so typical of my personality!!! I read the Happiness Project book and was so […]
MAY – Sleep Better – happiless
Posted at 21:44h, 16 June[…] minutes less sleep. I would just have to get a better sleep the next night. This reminded me of my commandment to ’try to be better with every new day.’ I started to apply this strategy and when I would struggle to fall asleep (especially on a Sunday […]
MAY – Eat to Heal – happiless
Posted at 07:49h, 18 June[…] I set the resolution to remind myself that even though the twiggy sticks, chocolate treats, dip and raw veg etc may look totally delectable and delicious – that if I inhaled them like a hungry seal, my ass would be tooting like a car full of youths passing a prostitute soon enough. For my mental health, it was essential that I get to the point where if I could enjoy myself as I munched on a malteaser or 10…20…30….and not kill myself with self-sabotaging comments about how fat I may get the next day. I mean really?!?! Following my commandments to ‘love yourself’ could only be achieved if I gave myself a break and remained ‘… […]
MAY – Just breathe – happiless
Posted at 07:54h, 19 June[…] be through yoga, stretching at the gym or through practicing mindfulness. This resolution served my commandments well and would help me to ‘slow down,’ be in the moment’ and […]
MAY – Pay with compliments – happiless
Posted at 09:38h, 21 June[…] strengthened our bond and kept our heads above water through a difficult month. This lead to my commandment – ‘treat others how you wish to be treated.’ I reflected with Matt at the end of […]
MAY – Connect with Friends – happiless
Posted at 22:08h, 24 June[…] that I hadn’t kept them in the loop. Asking for help was what saved me here. I made this a commandment because it is all too easy for me to maintain this facade that I’m doing okay. As soon as I […]
MAY – Connect with family – happiless
Posted at 20:45h, 26 June[…] more to remind me of what I had, as apposed to what I was lacking. I gently reminded myself of my commandment to ‘heal.’ Although I will never fill that parental void in my life, I could work […]
JUNE – Month 2 begins – happiless
Posted at 22:56h, 02 July[…] of my commandments is to reflect and I consider it vital for self-development. This project had already opened my eyes […]
JUNE – Practice yoga daily – happiless
Posted at 22:37h, 08 July[…] back on them later. I have included them at the bottom of this post. These were all conducive to my commandments and resolutions. I was falling more and more in love with yoga with each day. I was entirely […]
JUNE – Show more affection – happiless
Posted at 03:53h, 14 July[…] set this resolution because I wanted to be a better wife and listen to what he was suggesting. My commandments to ‘listen’ and ‘be in the moment’ guided this resolution. The last thing I wanted was for […]
JUNE – Check in on friends – happiless
Posted at 22:04h, 25 July[…] ensure this, I continued to focus on my conversational skills learned in May. I wanted to evolve my commandments to ask meaningful questions and listened attentively. The only way to do this, was through […]
JUNE – Check in on family – happiless
Posted at 22:03h, 29 July[…] my family that my chosen profession means I miss most of their little lives. I thought back to my commandment to ‘use time wisely.’ I would never be able to get this time back! I knew that later in life, I […]
JUNE – Be silly – happiless
Posted at 00:10h, 01 August[…] the way you want to feel. Having a bad day? No worries. Try acting happier and more positive. My commandment to act in a way that projected positivity was easy to practise alongside this resolution. When […]
JUNE – Reflect Daily – happiless
Posted at 19:41h, 02 August[…] It then dawned upon me…why do I even need to look at this religiously every morning? I am so disappointed when I don’t type into my blogging journal each day. I vowed to use my time better of a morning from now on. This lead to a new commandment ‘use time wisely.’ […]
JUNE Wrap Up – happiless
Posted at 20:42h, 04 August[…] to be organised, accountable and on-top of my life but also provided with reminders to stick to my commandments and be flexible at the same […]
JULY RESOLUTIONS – happiless
Posted at 09:03h, 08 August[…] to be someone who is more positive about trying new things. These goals tied in perfectly with my commandments to ‘love yourself,’ ‘act the way you want to feel,’ and ‘treat others how I want to be […]
JULY- Compliment Yourself – happiless
Posted at 03:57h, 16 August[…] order to fulfil my commandmentto ‘love myself’ , I strategised that I would need to flood myself with positive […]
JULY – Be positive, not passive – happiless
Posted at 20:27h, 21 August[…] Matt does that frustrate me. In order to be positive, I aimed to work on taking a breath (my commandment and past resolution to ‘breathe’ wasn’t isn’t just for yoga!) I wanted to develop […]
JULY – Form new friendships – happiless
Posted at 22:24h, 24 August[…] travellers, I tried really hard to remember their names and use them often. I was sure to follow my commandments to ‘ask questions’ and ‘listen.’ The result? I really was watching karma in action. I was […]
JULY – Be a better sister/aunt/daughter-in-law – happiless
Posted at 22:14h, 29 August[…] beamed. At this moment, I felt bad for all the games before this that I had missed. I remembered my commandment to ‘try to be better with every new day.’ This experience is a stepping stone for me, so I tried […]
JULY – Try new things – happiless
Posted at 20:15h, 06 September[…] chanting “You can do this” as I paddled towards the beach, 9 times out of 10, I’d nail it. My commandments came to mind as I turned the nose of my board towards each new wave. The whole experience taught me […]
July – WRAP UP – happiless
Posted at 22:44h, 09 September[…] time to do something that I loved. I was grateful for what I had in that moment. I thought about my commandment to ‘be grateful’ and pulled myself together. Instantly my mind kicked back into gear and I […]
AUGUST RESOLUTIONS – happiless
Posted at 20:55h, 11 September[…] life experiences allowed me to see the beauty in every day. It seemed very fitting to have a commandment to ‘be […]
AUGUST – Be Grateful – happiless
Posted at 18:47h, 20 September[…] month was to develop my ability to enjoy the now. Not only was this a resolution, it was one of the commandments I wanted to live my life by. I aimed to build habits around gratitude and an appreciation for what […]
SEPTEMBER – Start a project – happiless
Posted at 01:08h, 15 October[…] keeping with my commandments to ‘lighten up’ and ‘be a learner,’ I set this resolution in order to take the pressure off […]
SEPTEMBER – Set aside more quality time – happiless
Posted at 20:17h, 10 November[…] questions Matt and I could ask each other at the dinner table. This plan for action aligned with my commandment to ‘ask questions’ and […]
SEPTEMBER – Be in the moment – happiless
Posted at 21:03h, 23 November[…] down’ ‘use time wisely’ and ‘listen.’ I saw how these strategies would compliment my commandments and are pivotal examples of ways I choose to live my life by. Coincidentally my university studies […]
SEPTEMBER – Avoid gossip – happiless
Posted at 00:13h, 30 November[…] of my commandments clearly states that I am to ‘treat others as I want to be treated.’ I have always been a very […]
OCTOBER – Bootcamp month – happiless
Posted at 19:57h, 13 December[…] I knew my Happiness Project was working wonders in so many aspects of my life but I also applied my commandments to ‘slow down’ and decided not to apply any new resolutions ns for this […]
happiless
Posted at 00:53h, 08 January[…] and more about how to improve happiness and increase my fulfillment with my own life following my commandments to ‘learn,’ ‘ask questions,’ and ‘listen.’ Moving forward, I […]
NOVEMBER – Learn from your husband (or anyone for that matter) – happiless
Posted at 21:56h, 11 January[…] put us on the same page and guide our future. As part of my resolution, I made a plan to follow my commandments to ‘ask questions’ and ‘listen’ and ‘be a learner’ when spending time with my husband. […]
January – refocus, refresh, reignite – happiless
Posted at 20:44h, 25 January[…] It helped me to stay more grounded and on track. I listened to my instincts and followed my commandments to ‘slow down’ and ‘use time wisely.’ To my detriment, I blocked my creative outlet and […]