January always seems to start off with a bang. Our lovely ladies regroup after the holidays and begin the year with gusto.
Fran picked “The Happiness Project,” by Gretchen Rubin to begin the year. We are going to do one chapter a month to restore our happiness levels and go after our goals. January’s section is “Boost Energy.” Rubin gives some good clear ways to help achieve that.
We are of an age where we appreciate advice and learn from it. We filter out anything that hasn’t worked in the past and are grateful for new insights.
In Chapter 1 Rubin suggests going to sleep earlier, exercising better, tossing out stuff, organizing stuff, tackling a nagging task and acting more energetic. All these steps will boost your vitality. And we know that she’s right, it’s just making yourself do it. She talks about her own struggles and helps target ways of overcoming your doubts and inspiring you.
Next month we will read and discuss Chapter 2 along with the book “Appetite for Violets,” by Martine Bailey.
#thebestpairing
Every year I’m amazed at how our lives twist and turn. How events hit out of the blue and change us forever. By now we’ve all experienced the in the blink of an eye crisis, surprise illnesses and other life-altering experiences that test us fully. We, in time, manage to pick up ourselves, our family, our friends and continue on. Each event takes something and adds something leaving behind a revamped version of ourselves.
Reading and friends have always helped me bridge the gap of my pain after an event and help restore me to functioning. Stories show us how other people overcome and change. They can guide us on a course of action, and show us we are not alone. Friends soothe us. True friends bestow their love and listen without judgment. Sometimes all you need is someone standing by your side.
That’s the real value of reading and friendship. If you put them together you have a book club. The very best of both worlds and I’m so incredibly happy to have such an amazing group of women I call friends.
Here’s to another year of twists and turns and knowing that we are all their together.
