Where I Pretend I Was Interviewed

One thing I like is Gretchen Rubin's Happiness Project.  She is not only interesting, but also a Writer, so a pleasure to read.

She does regular Happiness Interviews with people and then posts them on facebook and everytime I read one, I think of my own set of answers.  Today I wrote them down. And since blogging is painfully difficult these days, this seems like a good cheating post.  And so follows my interview with Gretchen Rubin, kind of:

Gretchen: What's a simple activity that consistently makes you happier?
Alison: Right now, my Giada smile: a big fake smile that always makes me laugh. It goes with the sound, "ting!"

What's something you know now about happiness that you didn't know when you were 18 years old?
Happiness isn't the point. Probably goodness is. But happiness is still on the list.

Is there anything you find yourself doing repeatedly that gets in the way of your happiness?
Wallowing. Living longer in the hard parts than is actually necessary.

Is there a happiness mantra or motto that you've found very helpful? (e.g., I remind myself to "Be Gretchen.") Or a particular book that has stayed with you?
"All events are neutral." That's a famous person whom I refuse to name because it will make me look Oprah-y.  "It's either a good time or a good story." That's me. Both remind me that I get to be in charge of the filter.

If you're feeling blue, how do you give yourself a happiness boost? Or, like a "comfort food," do you have a comfort activity? (mine is reading children's books).
I wish I had one. I could use one right now. I like facebook a lot...

Is there anything that you see people around you doing or saying that adds a lot to their happiness, or detracts a lot from their happiness?
The happiest people I know also seem to be some of the dimmer people I know. Or at least, least reflective people I know. I wonder if they're onto something and if knowing less and reflecting less would increase happiness. Then I wonder how happy I want to be.


Have you always felt about the same level of happiness, or have you been through a period when you felt exceptionally happy or unhappy - if so,why? If you were unhappy, how did you become happier?
One time when I was in my mid-20s, I remember saying outloud, "this is as good as it gets" and being truly happy. My espoused values and my real life really, truly matched.  And I had enough money.  It was a sweet moment.

Do you work on being happier? If so, how?
Working on happiness is in the same category as reducing fine lines and wrinkles for me. I want to do both but feel silly and superficial doing it. That said, I keep buying cheap night creams and fantasizing about someone buying the Almost a Facelift Supercream for me one day.  And I get the HP facebook feed and do my fake Giada smile from time to time.


Have you ever been surprised that something you expected would make you very happy, didn't - or vice versa?
I thought doing the right thing would make me happy. It turned out doing the right thing was difficult and the effort required to do said thing eclipsed any possible happiness. But it also turned out that doing the right thing was more required than me being happy and that was okay. Maybe even Good.  And somewhere, deep down, Good makes me Happy.

I hope everyone will consider doing their own interview and maybe even posting it in the comments, if not right online in a facebook note, or in your own blog.  This was a good excercise and given my universalism, you know if it was good for me it must be good for you.