I’ve just finished reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, a book I heard about a couple years ago when I interviewed the author for a Woman’s Day story. Before the Happiness Project book, there was (and still is) a Happiness Project blog. It’s chock full of tips both practical and philosophical and I highly recommend it and the book.

As for my own “happiness project,” this blog is part of it. A New Year’s resolution come true (unlike the earnest but vague “worry less” sort of resolution I usually make) this one is forcing me out of my comfort zone. The sneaky truth about this resolution, and an underlying premise of Rubin’s book, is that happiness takes work. It requires speaking up and shutting up, list making and list shredding, risk-taking and even failure. But it’s all worth it. It is joyful toil.