The Beauty of a Book

Last night I was reading a book by Gretchen Rubin. It is all about a happiness project, she dedicated a whole year on how to be happier and appreciate her life more. At first, I thought, how naive and simplistic. If someone actually has the time to dedicate to do such a project, then she ain't unhappy at all. But then, something  crossed my mind. If we don't have time for happiness, then what do we have time for? I mean, isn't happiness what humans crave for ? Love,passion, acceptance, peace...It all resumes to one simple word. A lot of people say we can't just look for it. It is not a buried treasure that we can dig up. Still, we can contribute to it. We cannot open the chest but we CAN be the chest. Our attitudes towards a situation can change the way we see things. According to studies, 50% of our level of happiness is determined by genetics, 10% by outside circumstances and 40% by intentional activities. We can make that 40% count.  Is proved that we tend to notice more the bad news and take for granted the good ones, since were more used to it.  It turns out she was happy, she just wanted to improve her way of living. Now, maybe it's kind of a cliche for someone like her (with no financial needs, disease, problems with the family etc.) to write a book about happiness. I mean, she has nothing to worry about right? But still, I found some inspiration in it, so from now on I will try to change my attitude and see the beauty life brings to many of us. I may have a whole lot of things to be thankful for. Now I don't think I will do a whole project for it, but I'll just stick to my two resolutions (which I'll start now on December, no reason to wait for the New Year):

"Be Me" and "Do it for myself"

Now what book has changed you recently?

 

Look up at the sky, Fireworks!

This morning, while I was immersed in my thoughts, the radio started to play the song "Firework" by Katy Perry. I turned the volume up and couldn't help but ask myself, "if I'm a Firework, what colors would come out of me?" I quickly thought of the color purple, probably because it's my favorite and then I thought of green, the color that doesn't reveal too much, doesn't come out everywhere calling for attention. It also don't mix well with almost any other color, but still, it's everywhere. Leaves, Trees, Nature... The rainbow, where six colors come together to form one...one hope, one mystery. As the day passed by, I imagined everyone's firework colors and came to realize how different we are  from each other. Green can come in a lot of shades, as any other color. The firework with the eternal "misterie" whether it will explode or not and it's unnatural way to burst out in the perfect moment. How all colors come together to give us a spectacular show, something worth watching. A moment to look at the sky in awe and forget everything. Five, six, ten minutes. No matter were I am, when I see this "misterie" I see someone's dream, someone's hope and also my own. We are connected by that warm universal feeling. This New Year I will be staring at the sky looking for that green firework. My Green Firework. And you, what color you will look for? :)