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Alex Shalman has created an awesome interview series and group writing project for February asking at least one blogger per day to share his or her definition of happiness. I’ve been following this series all month a have really enjoyed some great interviews with people like Darren Rowse, Jeremy Shoemaker, and Gretchen Rubin. In the spirit of the project, I took some time to think about what happiness means to me and share it in this space

The Questions
1. How do you define happiness?

For me, happiness is the sweet spot that happens when I’m moving toward my ideals at a steady pace. Through lots of trial and error I’ve come to realize that I like to move along at the pace of a gently flowing river. If I try to go too fast I become like a flood - full of debris and turmoil. However, if I don’t put enough effort into my progress, I stagnate and begin to recede as if in a drought.

2. On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your happiness now, versus when you were a child?

I’m much happier now than as a child. When I was a kid, I didn’t have a lot of room for self-determination or pursuing my own goals. Although I had a good childhood overall, I would say I was usually about a 5 on the happiness scale. Now I try to always remain conscious of my choices and my level of responsibility to create my own happiness. Most days I’m probably a 7 or 8 on the scale and that has been increasing over the past few years. [Read more →]

SmallChange is a weekly feature at Never the Same River Twice. This category features quick and easy activities you can do on a lazy Sunday morning to learn a new skill and feel better. If you have any suggestions for this series, tell us your idea in the comments.

Have you ever heard a song that just plain makes you happy? For some people it’s Beethoven’s appropriately named Ode to Joy. For others it’s the choir-ific stylings of the Polyphonic Spree. No matter what your taste in music, there’s got to be something that puts a smile on your face and a bounce in your step.

The next time you’re at home or in the car by yourself, turn on your iPod or pop in a CD and listen to your favorite happy music. You don’t have to dance or sing but, if you picked the right music, you may not be able to stop yourself!

Yours in singing at the top of your lungs,
Maria

P.S. I need to give a shout out to Gretchen at the Happiness Project for reminding me of my love for Fatboy Slim.

Photo by novitas.