Thursday, August 18, 2011

A Gleeful special edition: 39 Secrets of Adulthood and Stuff


Taking inspiration (as I often do) from Gretchen Rubin of The Happiness Project and her Secrets of Adulthood, here's some stuff I've learned about life, love and happiness during my 39 years. They won't necessarily resonate with you, but they work for me. Feel free to share your own in the comments or blog it and link me.

1. It's easier to be happy if you can find pleasure in simple, relatively mundane things. They are everywhere, every day, if you look for them. LOOK FOR THEM! Life's major happy-making events are comparatively few and far between.

2. Look up. You never know what you will see.

3. Life is short, but there's no need to rush. There is a need to take your time  - to explore, savour, seek, question, think, take notice, be grateful, love.

4. Looking at your world through the lense of a camera is a great way to notice the little details. It makes you really see things. Living behind the lens of your camera....not so much. Sometimes you should just put the bloody thing away and be in the moment.

5. Walking a lot is a great way to increase your connection with your world. You notice things you'd never see in a car or on a train and you can take the time to stop.

6. Being able to enjoy your own company is priceless. Being able to rely on yourself is ace. Having people you can rely on is the best.

7. Cynicism is easy and boring. Letting your inner child out to play is way more fun. It's cool. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Your inner child (not baby!)

8. Perfection is also boring. Flaws add character. Imperfection is perfection.

9.  There is beauty in ugliness.

10. Related: ambiguity is everywhere. Learn to embrace it.

11. If it won't matter in six months, six weeks or six days, then it doesn't matter now. Let it go.

12. Give without any expectation of return.

13. Kindness rocks.

14. Sometimes things that are worth having in your life do come easily. That doesn't mean you will treasure them any less.



15. Do what makes you happy. Coolness is overrated. Cool schmool.

16. You're probably stronger, braver and more resilient than you think - you never really know until you're tested.

17. Sometimes things that suck can still be kind of awesome.

18. Sometimes you can't even lead a horse to water, let alone make it drink. Accept it.  

19. Always have a creative project and a book on the go.

20. A quote: "Every man makes his own summer" - Robertson Davies. And every (wo)man makes their own winter too.

21. Almost never say never.

23. Connect. Connect. Connect. And connect.

24. From my Mum - you catch more flies with honey.

25. From my Dad - half a piece of toast is better than none at all.

26. From Fleetwood Mac: You can go your own way.

27. Be an adventurer.

28. Be a tourist in your own town. There is always something new to discover.

29. There doesn't always have to be a point. No, wait - fun is as good a point as any.

30.  Punctuation matters. Well, it does if being understood matters to you.

31. Less actually is more. Simplicity is the real spice of life.

32. Decluttering your living space removes psychic clutter.

33. No, you don't really need that thing (unless it's oxygen, food, a cuddle or a toy robot). 

34. Women who say they could never be with a man who has a hairy back (or whatever) don't understand love. Love is big. Love eats hairy backs for breakfast. Raaaaar!

35. A gym is the best place to appreciate all the weird and wonderful shapes we humans come in. You're less weird and more wonderful than you think.

36. You will be happier if you stop reading women's magazines.

37.  Go to the library (one for my real librarian friends). Libraries are ace. Find something to replace your women's magazine.

38.  Play. Be silly. From C.S.Lewis: "When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up".

39. Finally, even though you've probably seen it on my sidebar, I'm finishing with my favourite quote, from George Bernard Shaw. This helped inspire Gleeful and has become my mantra. If you take away only one thing from this post, take this:

"Life is not meant to be easy, my child; but take courage: it can also be delightful."

 Life can be so f**king delightful it makes you cry (and use rude words).

17 comments:

a work in progress said...

This made me cry. On the train. Awkward. But thanks anyway... I sure needed ALL of those reminders

Jayne said...

And you just made me CRY! I'm glad it hit the spot for you, AWIP.

Jayne said...

I mean, you just made ME cry. Empharsis on the wrong syllarble.

Dina Roberts said...

I LOVE your list.

Thank you!!!!

Jayne said...

Thanks Dina! My pleasure.

RFG - APC said...

Thank you for sharing your list

Ann in the UP said...

Visiting from Gretchen's blog. Wonderful list! I'm adding #36 to my list. Every month I think they'll have the secrets of the universe. Every month they have yummy recipes and diets. Go figure.

Kinder said...

Love your list! It is awesome!

Jayne said...

Hello people from The Happiness Project! Welcome and thanks for stopping by. I'm glad you like my list.

@ Ann - women's mags are sneaky like that! They look inviting and friendly and helpful, but really they are just advertising vehicles designed to make you feel dissatisfied and want stuff you don't need (like a lot of the media). In fact, I think I've been happier since I stopped watching TV with advertising too.

Off to visit your blogs now...

Traci said...

I also love your list. #3, #5, #34 & #36 especially spoke to me! Thanks for adding your wisdom to the world.

Anonymous said...

Well said!

Because we humans are silly, we need to hear things like this over and over again because we forget them so easily! Or we *just* don't get it till it finally hits home.

If you've brightened someone's day even for a few minutes, you done good. And, you have:)

Andria said...

I came here from Gretchen's site to check out your list. I made a list of 38 myself back in April! Great ideas here! It's kind of fun to think them through, and compile them all in one place, isn't it?

Anonymous said...

I love your list and my personal favorite ever since is number 7! Let the inner child out, have fun, and engage others to have fun with you! :)

Erica said...

great list! I arrived here from The Happiness Project and I love your blog. I will add you to my list of female bloggers that inspire me. Thank you.

Jayne said...

Hello again to my new commenters. I'm thrilled to have you visit and comment.

@Traci. You're welcome! I'm glad my list spoke to you.

@raodentristy It's hard to keep these things in mind as we go about our daily lives, I guess... So happy to hear my list brightened your day.

#Andria. Actually, I think I saw your list and that's what spurred me to do my own, because I had a birthday not long ago! So I should be thanking you too. It was fun compiling the list. I wasn't sure I'd get to 39 to begin with.

@bendedspoon Yes, you have my permission to be a big kid (hopefully you didn't need it!).

@Erica. Wow. Thanks! That's one of the best comments I've ever had. I'm thrilled.

she said...

Rock *ucking on!

Anonymous said...

I feel good reading your list. Thanks :-)