Revelry Review: Bluebird by Ariel Gore

I stayed up late last night finishing the book Bluebird: Women and the Psychology of Happiness by Ariel Gore.

I have a small obsession with the field of positive psychology (hence my gratitude lists!) and I am always on the lookout for new things to read and learn about it. I saw this book in a magazine and couldn't resist.

The book begins with a quote by Diane Di Prima: "Be strong. We have the right to make the universe we dream. No need to fear "science" groveling apology for things as they are, ALL POWER TO JOY, which will remake the world." LOVE it.

The book combines a little bit of a literature survey on positive psychology and happiness theories, a little bit about Gore's life, some feminism, parts of journal writing exercises that Gore had participants in a workshop do and an examination of the key questions that get at our very cores.

I admit I really didn't think about the fact that most of the people who work on positive psychology are male: Martin Seligman, Tal Ben Shahar, Daniel Gilbert, Robert Emmons and even my beloved Viktor Frankl. I liked that this book gave life to a voice that has long been missing. I also think the distinction between men's and women's lives and happiness is an important one. I really liked the description of "flow" being happiness. "Flow" is those moments when you are lost in what you are doing, completely unaware of time. Those are moments that bring us happiness. I know that this is true in my own life.

Some of the book was more for the slightly older than me, more settled and possibly with kids and/or married set, so I had a hard time relating to those portions of it, but there were also passages that took my breath away.

Here is one I really liked:

""I am interested in the fortunes of the individual as defined not in terms of happiness but in terms of liberty, "[Simone] de Beauvoir concluded.

Fair enough, but I propose that we can now interest ourselves in the fortunes of the individual when it comes to both our happiness and our liberty.

We can insist on liberty because we know it's the foundation for long-term happiness. We know that our immediate experience might be easier if we bit our tongues and did what was expected of us--if we allowed ourselves to be condemned to stagnation--but we reject the notion that happiness consists in being at rest. Stagnant happiness isn't the happiness we're looking for.

We are here to evolve."

~Ariel Gore, Bluebird: Women and The New Psychology of Happiness, page 23

Attitude of Gratitude.

Things making me smile right now:

-This article on Ginnifer Goodwin's Aha! Moment regarding veganism. I love the Albus Dumbledore quote at the end: "It is our choices, Harry, that show us who we are far more than our abilities."

-The Republic of Tea's Red Tea African Rooibos Good Hope Vanilla

-Jesse is visiting this weekend!!!

-Going to Baltimore to see "In The Heights" on Saturday!

-The beautiful red and pink canvas of a lotus flower that my sister sent me for my birthday

-Tonight I am giving my VERY LAST PRESENTATION of grad school! Only 7 session of my one class and a final paper until freedom!

{Photo credit: ZEDZAP-Nick}

Attitude of Gratitude: Haiti Edition

The recent tragedy in Haiti has broken my heart. In light of that, I wanted to take a moment to list the things that I am thankful for or that are bringing me joy right now. Life is far too fragile to not appreciate everything you have, big or small.

-My friends, family, boyfriend and you
-The shining sun and slightly warmer weather
-Hugo Naturals' Vanilla and Sweet Orange lotion
-The start of my very last semester of graduate school
-The arrival of Kimberly Wilson's new book, Tranquilista
-All of the men and women that are in or heading to Haiti to help with relief efforts

Please donate to help Haiti. No amount is too small. As Satoro said, "Individually we are one drop. Together we are an ocean." See CNN's list of organizations or visit Stand with Haiti to donate to Partners in Health.



{Photo credit: aussiegall}

The Joy Diet: Feasting

I will be out of town for the holiday from Wednesday through the weekend, so I am posting my last Joy Diet book club post a little early. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

It is the last week of The Joy Diet by Martha Beck. Appropriately enough with Thanksgiving a few days away, this week's menu item is "feasting". Beck suggests making a list of 20 things that you are grateful for, which is something I often do anyway.

Without further ado, I am grateful:

1. For my family. Good times and bad, thick and thin. Love you guys.

2. For my boyfriend, for holding my hand and my heart. Thank you for being you.

3. For my health. I had a major health scare a few years ago and I know how horrible it is to face those sorts of things. I'm grateful to be here every single day.

4. For having a great job in an uncertain economy. I know just how lucky I am.

5. For being a mere 5 credits shy of finishing my master's degree. This has been a very long and difficult three year journey but it's almost over.

6. For yoga, which has become a reliable source of both inspiration and perspiration.

7. For living in such a great city. The DC skyline never fails to take my breath away.

8. For my friends, who listen, laugh, learn and love right along with me.

9. For my planner pad and my journal, which help me accomplish and dream simultaneously.

10. For all the sadness, disappointments and frustration over the years. I truly believe that what doesn't kill us makes us stronger.

11. For the quiet moments, whether alone or with others, when tiny sparking truths make themselves known.

12. For great books. Good wordsmiths have the power to change lives.

13. For the stars and the moon, for providing me with some perspective.

14. For candles, chocolate, pedicures, bubble baths, tea and all the other little pleasures that may seem unnecessary but make life oh-so-worth living.

15. For change. It can be scary but it keeps us guessing and growing.

16. For puppies and babies.

17. For photographs, for preserving memories.

18. For travel. Seeing how other people live is a priceless gift. Thank you to Israel, Cuba, Venezuela, Italy, Mexico, Spain and Guatemala for helping me learn about others and myself.

19. For love.

20. For everyone who reads this blog. Your comments, support and questions mean more to me than you'll ever know.

{Photo credit: aussiegall}

My Blissful Weekend

I had one of the best weekends I have had in a long while.  I feel relaxed and rejuvenated and like I might just be able to handle the end of the semester/year at work without a meltdown.  

The weekend included:

-A visit from my wonderful boyfriend.  We hadn't seen each other in nearly a month.  It was great to have him here for a few days.

-Two homemade dinners: spinach and mushroom quiche/sweet potatoes/salad and salmon/veggies/corn bread.  And rice krispie treats!

-Watching "Bridget Jones' Diary" while snuggling  (Can you tell that my movie pick won out?!)

-A walk through Georgetown

-Lush bath bombs.  I stocked up for winter!  I was sad to hear that they are discontinuing the Hot Milk bubble bar.  But I did get plenty of Creamy Candy and Ma Bar bubble bars, as well as some Butterball and Big Blue bath bombs.  

-Partner yoga workshop.  I felt so relaxed after it!  It's great that Jesse likes yoga as much as I do and that we are able to connect in that way.  I also picked up Kimberly Wilson's new yoga CD, Tranquility to Go.  Can't wait to try it out!

-Lots of episodes of "The Office".  I swear we could sit and watch it all day long and not get tired of it.

I'm such a lucky girl.  

{Photo credit: Linds:-)}

Happy November!

I can't believe it is already November!  October seemed to have flown by.  This month is incredibly busy for me.  It will include:  Writing four papers, putting together and giving a presentation, a Spanish language proficiency exam for my master's degree, my yearly performance evaluation at work, attending a few events and spending Thanksgiving in Maine with Jesse and his family.

My goals for this month include:

-Find time for me.  I want to get back to a regular yoga and gym routine, read at least a few things for fun, continue journaling and get enough sleep.

-Finish as much of the list above as possible before I leave for Maine.  I want to spend my time with Jesse and his family in as stress-free a manner as possible.

-Get as much accomplished at work as possible.

-Begin thinking about how I want to spend my winter break (no work or school from December 11 through January 4th!).

{Photo credit: lordog}

Attitude of Gratitude.

Things I am thankful for right now:

1. Feeling rested.  Things are hectic and busy right now but I feel the calm in the middle of the storm.

2. A beautiful giant bouquet of Peruvian lillies from my boyfriend.

3. New friends from Mondo Beyondo!

4. Going back to Maine this upcoming weekend.

5. Reminders this week that life is short, the amount of time you have here is not certain and every moment should be cherished.  

6. Stash Pumpkin Spice tea.  Really, pumpkin anything.

7. Learning that arguments don't have to automatically equal the end of a relationship and in fact can serve to make the relationship even stronger.

8.  Perfect scarf-wearing weather.

9.  A great grade on my first paper of the semester.

10. Being back in a place where I feel like I am taking care of myself and my body.

{Photo credit: (+~)Luis Barreto}

Happiness

Okay, okay...I admit that I have been totally horrible about blogging since September started. I blame one thing: graduate school. Well, graduate school plus work plus a visit from my sister plus a visit from my boyfriend plus....you get the idea. As a way to get back into blogging, I present you with a list of "Things Making Me Happy Right Now":

-Cooler weather. Autumn is by far my favorite season!

-Ordering a few new rockin' TranquiliT pieces from the fall collection that just came out this week. There are definitely a few other pieces I still have my eye on as well.

-The Jewish high holidays. A time of much-needed reflection and rest.

-Winning two tickets to hear AJ Jacobs speak, as well as a copy of his new book.

-Yogi Tea in Peppermint. I've been downing multiple cups a day.

-The Next Chapter book club that I just joined.

-Kimberly Wilson's next Tranquilogy teleclass, Fall Festivity.

-The return of good tv, especially The Office, Grey's Anatomy (sadly, it has been arguably not-so-good anymore) and The Biggest Loser.

-A visit to Maine and Cape Cod in October for a wedding.

-Thanksgiving in Maine!

-Being done with the semester on December 9th!

{Photo credit: mysza831}

Attitude of Gratitude.

1. I won this awesome relaxation kit from VegNews on Monday!

2. A post from the Icing blog called "2009: Where Are You At?" has been tremendous food for thought this week.

3. Southwest Airlines lets you change your ticket online without ever having to wait for or talk to a human being. Love it!

4. My super amazing boyfriend made me banana chocolate chip pancakes from scratch on Sunday morning. From scratch. Pretty sure I can't even do that.

5. My freelance writing e-course started this week.

6. I am thankful that I am learning that happiness is nothing more than being in the present moment.

7. The power of writing my Morning Pages continues to amaze me.

8. I leave on Friday for a week of vacation!

Attitude of Gratitude.

Things I am grateful for and/or excited about right now:

1. I will be spending this weekend with my family, plus going to a friend's wedding.

2. Yogi Tea's Bedtime tea.  And Peppermint.  So good.

3. I received all of my books for the fall semester today.  I'm not that excited to be back in school but I do love new books.

4. All of the new books and movies coming out soon, especially "Julie and Julia", "The Time Traveler's Wife", Margaret Atwood's The Year of the Flood and Audrey Niffeneger's Her Fearful Symmetry.  Plus a few new vegan cookbooks: The Urban Vegan, Vegan Cookies Take Over the World and Vegan Yum Yum.

5.  Sleep.  Lots of oh-so-glorious sleep.  I spent all of last week fighting insomnia so this is a welcome surprise.

6. My sister is planning a trip to the area over Labor Day weekend.

7.  TranquiliT 40% off sale until Thursday at midnight!  I got the hoodie in peony and the savasana throw in noir.  I am so excited for the new fall collection coming in September!

8. A really great workout.  I am grateful for what my body can do in way I never was prior to becoming more health conscious.

{Photo credit: paul+photos=moody}

Attitude of Gratitude.

Today I was struck by a feeling of total contentment and extreme gratitude for everything and everyone in my life.  I wanted to take a minute to share with you the things--both big and small--that I am thankful for today:

1. Summer hours at work!  I work one extra hour a day from Monday- Thursday and then I only have to work 9-1 on Fridays from now through Labor Day weekend.

2. A postcard from Uganda with monkeys on it from my friend who is spending the summer living there!

3. The wonderful guy at the Apple store genius bar who got all my music off of my old iPod and back onto both my laptop and my new iPod.  I am very grateful that I don't have to put 3,100 songs back in both those places.

4. A great yoga practice last night!  It was very much alignment focused and the teacher pushed me a lot, which I needed.

5. Honeydrop juice in blood orange and honey.  So yummy!

6. My boyfriend, who I am always thankful for, and who also spent last night explaining to me the scientific reasons behind why diamonds are sparkly.  He does a pre-med program so that I can learn about jewelry. Ha.  We're geeky together and I love it.

7. Absolutely perfect weather.  Not too hot, not rainy....just wonderful.

8. A clean apartment.

9.  Free time.  I am still not totally sure what to do with it but I do know that having time to think and breathe and be is doing wonders for me.

10. All of the possibilities that lay before me.  And there are a ton.  :-)

{Photo credit: ericvondy-away}

Attitude of Gratitude.

Things I am thankful for today:

1. Being finished with my summer class.  It feels amazing to not have any homework or tests hanging over my head.

2. I get to spend a week and a half with Jesse starting on Friday around noon.  We haven't been together since mid-May and I am starting to go crazy from not being near him.  I can't wait to fall asleep on warm beach sand with him next to me.

3. An incredible yoga class last night, which included the pose you see here, as well as the Idan Raichel Project's song, "Mima'amakim".  I don't know that I've ever gotten that much release (of stress, tension and tight muscles) in any other class.

4. My Mom being so supportive and wonderful while I've been so stressed out these past few weeks.

5. Peach African Red tea.

6. Manicure and pedicure tomorrow night!!!

7.  New sandals.

8. Smooth, clean sheets to climb into in just a minute.

{Photo credit: NicoleLCH}

Revelry Review.

Thanks!:  How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier by Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D.

I was overly excited when I saw this book hit the bookshelves of stores a long time ago.  I waited and waited for it to come out in paperback until I couldn't wait anymore.  And I loved it.

In this book, Emmons tries to examine all aspects of gratitude: how it affects the psyche and the spirit, what it means to be grateful to God or a higher power, the danger of not being grateful, how gratitude is practiced, how it can make you happier, etc.  He looks at traditions, modern ways to express gratitude and the impact that it can have on the average person.  He concludes the book with ten ways he believes you can practice gratitude.  

While not overly scientific and not containing any sort of concrete results, I liked this book.  It might be that it was at a time in my life where I felt like being thankful was making an enormous difference, or it may just be because it was a good book.  Regardless, I know the affect it had on my own life and I read about all the ways gratitude (or ingratitude) has affected others.

I really liked this quote that Emmons included:

"I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder."~GK Chesterton

Attitude of Gratitude.

What I am Thankful for Today:

-A Mom that encouraged us to pick strawberries, lick the beaters, paint with our hands, blow bubbles, keeps worms and fireflies as pets and draw with sidewalk chalk. I appreciate her more every day.

-That I am getting a 4 day trip to Florida with my wonderful boyfriend to visit my best friend, also known as my sister, starting on Thursday.

-The beautiful sunshine that finally decided to make an appearance.

-The benefits that I am already noticing from three consecutive days of writing morning pages.

{Photo credit: moonjuice}

Attitude of Gratitude.

Over the past two years, learning to be grateful--truly and deeply thankful and appreciative--has changed my world view.

I have always believed in saying thank you for everything and in the power of sending handwritten thank you cards. Beyond that, being grateful has taught me that more often than not, whatever you have, wherever you are in life and whatever surrounds you is simply enough. It is one way that I try to live my yoga.

Here is what I am grateful for today:

-The seemingly endless rain. I have been getting so much crossed off my to-do list while being forced indoors.

-Child's pose. Some days it feels like an old friend; on other days it feels like a safe haven from the crazy world.  It always feels like surrender.

-Peapod.com When you have no car, it's nice to have the groceries brought to you once in awhile.

-Indulging in manicures, or as I like to call them, $15 gifts from heaven.

-My newly organized closet. Spring/summer clothes moved to the front, heavy sweaters to the back and four bags to Goodwill.

-Free time. I am still working on knowing exactly what to do with it, but just the fact that it exists, now that it is nearing the end of the semester, is enough for me.