Possible Project
I've been extremely busy the past week catching up with school. After 6-7 hours of sleep, I've been pretty much working until I fall asleep. Ironically, I would say that past two weeks have been two of the best of my life. I haven't been jumping off the walls with glee, but overall I've just been very happy, fulfilled, present, and loving. When I do get angry or worried, I've been noticing it and returning to a baseline state more quickly than I normally do.
A lot of this can be attributed to my lessons learned from the Amazon.com Bestseller Campaign and my resulting prioritization of happiness. For some reason the silliness of being so worried and stressed about something, especially something that ended up working out, seemed so silly to me.
At any rate, I've decided to prioritize happiness even more by embarking on one of the largest projects I've ever embarked on (it still has to pass the morning-after test though). I will put happiness and fulfillment as my #1 priority and focus on them religiously through out the day. As I go along, I will journal and blog about my successes/set backs and what I've learned. This is not a project with a clear end in mind where once acheive it I can get an award that says, "Happiest Student of the Year Award". It will be an ongoing process. I imagine I will continue to focus on it if it brings the benefits I'm hoping for.
As I write this, I realize that I may feel completely different tomorrow morning. In which case, I will make an addendum to this entry saying, "Upon further reflection this project has been postponed indefinitely." I also realize that this is another impulsive decision. Therefore, if I wake up tomorrow morning and really like it, I'm going to think about what the commitment entails and how the commitment is going to look like in my life on a daily basis. And then I will journal about the costs and benefits.
Some reasons this project seems very important to me right now are:
- Everybody talks about how happiness and fulfillment are two major keys to life (something, which I agree with). However, very few people really act like they are. Very few people seem to keep life in perspective on an ongoing basis.
- It's nice to be happy and fulfilled.
- I believe very strongly that it is possible to be the change I want to see in each moment regardless (to a point) of my external situation.
- Happiness is contagious and will improve the lives of those around me and consequently my life.
- I believe that by being the change I want to see, I will make better decisions and act more harmoniously.
- I believe that the decisions I make in my life (even the small ones) are extremely important and that their effects compound over time. For example, if you look at the decision tree below, you can see that the first decision completely changes the paths followed in the future.
With that said, I want to put my efforts more where my beliefs are. I've always aimed toward being happy and enjoy my life , but I think I could focus on it more directly and walk the talk even more. I really want to think about how to systematically overcome my obsctacles WHILE going on with normal life.
Over the next few weeks or months, my journal entries might be more focused on the progress of the project/experiment. They will also keep me accountable.
One thing that I'm watching out for is fake happiness. I'm not exactly sure what 'fake happiness' means, but I've definitely met people who say they're very happy, but don't act or behave accordingly (in my opinion). As such, I'm going to have to really think about what it means to be happy and fulfilled and how I know if I'm getting closer to it.
Posted at December 7, 2003 12:03 AM
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Michael,
I am somewhat reminded of a few points we had in previous discussions:
- What is the value of happiness without "negative" emotions? If one does not enjoy sadness and fear once in a while, what will be the value? What is the pride one can get from a game if one already knows who will win?
- How does short term happiness relate to long-term happiness? Will you be sacrificing long-term gains to "walk-the-walk" of being happy now?
- How do you regard the following:
Always be perceptive of ones emotions and feelings, and even journal them several times trhroughout the day. If you notice a tendency of negative emotions, set out to change your life, your decisions to go for a more happy future, both short and long-term. What I'm going for is not deciding to be happy, but decide to fine-tune your actions until you notice being happier.
- How do you regard Master Yoda's teaching:
"there is not try, do, or not do". What is the value of deciding something you already render in less strength at deciding it. Would it be a nice alternative to spend two weeks of experimenting to in two weeks decide whether it is feasible?
Just some thoughts, in no way critics, I think it is the most beautiful idea ever.
Tijl
