Saturday, August 19, 2006
Dispatches from the Front Line of Happiness
'Is It Just Me or Is Everything Shit?' - I've picked up this volume (by Alan McArthur and Steve Lowe, subtitled 'The Encyclopedia of Modern Life') a few times in airports and shops and found myself agreeing with much in it, but just didn't quite get over the hump of wanting a copy lying around my house. What I think I'll do now is head off to the interface of the Happiness Experiment and Is Everything Shit and send back some dispatches from the front line of happiness, looking at once at what brings happiness and what does its damndest to erode it. Tally-ho!
Happiness Experiment - the conclusion
So that's a good month of recording 3 things that made me happy each day. What have I learnt?
In tune with the title of this blog (and the Ian Dury song that inspired it - see Simple Pleasures [part 1] http://www.blogigo.co.uk/arkangel), most of what makes us happy is simple and easily attainable. From a sunset to a good book to your family and home, it mostly doesn't depend on money.
There is the odd day when it's hard to come up with three but that rarely lasts beyond a couple of days and coming up with none never happened.
It's illuminating to look at the recurrent themes - there aren't really that many in total - from play to physical pleasure, from food to family life - all well within our reach.
The day-to-day challenge is keeping that perspective.
So where to from here? That's for the next post...
In tune with the title of this blog (and the Ian Dury song that inspired it - see Simple Pleasures [part 1] http://www.blogigo.co.uk/arkangel), most of what makes us happy is simple and easily attainable. From a sunset to a good book to your family and home, it mostly doesn't depend on money.
There is the odd day when it's hard to come up with three but that rarely lasts beyond a couple of days and coming up with none never happened.
It's illuminating to look at the recurrent themes - there aren't really that many in total - from play to physical pleasure, from food to family life - all well within our reach.
The day-to-day challenge is keeping that perspective.
So where to from here? That's for the next post...
End of the Happiness Experiment
25/5
Good hotel rooms - Great Victoria, Bradford
The kick of public speaking - b.tween conference
Reading the newspaper once in a while
What this means:
1. luxury
2. self-fulfilment
3. having time on your hands
26/5
Starting a new novel - The Good Life by Jay McInerney
Arriving in a new country - Granada on a warm evening
Seeing old friends - Eileen and Matthew and the kids
What this means:
1. reading/literature
2. travel/exploring
3. friends
27/5
Squeezing oranges fresh off the tree in Eileen and Matthew's garden
Feeling horny in the afternoon - siesta time
Swimming in the evening in an illuminated pool
What this means:
1. drink/food, fruit/nature
2. physical pleasure and rest
3. physical pleasure, water
28/5
Reading in bed when it's sunny outside
Outdoor drinks in the evening
Watching cats
What this means:
1. reading
2. nature/light
3. nature/animals
29/5
Good hotel rooms e.g. With balcony/terrace
Evening swim in the sea
Reading on the beach
What this means:
1. luxury
2. water/nature/sea
3. reading/sea
30/5
Secluded beach
Pendulous breasts
Eating fish on a terrace by the sea
What this means:
1. sea/nature, physical pleasure
2. sex
3. sea, food
31/5
Getting brown
Walking en famille
Feeling exercised
What this means:
1. physical pleasure
2. family life
3. physical pleasure, health
1/6
Birdsong in the morning
Scoring a strike
Walking through Bloomsbury
What this means:
1. nature
2. play
3. urban life - architecture/art meets nature meets people
2/6
Sharing Julie and Jonathan's wedding day
A quiet colourful corner of Notting Hill
Looking good
What this means:
1. friends
2. urban life
3. self-fulfilment
3/6
Water with fruit juice
Looking at the photos from teenage trip to Israel
Time with Stu and Jon
What this means:
1. drink
2. friends, travel
3. friends
4/6
Playing boules with the boyz in the backgarden
Making barbeques
Reading DBPierre's new book
What this means:
1. play, family life
2. food, family life, nature
3. reading/literature
5/6
Being invited to be a trustee of 24 Hour Museum
Hanging in Green Park
Evening in Saint James's Square before BAFTA TV committee
What this means:
1. self/professional fulfilment
2. nature
3. nature/light
6/6
Learning about User Generated Tagging
A presentation about Flickr and stuff
Working in the sunshine in Embankment Gardens
What this means:
1. learning
2. photography, creative technology
3. nature
7/6
Working at the BBC on Creative Archive
Getting home in good time for the kids - dinner out al fresco at the thai
Hooking up with people like Anna Maria in Italy on Flickr
What this means:
1. professional fulfilment
2. family life, nature
3. friends, human connection
[gap]
14/6
Getting a new job title and description I wanted
Chocolate malt milkshake (at Ed's)
Birdwatching on the King's Road
What this means:
1. self-fulfilment
2. food
3. sex
15/6
England scoring
Aaron Lennon playing superbly
Discussing the match with N
What this means:
1. sport
2. sport
3. family life
16/6
Desert Island Discs
Crappy thriller movies
Friday evenings
What this means:
1. play, music
2. film
3. rest
17/6
Our home
30s lidos (Crouch End)
What this means:
1. home, family life
2. physical pleasure/water, architecture
18/6
Our new garden shed
The allotments
Memories of playing Action Man (the tank)
What this means:
1. home
2. nature
3. play
19/6
The bijoux New Ambassadors Theatre
PJE
What this means:
1. architecture/art
2. friends
20/6
Joe Cole's goal
Posh outdoor lunch with Iram Q, Green Park
A bunch of new music for my iPod
What this means:
1. sport
2. food, nature, human connection
3. music
21/6
Doing Aussie accent for the kids while reading a picture book, Wombat Stew, for the both of them
Buying the best of Commando comics (echoes of Wittering) from Hatchards
Walking through Saint James's in the sun
What this means:
1. family life, reading
2. art/reading
3. urban life
[gap]
10/7
Introducing N to Commando comics
What this means:
1. teaching, sharing
11/7
Reading Skins script
IPod shuffling on the tube home
What this means:
1. film
2. music, pleasant surprises
12/7
Surveying progress of extension at sunset
Moblogging
What this means:
1. home, nature
2. photography, creative technology
13/7
Bed time read with Dylan - Wolves in Sheep's Clothing
Watching James May(?)'s tv show about classic toys with D and laughing together
Tommy scratching the glass back door to get in at night
What this means:
1. family life, reading
2. play
3. animals
14/7
Lunch on roof terrace of soho house with the Carbon mikes
Getting my teeth into Big Art Project
Evening fizzy tea session after work
What this means:
1. human connection, nature
2. art, professional fulfilment
3. human connection
[gap]
18/8/06 last day
My old orange iBook (coming out of retirement)
Watching N setting up toy soldiers - those old Airfix 1/30something figures (recently augmented with an eBay purchase)
Post-gym satisfaction
What this means:
1. creative technology, colour
2. family life, play
3. physical pleasure
The conclusions drawn from all of this follow in next post...
Good hotel rooms - Great Victoria, Bradford
The kick of public speaking - b.tween conference
Reading the newspaper once in a while
What this means:
1. luxury
2. self-fulfilment
3. having time on your hands
26/5
Starting a new novel - The Good Life by Jay McInerney
Arriving in a new country - Granada on a warm evening
Seeing old friends - Eileen and Matthew and the kids
What this means:
1. reading/literature
2. travel/exploring
3. friends
27/5
Squeezing oranges fresh off the tree in Eileen and Matthew's garden
Feeling horny in the afternoon - siesta time
Swimming in the evening in an illuminated pool
What this means:
1. drink/food, fruit/nature
2. physical pleasure and rest
3. physical pleasure, water
28/5
Reading in bed when it's sunny outside
Outdoor drinks in the evening
Watching cats
What this means:
1. reading
2. nature/light
3. nature/animals
29/5
Good hotel rooms e.g. With balcony/terrace
Evening swim in the sea
Reading on the beach
What this means:
1. luxury
2. water/nature/sea
3. reading/sea
30/5
Secluded beach
Pendulous breasts
Eating fish on a terrace by the sea
What this means:
1. sea/nature, physical pleasure
2. sex
3. sea, food
31/5
Getting brown
Walking en famille
Feeling exercised
What this means:
1. physical pleasure
2. family life
3. physical pleasure, health
1/6
Birdsong in the morning
Scoring a strike
Walking through Bloomsbury
What this means:
1. nature
2. play
3. urban life - architecture/art meets nature meets people
2/6
Sharing Julie and Jonathan's wedding day
A quiet colourful corner of Notting Hill
Looking good
What this means:
1. friends
2. urban life
3. self-fulfilment
3/6
Water with fruit juice
Looking at the photos from teenage trip to Israel
Time with Stu and Jon
What this means:
1. drink
2. friends, travel
3. friends
4/6
Playing boules with the boyz in the backgarden
Making barbeques
Reading DBPierre's new book
What this means:
1. play, family life
2. food, family life, nature
3. reading/literature
5/6
Being invited to be a trustee of 24 Hour Museum
Hanging in Green Park
Evening in Saint James's Square before BAFTA TV committee
What this means:
1. self/professional fulfilment
2. nature
3. nature/light
6/6
Learning about User Generated Tagging
A presentation about Flickr and stuff
Working in the sunshine in Embankment Gardens
What this means:
1. learning
2. photography, creative technology
3. nature
7/6
Working at the BBC on Creative Archive
Getting home in good time for the kids - dinner out al fresco at the thai
Hooking up with people like Anna Maria in Italy on Flickr
What this means:
1. professional fulfilment
2. family life, nature
3. friends, human connection
[gap]
14/6
Getting a new job title and description I wanted
Chocolate malt milkshake (at Ed's)
Birdwatching on the King's Road
What this means:
1. self-fulfilment
2. food
3. sex
15/6
England scoring
Aaron Lennon playing superbly
Discussing the match with N
What this means:
1. sport
2. sport
3. family life
16/6
Desert Island Discs
Crappy thriller movies
Friday evenings
What this means:
1. play, music
2. film
3. rest
17/6
Our home
30s lidos (Crouch End)
What this means:
1. home, family life
2. physical pleasure/water, architecture
18/6
Our new garden shed
The allotments
Memories of playing Action Man (the tank)
What this means:
1. home
2. nature
3. play
19/6
The bijoux New Ambassadors Theatre
PJE
What this means:
1. architecture/art
2. friends
20/6
Joe Cole's goal
Posh outdoor lunch with Iram Q, Green Park
A bunch of new music for my iPod
What this means:
1. sport
2. food, nature, human connection
3. music
21/6
Doing Aussie accent for the kids while reading a picture book, Wombat Stew, for the both of them
Buying the best of Commando comics (echoes of Wittering) from Hatchards
Walking through Saint James's in the sun
What this means:
1. family life, reading
2. art/reading
3. urban life
[gap]
10/7
Introducing N to Commando comics
What this means:
1. teaching, sharing
11/7
Reading Skins script
IPod shuffling on the tube home
What this means:
1. film
2. music, pleasant surprises
12/7
Surveying progress of extension at sunset
Moblogging
What this means:
1. home, nature
2. photography, creative technology
13/7
Bed time read with Dylan - Wolves in Sheep's Clothing
Watching James May(?)'s tv show about classic toys with D and laughing together
Tommy scratching the glass back door to get in at night
What this means:
1. family life, reading
2. play
3. animals
14/7
Lunch on roof terrace of soho house with the Carbon mikes
Getting my teeth into Big Art Project
Evening fizzy tea session after work
What this means:
1. human connection, nature
2. art, professional fulfilment
3. human connection
[gap]
18/8/06 last day
My old orange iBook (coming out of retirement)
Watching N setting up toy soldiers - those old Airfix 1/30something figures (recently augmented with an eBay purchase)
Post-gym satisfaction
What this means:
1. creative technology, colour
2. family life, play
3. physical pleasure
The conclusions drawn from all of this follow in next post...
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