Happiness is a form of courage.
-Holbrook Jackson
I love it: Survey says that 47% of Americans are happier this year than they were last year, and expect to become even happier in the 12 months to come!
Why all the optimism? Look for clues in Kiplinger’s list of 12 Things to Look Forward to in 2009.
Americans feel good about the incoming administration, too: 76% approve of Obama’s transition thus far. Even more encouraging to those of us with green passions, is the reported 75% who feel he should tackle policies concerning global warming, and 84% who believe he should require electric companies to use more renewable energy.
So, how happy and optimistic are you? If you’d like to answer that question scientifically, the University of Pennsylvania has questionnaires for you to take. These include a general happiness questionnaire, a meaning in life questionnaire, an optimism test, a grit survey, and a satisfaction with life scale.
The website does require you to register, but they save your results so you can log in later and see how far you’ve come! (via Gretchen Rubin and her inspiring Happiness Project. )
If you have a few minutes to spare, check out this Steve Pavlina article, How to Make Lots of Money During a Recession. This is the sort of article I love: a meandering soliloquy, which ultimately ends in a very different place than from whence it began. Let me know what you think.
How are you feeling about 2009?
And, some pics from past Christmases, purely because I happened upon them:
My camera was stolen in early 2007, so I don’t have any photos from last year.
This was my first Christmas ever without a dog.
We missed you, Zooey.
