It is once again time to turn our attention back to the monthly installment of The Happiness Project. Throughout 2025, I am dedicating the first full weekend of each month to topics inspired by Gretchen Rubin’s New York Times bestselling book. For August, we are exploring the somewhat misnomered theme of “Eternity.” I say that because I think it is better framed as “Mortality.” We’re starting with a suggestion from Gretchen Rubin that I might have brushed off entirely if not for recent personal events. Her suggestion is simple: read memoirs of catastrophe to enhance joy.
The idea behind this suggestion is straightforward but also a little morbid. Stories of personal tragedy and hardship are a reminder of how precious life is. That awareness, in turn, helps us savor the everyday moments more fully. At first glance, it sounds like a gimmick. In fact, when I first read The Happiness Project and started writing this series at the beginning of the year, it was unlikely that I would have taken up this particular suggestion at all.
Of course, that was all before the Trophy Husband’s brain cancer diagnosis.
Now, I understand the point more clearly than I ever wanted to. While I still have no interest in reading accounts of other people’s trauma since I’m living my own, I can say without hesitation that the underlying principle is sound. Confronting the reality that life is fragile and time-limited absolutely does sharpen your sense of joy in the present. It also pushes you to stop postponing the good stuff. We are planning trips, eating dessert, and saying yes to anything that sounds remotely fun. That mindset shift, born from a recognition of mortality, is a surprisingly powerful engine of happiness.
I won’t be cracking open any catastrophe memoirs this month. However, I don’t need to because I already know what they’re trying to teach. If anything, I wish I had taken this idea more seriously sooner. Life is happening now, and it’s worth actively choosing joy wherever and whenever we can.
My takeaway this month is simple: every moment of life is precious. We are currently dedicated to making the most of our time at the moment, and it certainly enhances happiness. If that feels like a stretch to you today, I would suggest that you try reading a story of personal catastrophe and triumph. Paradoxically, I am pretty sure Gretchen Rubin’s suggestion will spark greater happiness.
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Throughout 2025, I am dedicating the first full weekend of every month to exploring how ideas from Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project (<- Sponsored Link) can spark greater enjoyment and happiness in tennis. This is a non-tennis book that I have come to believe everyone should read. Seriously, you should get your hands on a copy of this book and consider trying some of the techniques described by the author.
