Doing The Happy Dance

All year long I have been taking you along on my journey through the book The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. I have posted each month the goals, the ones I decided had meaning to me and the ones that I tweaked and the ones that I had mastered...at least in my mind. Reaching the last chapter in the book, the only goal was listed as a "Boot Camp", basically it was to put everything into play that I/we had learned over the last year. Instead of listing each and every task, goal, and success, I urge you to read all the posts if you need a re-cap (or if you are new here) OR better yet, buy the book, and begin your own journey.

Going over the book for the second time, even just renewing my efforts to apply what is in the book to my life has really made such a difference in my way of thinking; even at times if it was more subconscious than anything. November has had the theme of being grateful/thankful and seeing my blessings...I am very grateful for having discovered this book two years ago when life had hit an all time low, and it has been a huge blessing in my life for the path(s) that it has lead me, and from what I hear some of you, my readers on. I truthfully feel at a bit of a loss as to what to do now that I have read it twice, no doubt I shall come back to it from time to time, but it does leave a bit of a gap in having at least one time a month that I KNOW what I am going to write about! SO if you, my reader has some ideas....

I am always open for a new challenge!

I have a few ideas of my own, and I know for a fact that in the July Gretchen is coming out with a new book about being happy with and in/at home. I am truly excited for that! I know I shall put it on my Amazon wish list and pre-order!(just have to watch out for the pesky tax issues that we in Ca. have to deal with)

Moving on. Reading the book a second time through has really helped me move on, letting past hurts, past worries and fears (well most times) go...of course hubby's job getting better and bringing in enough money to survive on has helped... (I do believe money can not buy happiness, but it can aide in it!)... So many of the things I/we were dealing with that were hampering my happiness last year have lessened or gone away. Oh sure I still have fibro, my teeth still throb/hurt, and wiggle and cause me so much woe (but am blessed non have fallen out...close,but not yet), we still have to watch our pennies, but now we can also see them adding up in savings, instead of adding them up to see if we can pay a bill with them! We have been able over the last several months pay friends back, buy a few things we needed and even things we wanted. We have been able to lead a life outside the four walls. Letting go fears of eviction, bill collectors and owing those we loved money has opened me up to seeing other things that bring me happiness, from big to the smallest of blessings add into that happiness; for that I am definitely grateful! I am looking forward to my happiness level grow as I move into a new year, and discover new things that will add to it. So as December arrives, and the days and weeks lead us to 2012 I will be concentrating even more on blessings, reviewing what they were in my life over the past year, but also new ones that crop up. 

No worries though the blog won't be all serious, there will be recipes, a visit (or two) to a winery to share..like revisiting m2 in Lodi this Saturday when the "fortified dessert wine" I helped name is ready for pick up...

Here I am with Layne Montgomery, the wine maker at m2 and the official word that the label and name Ruby's Muse has been accepted. 

....there will be the sharing of the sites of the Christmas season, and a recap of the New Years resolutions/goals I set for myself and the ones I actually achieved and those that I did not...

oh and if you recall, I had started using the Law Of Attraction again, after a friend gifted me a book...using that I had written out a list of things/events I wished to attract to my life and December 10th is the one year anniversary of beginning that journey....and even though I did not concentrate uber hard on those lists/the practice of how it all works(or supposed to) many of the things on that list came to pass! So I do hope you will continue on this journey, my life, my musings as we end 2011, and enter a new year.