October: time to work and play smart!

Little Lemon Cakes

My 401(k) just dropped thousands of dollars. (Aug-Sept 2011) I refused to look at my account until the end of September and had a wonderful birthday month!  (I’m now 68.) It was full of friends and excursions, swims in the pool, creative cooking, hosting one graduation party, sewing projects, massive room rearrangements with the help of nephew Gregg Hardy, a trip to Mt. Rainier, some overdue furniture repair, and great good life changing news from relatives and friends. The weather was calm and warm, with only mild hints of the Fall to come. I really settled into the retirement thing this month.

One major inspiration for all that energy was a birthday present from son Scott and daughter-in-law Kimberly, Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project, a #1 New York Times best seller....... Gretchen’s (I feel I know her!)  writing style grabbed me and held me til I just had to get up and try some of her ideas.  In a way it’s hard to finish her book because her ideas take me away from reading her book!  Her credentials as a lawyer and published writer inspire my respect. She does not profess to be an expert, however, just a detective in finding what really brings happiness.  She tries this and then this, and takes note and proceeds. The creativity is immense and rubs off on me. And she collaborates with her readers, an attractive to me method.

Find handy baskets for storage of sewing items?  Buy a comforter on sale? Get rid of unwanted stuff? Finally get a new bicycle helmet?  These things all lead to larger projects via the energy created from simple accomplishments. And the projects and rewards are endless.

Gretchen’s discussion of the rewards of creating her blog http://www.happiness-project.com/   brings me back to mine. The effect of imagining others reading my words makes me take myself seriously, a very good thing. I don’t like being wishy washy in public and a potential observer brings me increased drive for clarity.  I come to better know my own mind. Also, as I looked around in Blogger, my blog creator, I easily experimented with a new template.  I want to make a good looking blog.  And what the heck, if it doesn’t work, I’ll try something else!

I’m poorer now, but still ok with the finances. And October is a blank slate.  The challenge of being more cost conscious in October and November will bring its own creative aspect. I intend to work and play smart!  (Read Gretchen’s book—you’ll talk like this too.)