When my best friend came to visit me last weekend, we stopped by the bookstore - of course. She needed something to read on the plane back home and I just needed the excuse to go. I found a great book!
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. It's sort of an autobiography of one year in the author's life, in which her main goal was to become happier. It's a fast read with many golden nuggets of happiness I was glad to learn, and several of her ideas or "resolutions" I had already been practicing. I am only half way through, but I highly recommend this book. I already plan to share it with a cousin who also enjoys reading (her birthday is coming up).
While this blog in no way is intended to be a true happiness project as the book lays out, I want to write about topics that bring me happiness. My interests change day to day and year to year but that's okay. As long as they bring sunshine to my life (one of my favorite songs is "You are my sunshine") and I continue to look forward to them.
Every day I come across different incidents, people, issues, etc. that can change my entire mood or outlook (they say Cancers can be moody :P). I want to be able to find the positive in these experiences and concepts. I'm not trying to diminish my initial emotions or reactions - anger, sadness, irritation, whatever - they all have their purposes, but there is also a lesson to be learned from them. Sounds preachy? Yes, but it is the motivation behind the blog, not what I will actually write about. Reflection, I hope, will make me a more positive person.
Picture credits to Valerie Admana (Thanks amiga!)
Aaron Martin (Angry Woebots artist)@ last month's G40: The Summit in Arlington, VA
Finally, this is not a blog about pandas. Although I do love pandas and I might write about them occasionally. I was determined to use "roaring panda" in my title because it's a great irony (I am constantly entertained by) that is actually sort of accurate. (Check out the fun facts on Giant Pandas on the
San Diego Zoo website.) Pandas don't roar exactly like other bears do, but they are not always the gentle giants people imagine them to be. That's the essence of what I will explore in this blog. I will try to dig deeper, beneath the veneer, of topics I come across that interests me.
