Happiness is a common topic around the first of the year, what with resolutions and all. So are time and money. I came across a quote I loved so much I wrote it with a marker above my bedroom closet―the first place I see when I open my eyes each morning.

It says “Wake up with joy, and then spread it.” My six-year old granddaughter who is just learning to read was mortified that someone had written on my wall with her marker. I was out of town, so her grandfather read her the saying and assured her it was okay I wrote it there.

Ah, to be young. She didn’t get any of it―how I got away with writing on the wall with a marker or how fleeting “Joy” can be. When I think about it, I’m happy about her reaction. She knows the rules, and she has that innocence that is no less fleeting.

Thanks to Gretchen Rubin for the following blog entry. Here’s a taste:

4. Does this decision help me obey my personal commandment to Be Gretchen? I want to shape my life to reflect my temperament, interests, and values. I ask myself: Am I making this decision to “Be Gretchen,” or because I want to impress other people, pretend that I’m different from the person I actually am, or deny a truth about myself?

Great list for Happily Making Decisions About Time, Energy & Money