I started my ,” My Happiness Project “ after reading the book, “The Happiness Project “ by Gretchern Rubin , a book given to me about 7 years ago by a fellow traveler at breakfast in Chiang Mai Thailand where I have spend the past 27 winters. I’ had taken a hiatus from the project for some time ; but now I am back on track after recently acquiring , “Grethchen Rubin’s “ second book ,”Happier at Home” .
This will be my tenth book that I will have read and countless articles on the subject of ,”Happpiness.
Perhaps my perspective at the moment of ,”Happienss “, is through the eyes that have been witnessed the human experince for over seven decades and counting.
I;m a contrarian by nature and inclination it seems. From early in life my experience was not an average experience. Being from the only French family in an Irish Catholic neighbourhood who didn’t speak a word of English upon arrival at six years old definitely made me an outsider. Add an indifferent stepfather to this scenerio , and all the ingredients for the making a very independent male are present.
I think it was my sense of curiosity about life that has kept me buoyant all these decades . Reading and meeting many fascinating characters have contributed very much to the happienss in my life.
When I’m not in the present of interesting characters in my daily life I somehow find them through reading .
Another consistent thread that has contributed to my happiness , is my belief that my physical and mental health are most important to my pleasure and happiness in this earthly life. My quest began early in life iwth my fascination in acquiring a healthy nutrional lifestyle and a fondness for physical activities through sports.
The other consistent theme in my life was my strong impulse to a spiritual life. In my young it was my obsessions by the lives of the Saints as I had begun an extremely devout Catholic. It was not until I began seeing the role of the church in my life and realize that it was not supporting a spirtual life ,but filling me with dogma that I no longer resonated with. After a lot of explorations, I found myself attracted to the studyof the ,”Tao “ or the philosphy of Taoism.
Buddhism also is very attractive ,but Taoism feels right to me.
