The Happiness Project: Because Being Sad is Bullshit - Part One

I've been floating along the river of life with a hole in the bottom of my boat. It isn't that I didn't know it was there. I just couldn't find the time or energy to care, let alone fix it. So I'd take a bucket to it every once in a while, cursing life and telling the universe it can go fuck itself as I scooped out just enough to stay afloat. Eventually you just let the water level rise because what's the point, it'll just refill anyway.

So I'm slowly sinking. My boat is filled with all of the things I haven't dealt with and I'm about to drown. Not literally of course. This is a metaphorical drowning. Just as I feel like I'm headed towards the intersection of "Woe-is-me" and "Pittyville", I have an epiphany. Being sad is BULLSHIT! I don't have to be sad! I can do something about this! I know how to fucking swim!

I've decided to build a new boat, one that doesn't have a hole this time, maybe even with a jacuzzi or a ferris wheel. The point is, I'm not going to just let life happen. I've decided to start my own happiness project because dammit, I deserve it.

The Happiness Project is a multifaceted effort. The first part is about cutting the crap. This means a few things, like decluttering my room. Decluttering my room is much more difficult than it sounds because I share my space with Professor. I've had to make decisions on whether to keep the Batman or the T-rex. These are hard decisions people! I probably would have gotten more done if I didn't have to stop every 20 minutes to deal with a slight panic attack over how overwhelming this whole thing really is. After all, hitting the reset on your life isn't a small thing. Cutting the crap also means no more excuses, no more negative thought patterns. If being sad is bullshit, then continually making myself sad is the bull who produces said shit.

The second part of The Happiness Project is creating new habits. Did you know it only takes 20 minutes to do the dishes and put a load of laundry in the washing machine?! My lazy ass had no fucking clue. So now I have a reminder set every day to actually get up and be useful for 20 minutes. Gotta love those high expectations.

The other new habit I'm working on is being more put together with the way I dress. Mind you, you'll very rarely see me looking like a slob. It is one of my endearing psychotic tendencies that I must be presentable at all times. However, if I want to feel collected and polished I need to actually do more than brush my hair and put on make-up. For girls this usually means *accessories!*. I love accessories but I'm so damn disorganized that by the time I have the basics done in the morning - like deodorant and shoes - it is time for me to be out the door. It may seem silly but knowing that my shoes match my outfit and that I took the extra ten minutes to put on jewelry - Clasps are hard. Don't judge me.- really makes a different in how I feel and function throughout the day.

The final phase I'll discuss in my next post. Until then enjoy this clip from one of my favorite musicals "Starship Ranger" by Starkid Productions. The song seemed fitting.