Happy for the Rest of Your Life

By Nathan Yau, Infographics

Thanks to one of my fave blogs, "The Happiness Project", for the link to this delightful flow chart.

The path to true optimism never did run smooth. Less than 2 months into marriage and I have already felt the flush of panic that I am now the Most Boring Person On Earth. I go to work, I come home to my Hubs, we make dinner, and he goes back to work on his stuff and I try to quietly watch movies or read a bit of my own. Sometimes I go to yoga, or see a friend. If I am feeling particularly stir-crazy, I go for a walk by the lake. I have lots of ideas about what I should be doing, but so far no follow through. Yale is crazy busy, and I am just going crazy. He gives me a lot of his time, but sometimes I feel guilty about pulling him away from the mountain of work he has to finish before he starts teaching. So I am often left to my own devices.

Recognizing that "being married" does not "make one happy" necessarily, that my post-wedding duldrums have everything to do with my twitchiness and attitude problem, and that being bored is certainly a doom of my own making, I have decided to take some steps towards positive momentum on the above flow chart.

I signed up for Personal Essay seminar at The Story Studio for next week. It felt like a warm beam of sunlight fell on my face when I clicked the "register" button. I have no idea what sort of personal essay I would like to write, or if I am even serious about trying to get something published, but it is a project and I am desperate for a project.

Second on the list? Volunteering. I emailed the American Cancer Society again, and I've asked around to friends who are volunteering for various things to ask for recommendations. And I reserved some books at the library to jump back into the cold water of social injustice and get my mojo flowing again.

Yale's enthusiasm for my new pursuits is awesomely supportive and eager. I'm sure it will be good for both of us for me to hash out this new stretch of the path. Becoming more and more of myself, with him.