Happy Days

Blogs are a place to confess. So it seems only fitting that I should start this blog out with one. Alright, I confess -- this blog was meant to be my New Year's Resolution. Of course, like every other resolution made December 31, it never came to fruition. And, of course, like every other resolution, it nagged at me in the back of my mind. Here it is, February 22nd, and I'm finally launching my 2012 Self Betterment Campaign.


"Why now," you ask?


Good question, I'm glad you asked. When this blog didn't launch on January 1st, I did what any self-respecting Catholic would do. I waited until the start of Lent. That's right, Lent -- that glorious time of year when Christians decide we want to do just a little bit better -- but only for 40 days, before we return to our regularly scheduled programming of pigging out on chocolate, candy, soda, etc. Except, if everything goes according to plan and the world doesn't explode in December like the Mayans predict, this blog will be active long past those 40 days. One year is the target date -- with one post per day (unlike my Phoenix blog, which like everything else in the desert, died painfully).

In other words, February 22, 2013, I'm coming for you.

This blog also stands out from my other previous failed attempts because it has a definitive goal: I'm finding my own happiness. Hence the title of this blog and these handsome chaps below.

That's right, my goal this year is to discover the shortcut to happiness, even if that shortcut takes me all year to find. I'm making my own 366 "happy days."

I know what you're saying, "Britt, you're a pretty happy person. Why are you looking for happiness?"

Again, good question, I'm glad you asked.

I agree, I am a pretty happy person overall and believe I get joy out of life. However, more often than not, I find myself dwelling on the things that cause me pain, anger or frustration, instead of the aspects of my life that make me happy. I know this is the human tendency, but part of me wonders if there's a way to change that.

More than anything, I'm searching for the answer to that age-old question of "What Truly Makes Me Happy?" For me, that's finding some direction in this crazy thing called life.

As some of you might know, I work for the YWCA, which provides housing, counseling and job services to homeless families and women in San Diego. As the Career Counselor, I help our clients work on resumes, cover letters, interviews and their job search so they can reach the goal of ultimately becoming employed and self-sufficient so they can leave the shelter environment.

When a new client comes in for their first meeting with me, she is desperate. She doesn't care what job she finds. She wants a job, any job -- which is how our clients wind up working in the crappiest of crappy jobs. Reamed out a telemarketer lately? Yeah, our ladies are on the receiving end of your rants. Needless to say, these aren't jobs our ladies can keep for very long.

To get our ladies out of this "any job" mentality, one of the first questions I ask a new client is "What is it you really want to do because it makes you happy? What is your dream job?"

When they give me the "any job" response, I follow up with another question. "If you went to bed tonight and magically woke up tomorrow fully clothed and styled to walk into your dream job, what kind of business would you walk through the doors of?"

This is a question most of our ladies have never been asked before, and it takes them a moment to really consider what their dream job is. But usually they come up with something that is anything but "any job." One lady wants to be a baker, one lady wants to work with underprivileged teens as a mentor, one lady wants to work in a chemistry lab.

I'll be honest, the responses are profound.

The goal is for them to consider what jobs would make them want to get out of bed in the morning, or to get them to think of their ultimate career goal. That way, we can work on getting them a position that aims them in the right direction, even if it's only just a stepping stone towards their dream.

Yet, in the back of my mind, I know I'm a hypocrite. I ask my ladies this question, expecting them to pour out their life hopes and dreams. At the same time, I know I could not answer this question myself. What doors would I walk through? I have absolutely no idea.

I know there are things that bring me joy. I enjoy working at non-profits and helping people that have been written off by everyone else. I enjoy writing. I wouldn't be writing this blog if I didn't. In fact, I always saw myself becoming a reporter. But the thing is, I'm not sure that I want to be a reporter anymore. Journalism is a cut-throat industry, especially these days. That's just not me.

So here I am, asking myself the question. "What is it you really want to do because it makes you happy?"

Through my upcoming blog posts, I'm hoping to find the answer. Even if I can't, I'm hoping that I can at least reflect upon the aspects of my life that bring me happiness and job. Maybe I'll even find a new passion by trying out new activities. Maybe I'll find a new favorite food joint by stumbling into a restaurant.

Reader: I'm hoping you get something out of this blog too. Maybe it's reminding yourself that your job isn't all that bad, even when you come home complaining about that 2-hour staff meeting. Maybe it's recommending a new place to eat or a random/weird activity you heard about and are too freaked out to try yourself, so you recommend it to me to try first and review it. Maybe it's just enjoying the ramblings of a lost twenty-something year old.

The possibilities are really endless and I'm not really sure what kind of form this blog is going to take, but I'm hoping each day serves as a stepping stone of my own, guiding me towards the shortcut to happiness.