GHCL Digest JULY 2018

July 2018
GHCL DIGEST
Creating a balance

Index
Pages
MD's Message
Know Your Leader – Mr. N N Radia
Feature Story : Work Life Balance
News and Events @ GHCL
Fes vals of India – July 2018
Sustainability
Celebra on@GHCL
Awards and Recogni ons
Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT)
Long Service Award
3
4
5
6-8
9-10
11
12
13-14
15-18
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Book Review-The Happiness Project - by Gretchen Rubin 21-23
Editorial team
Corporate communica on
Inputs By:
Mr. M Sathishkumar- Chennai
Ms. Priyum Upadhyay- Bhilad
Mr. Rajkumar M- Madurai
Ms. Siddhi Mehta- Sutrapada
Ms. Mita Vyas-Bhavnagar
Ms. Geeta Jaiswani- Ahmedabad
Follow Us On
For feedback please write to corpcommunica on@ghcl.co.in
July 2018
2

MD's Message
Dear colleagues
st
All of us celebrated the “Interna onal Day of Yoga” on the 21 of
June but for me, I consider Yoga as one of the best forms of
exercise that helps us achieve a perfect balance between our
mind and body. People value this ancient art as it gives great
results when it comes to maintaining good health and balance in
our lives.
Though I was travelling, I did get to know that all of us celebrated the “Interna onal Yoga Day” across all
office loca ons. Yoga sessions were organised and all of you did take some me out from your work
schedule and dedicated it for rejuvena ng yourself. I am sure the sessions helped you realise the
importance of maintaining a balance between work and good health.
Having a successful career is important but to achieve it we should not neglect our wellbeing. It is
wonderful to be successful and equally important is that we remain healthy and rejuvenated to handle
any kind of pressure be it physical or mental. It's not just yoga but even if we take out some me every
day for following a rou ne which is focussed towards prac cing any form of exercise like walking,
running, aerobics or simple breathing exercises, it will help us achieve strength.
I once came across a quote by Jim Rohn who was a major force in personal development world. “First
We Form Habits, Then They Form Us”.
Exercise helps us fight anxiety, stress, depression, grief and any form of frustra on. Once we learn to
win over such nega vity within ourselves, it helps us become more produc ve in our approach towards
any task. For a frui ul professional life, it is very essen al that we remain healthy and rejuvenated. This
will help us remain posi ve and control our emo ons that will further help us in being an effec ve team
player.
Would like to end here hoping that all of us have a healthy
goal for ourselves and progress with it to achieve our
inner strength.
“
I once came across a quote by
Jim Rohn who was a major force
in personal development world.
“
“First We Form Habits,
Then They Form Us”.
Regards,
R S Jalan
Always remember……
“The greatest
wealth is health”
-Virgil
July 2018
3

Know your leader
1. Name : N N Radia
2. Was born in : Mumbasa (East Africa)
3. Sun sign : Leo
4. Favourite Pass me : Reading & watching TV
5. Favourite quote : “Nothing is Impossible”
6. Favourite Cuisine : Chinese , especially veg
fried rice
7. Favourite Song : Thoda hai thode ki Zaroorat hai
8. Can you name a person who has had a tremendous impact on you as a leader? Maybe some one who
has been a mentor to you? Why and how did this person impact your life? :
Mr. R. K Daga (Former MD, GHCL)
9. What is one characteris c that you believe every leader should possess?
A leader should be fair & firm
10. What advice would you give someone going into a leadership posi on for the first me?
Always have empathy and be fair and firm
11. What is that one thing you are most proud of?
I am proud of the fact that I was able to create some work-life balance in the organisa on. Also I am
proud of my son
12. Who is your favourite Actor/actress?
Actor – Amitabh Bachchan ; actress - Preity Zinta
July 2018
4

Feature Story : Work Life Balance
Today we are so busy in coping up with the challenges in our personal and professional life that we o en
forget to bring balance between work and good health habits. In today's fast pace world, we are not able
to take out desired me for finding that balance. Maintaining a work/life balance is not just important for
personal health and rela onships; it can also improve efficiency and performance at work.
Lack of balance between work-life can have great
implica ons on oneself. Long work hours and a
stressful work environment can not only affect an
employee's ability to be compa ble at work and
private life but is also associated with health
problems including both physical and mental.
Crea ng and maintaining a posi ve work/life
balance is essen al to leading a happy and fulfilling
life. Successfully applying it every day is beneficial to
both you and your place of employment.
Benefits to you:
Your overall health and well-being will improve.
You will be more produc ve both in and out of the office.
You will start to enjoy your work more.
You'll have more me for yourself!
Benefits for organisa on:
Happy and healthy employees can be er handle adversity and customer demands.
Happy and healthy employees are more produc ve.
Happy and healthy employees provide be er service and boost your compe veness.
Happy and healthy employees stay.
Technology that we greatly rely on today has undeniably blurred the boundaries between work and home,
making the need for a healthy work/life balance more imminent than ever. It's important that we as an
organisa on understand, respect and help where needed their employee's needs for a healthy lifestyle both
inside and outside of work. It becomes very essen al for an individual to recognise this and self-manage
accordingly.
If we understand the ways to priori sing the health along with our work, it will help us to be be er in our
approach as a worker as well as a person. Work/life balance will make us happier and more produc ve.
Today, work-life balance is an evolving concept but, put simply, it's about achieving the mix of business and
personal life that's right for you. We're all unique, and the term "personal life" means something different to
everyone: it can include spending me with your friends and family; res ng; par cipa ng in hobbies; engaging
in personal, spiritual or educa onal development; exercising; or care giving. It can even include our work!
It is very essen al that we dedicate some me for our own self being. Set aside me every day for exercise ,
meals, sleep, and quiet me for contempla on, brainstorming or just being in one's own imagina on world.
This will help us to connect more effec vely with the people and the work we are associated with. Be er result
can only be delivered when we are staying healthy and looking a er our self.
July 2018
5

st
MEAI - Seminar held on 31 May 2018
News and Events
Mining Engineers' Associa on of India (MEAI), Bhavnagar Local Center organized State level seminar at
st
Ahmedabad in joint collabora on with M/s. GHCL Ltd., M/s. GMDC Ltd. and M/s. GPCL Ltd at on 31 May
2018.The subject chosen for the seminar was “New CMR 2017: Review of the changes”.
The inaugura on lamp was lit by Mr. S N Mathur - Ex. General
Manager of M/s. GMDC Ltd., Vice President - MEAI Organizing
Commi ee Mr. Anil Kumar Garg, General Manager - Project Surkha
North Mine M/s. GMDC Ltd. the Patron of MEAI, Mr. Dhananjay Kumar
on behalf of GHCL Ltd, Khadsaliya Lignite Mine,General Manager
(Mines)/ Agent, Mr. Harshad Bhai Patel - Convener of MEAI and The
Honorable Collector - Bhavnagar graced the seminar as the Chief
Guest.
Dona on of School Kit to Shala Pravesh Utsav by Khadsaliya Lignite Mine
In order to bring qualita ve changes in the primary educa on system
and in the role of Anganwadis, children enrollment programe by
”Shala Pravesh Utsav” has been very helpful in shaping the future of
children residing in the nearby villages of Khadsaliya Lignite Mines.
th
On 14 June 2018, Shala Pravesh Utsav was celebrated to encourage
student's enrollment in the primary schools situated near Khadsaliya
Lignite Mine. Smt Rekha Ben – CDPO (Child Development Planning
Officer) Govt. of Gujrat, Bhavnagar graced the utsav as the chief guest where she also appreciated the
welfare ac vi es organized by GHCL for the utsav.
Mr. Dhananjay Kumar,General Manager (Mines)donated school and toy kits to the students of
Bholavader Prathamik Shala and Khadsaliya Kendrava Shala on behalf of GHCL Ltd.
“One Day Training Program for Workmen” at Sutrapada
One-day Training program was organized at Soda Ash Division, Sutrapada for the workmen, Technician
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and Staff Category On 6 June 2018. The topic covered in the training session was “Collabora on”. The
training session was organized in line with the “Great Place to Work” survey and GHCL's Mission –
Vision Statement.
Mr. Jayesh P Shah (VP-IR), Mr. Anil Kumar Singh (Sr. GM HR&IR), and
both the Union Leaders were present at the opening of the training
session. The session was taken by Mr. Deepak Dhomse.
Mr. Deepak Dhomse discussed various aspects of the topic during the
training session:
- What is Collabora on
July 2018
6

- Importance of Collabora on
- Advantages of Collabora on
- Collabora on in 21st Century
- Collabora on in our Professional and Personal Life etc.
59 workmen a ended the training session and were very happy
with the way the topic was compiled and explained to them.
Summer Camp for children of Employees at Yarn Division
Summer camps are one of the best ways to engage kids in learning
new skills during their vaca ons. These camps usually aim at making
kids learn new ac vi es apart from the academics. In this context,
Kodai Konda am summer camp was conducted for daughters of
employees from the age group of 10 to 16 years on 18th May 2018.
Main ac vi es organised within the camp were jewellery making, art
from waste and hair styling. Mr. P.Janaki sankar – AGM (HR)
welcomed the faculty, kids & their parents.
Apart from this the faculty from Thiyagam trust Ms.Shanthi taught the children how to make mobile
pouch, toys and door mat.
62 kids par cipated in the summer camp. The event was followed with lunch and distribu on of gi s
from Mr. Elangovan (Sr. GM)
Medical Awareness Session– Yarn Division
GHCL Yarn division, conducted Medical awareness session on “Preven on of heart disease” at our unit
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on 14 June 2018 at Vaigai Conference hall. Dr.Karuppiah, Sr.Cardiologist from Apollo Hospital addressed
the session where he shared many insights about heart disease and the preven on of the same.
Main points discussed during the session were:
Symptoms of Heart a ack
Do's and don'ts during the heart a ack.
Reasons for heart a ack
Maintain a healthy blood pressure and Monitor your
cholesterol (blood lipids)
Make exercise a daily habit.
Reduce stress
The session was very beneficial for all as many insights were shared over how we can improve and
adopt healthy habits towards achieving the healthy life with good healthy diet
BLOOD DONATION CAMP – Yarn Division
GHCL Yarn division Manaparai unit organised a blood dona on camp on
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18 June at the Mill premises in associa on with Government Hospital,
Manaparai.
July 2018
7

The camp was inaugurated by Mr. R.Balakrishnan Sr. GM (Produc on). 34 employees par cipated in the
camp and donated their blood.
District Collector Visit to Tex le Plant - Gujarat
nd
On 2 June 2018, Valsad district collector visited the Home Tex le
Division situated in Valsad, Gujrat. The main point of discussion was
home tex le business, GHCL overall structure, current Indian scenario &
some local issues.
He accepted the request to visit Home Tex le showroom. Mr. Sachin
Kularni (Plant Head) showed the video of Rekoop to the collector and also
shared the concept of Rekoop, the product line, quality details with him.
nd
Invita on for celebra on of 92 birthday of Queen Elizabeth
Mr. Vishnu Gupta, Head Commercial and Finance from our Gujarat
nd
division was invited for the celebra on of 92 birthday of Queen Elizabeth
from Mrs. & Mr. Geoff Wain, Bri sh Deputy High Commissioner to the
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State of Gujarat & Rajasthan on 14 June 2018.
It was a great opportunity for him to meet Mr. J. N. Singh, Chief Secretary,
Government of Gujarat at the celebra on venue. Further, Mr. Gupta took
honor in invi ng Mrs. & Mr. Geoff Wain to visit our factory, as we are
already working with Bri sh customer like House of Frasers, The White
Company, Galleria Kau of, Federa on of Migros etc.
July 2018
8

1) Amarnath Yatra
Fes vals of India – July 2018
The famous Amarnath cave temple, one of the top caves in India, houses a
Shiva lingam made out of ice. It's one of the toughest pilgrimages in India
to visit it. Pilgrims must ba le inclement weather, which makes the track
slippery and dangerous, as well as very high al tude.
When: June 28-August 26, 2018
Where: On Mount Amarnath, around 140 kilometers from Srinagar
in Kashmir. There are two routes to the shrine -- 16 kilometers from Baltal in Ganderbal and the
tradi onal 45 kilometers Pahalgam track in Anantnag district, approximately three to four hours drive from
Srinagar.
2) Beh Deinkhlam
The most important fes val of the Pnar tribe of Meghalaya, Beh Deinkhlam
is celebrated a er agricultural sowing is over. Khlam means plague and beh
dien means to drive away with s cks. Hence, the fes val is held to drive
away and nega ve forces that may affect the crop. The fes vi es take
place over three days, and culminate with procession of chariots and
ceremonial tree trunks (khnongs) to a sacred pool full of water. Another
highlight of the occasion is a football match between locals. The winner is
believed to have a bumper harvest.
When: July 3, 2018.
Where: Jowai, Jain a hills, Meghalaya, Northeast India.
3) Dree fes val
Dree is an agricultural fes val of the Apatani tribe. It's celebrated by
sacrificial offerings and prayers to the gods who protect the crops. Folk
songs, tradi onal dances, and other cultural performances have also
become a part of the modern-day fes vi es. There's even a "Mr Dree"
contest, billed as the ul mate pla orm for men to show their strength,
agility, stamina, and intelligence!
When: July 4-7 each year.
Where: Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh, Northeast India.
4) Puri Rath yatra
The exuberant 12 day Rath Yatra fes val sees Lord Jagannath (a
reincarna on of Lords Vishnu and Krishna), along with and his elder
brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra, venture out of their abode in
Puri's Jagannath Temple. The gods are transported on massive towering
chariots. It's Odisha's most popular fes val.
When: July 14-26, 2018.
Where: Jagannath Temple, Puri, Odisha.
July 2018
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5) Guru Purnima
This full moon day is celebrated in remembrance of the ancient sage
Vyasa who edited and wrote a number of holy Hindu scriptures. However,
the idea behind Guru Purnima extends further than that. It's also a day for
giving thanks to anyone who's taught you spiritual lessons in life. Many
people simply spend some me reviewing all the knowledge they've
acquired in the last year, and the way it's helped transformed them.
When: July 27, 2018.
Where: All over India, par cularly in spiritual centers such as Sivananda
Ashram, Rishikesh. One of the largest Guru Purnima fes vals is held at
Goverdhan, near Mathura.
6) Njanga ri Aanayoo u (Elephant Feeding Ritual)
Elephants are usually seen decorated and paraded around during temple
fes vals in Kerala. However, during this elephant feeding ritual, they
remain unadorned. The elephants are taken inside the temple premises
and given a delicious feast of sugarcane leaves, coconut, jaggery and other
local produce by people who come to worship them. The ritual aims to
please Lord Ganesha, for the removal of obstacles and fulfillment of
wishes.
When: July 20, 2018.
Where: Njanga ri Bhagavathi temple, Pa ambi, Palakkad district, Kerala
July 2018
10

Sustainability
GHCL is always concerned with integra ng social concerns in its
business opera ons and interac ons. To serve this, we have GHCL
Founda on Trust. Our zeal and commitment for CSR is constantly in
line with our corporate philosophy. The sole purpose of our
interven ons is sustainable development and need based
interven ons.
It is our responsibility as an organisa on to serve to the people of the villages living around the areas
where we are opera ng for our business.
GHCL's Founda on Trust o en conducts various CSR ac vi es that are targeted towards helping the
villagers and making various facili es available for them like medical and other services from me to me.
Keeping this in mind, this month “Cancer Detec on Camp” was organised in three villages in Vapi, Gujarat
th
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from 6 June 2018 to 14 June 2018.
The details are given as under:
Total number of women par cipated: 418
Total number of women scanned:376
July 2018
11

Celebra on@GHCL
World Environment Day Celebra on at Soda Ash Division
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Soda Ash Division celebrated “The World Environment Day” on 5 June 2018. The theme of the celebra on
this year was #Beat Plas c Pollu on.
Various ac vi es were planned around the theme for Environment
Protec on. The event was named “Plas c Pick up campaign” organised
st
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from 1 June 2018 – 5 June 2018.
The HSE stewards along with their team ac vely par cipated in the event.
The Soda Ash division also par cipated in Somnath Beach cleaning ac vity
that was awareness programme organised by Gujarat Pollu on Control
Board and GEER for extending their support for India's Mission 2022-
phasing out the use of plas c.
Many ac vi es like walkathon, poem submission, slogans and quiz compe on were organised followed by
the prize distribu on for the winners. The ac vi es gave great insights on how we can make GHCL be er in
choosing out more sustainable methods towards making the environment cleaner and greener. On the
occasion, planta on programme was also organised.
“World Environment Day” celebrated at Khadsaliya Lignite Mine
Khadsaliya Lignite Mine of Lignite Division celebrated the World
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Environment Day on 5 June 2018 theme with the “Beat Plas c Pollu on”
in order to spread awareness in the nearby villages. The campaign was
organized specially to educate people about what measures can be taken
from our end towards protec ng the environment. The main objec ves
were to make people aware of the environmental issues and empower
them to become ac ve agents for ini a ng eco-friendly efforts and
develop the surrounding area.
All Execu ves, contractual employees along with Gram Panchayat members and villagers planted the
samplings at Khadsaliya Lignite Mine site. Ac vi es like quiz compe on was also organised on the occasion.
All the par cipants of the event also took pledge to save the environment.
Work-Life-Balance
To focus on how to successfully combine work
and personal life into a sa sfying life
July 2018
12

Asaamanya Parivartan Award
Awards and Recogni ons
Asaamanya Parivartan (On the Spot) award given to Mr. Ashwin Panjari of
PHB Electrical Department, by Mr. V. B. Panchal (DGM-Electrical).
Mr. Ashwin Panjari received this award for preven ng the the of around
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1000 Meters of cable on 30 May 2018 during his night shi by catching 7
persons who were involved in the the .
ON THE SPOT AWARD (Madurai)
MR. SUBBURAJAN J & MR.PREMKUMAR V
Received on-the spot award for ac va ng intermediate waste collec on
circuit system with exis ng sequences mer from old panel/Exis ng
panel. This was done with NEW LUWA sequence
DINESHBABU T
Received on-the spot award for providing drip irriga on of 50saplings with
available oil cans from scarp
KABILAN
Received on-the spot award
-For introducing Air regulator a ached with the doffer for be er pick up
of yarn from Cones
-For improving the efficiency of machinery in reserve peg area from 52%
to 74 % by ge ng welding done on the said area.
KATHIRVEL M
Received on-the spot award for designing the angle guide and fixing the
same in Rieter K 45 which prevented damage of the conveyer belt.
PRABHU U
Received on-the spot award for efficiently managing the driver's duty
for the month of May 2018 and receiving great feedback from the users.
July 2018
13

DHASRATHKANI
Received on-the spot award for efficiently managing the budget
assigned for vegetables for the Hostel that gave saving of about 25%.
RAVI A.K
Received on-the spot award for contribu ng into bringing down the waste
in the blow room, carding and comber under process of Yarn Realisa on.
His efforts helped bringing down the waste to 1% without affec ng the
Quality which increased yarn Realisa on process from 67.7 to 68.25 in 40s
Mixing. The award was handed over to him by our co on supplier Mr.
Kunal Shah.
MUTHU KUMAR P
Received on-the spot award for efficiently maintaining the co on bales
lot wise. The award was handed over by our co on supplier Mr, Kunal
Shah.
FUN TIME
look at the point in the end
of the nose for 30 seconds, Then
look up to the roof then keep
Blinking Ur eyes ... You will see
The original woman's image...
July 2018
14

Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT)
In the era of Fourth Industrial Revolu on (Industry 4.0)
"The revolu on in Industrial IT"
Introduc on
Mr. Vinod Pandey
DGM- IT
The Fourth Industrial Revolu on
(Industry 4.0)
July 2018
15

Use case: Industrial IOT for Compressed air
(Solu on based on iConn by Gardner Denver)
July 2018
16

The compressed air marketplace
Basic data analy cs
Predic ve maintenance
July 2018
17

Augmented reality
Cogni ve
In current world, many digital platform focuses on OPEN secure IIoT standards, not proprietary. GD's
strategy is a game changer for the compressed air market and the aim is to keep it simple. Simple helps to
SMEs learn, and develops the operational efficiency steps in them. If you buy a brand, you must always
buy their 'IIoT' kit to make it work.
July 2018
18

LONG SERVICE AWARD
We truly appreciate the years and long service you commi ed in our company. Your dedica on and
loyalty will be forever cherished. We are happy to have you as a part of team GHCL. Congratula on on
your 10 years with us. Let's celebrate!
ASHOKCHANDRA
RAMSIBHAI RAM
Employee ID: G00349
Soda Ash Division
Sutrapada
Joined on 10-May-2008
MANISH MAGANBHAI
MALAVIA
Employee ID: G00350
HT Division
Bhilad
th
Joined on 14 May 2008
AMI A PANDIT
Employee ID: G00351
Soda Ash Division
Ahmedabad
th
Joined on 09 June 2008
July 2018
19

Our Product “Indian Jujube Honey”
from brand i-FLO under CPD division
is now spreading its wings in the
north region..
i-FLO Indian Jujube Ad featured in
HT Brunch with “Vir Sanghvi”
th
ar cle on 24 June 2018
Wait for more ads….
coming soon in
HT Brunch
July 2018
20

Book Review
The Happiness Project - by Gretchen Rubin
One of my core beliefs is this:'Its more important to be happy than it is to be
rich My personal experience bears this out (though I'm fortunate to be both).
No surprise then that for the past couple of years, one of my favorite blogs has
been Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project. Rubin is a former lawyer who
abandoned her promising high-paying career to follow her bliss: She decided to
become a writer. She started her blog as a part of a year-long experiment to find
new ways to be happy. She's now turned that experience into a best-selling
book.
The Happiness Project
Rubin decided to spend one year consciously pursuing happiness. Each month, she tackled one specific aspect
of life — marriage, work, a tude, and so on — and during that month, she a empted to meet a handful of
related resolu ons she hoped would make her happier.
Her financial resolu ons for July, for instance, were about money. Rubin is an “under-buyer”; she's frugal by
nature. For this month, she wanted to indulge in a modest splurge, buy needful things, spend out (meaning to
actually use the stuff she has), and give something up (Rubin stopped obsessing over office supplies).
Fortunately, the book isn't lame. Rubin's style is warm and engaging. Though The Happiness Project includes
tons of info from research into happiness and well-being, this data isn't presented in a dull, dry way; it's neatly
woven into Rubin's account of her day-to-day progress toward happiness (or lack thereof). She shares the
research in casual prose, not in academic jargon.
Among my favourite findings, I bookmarked these:
“The most effec ve way to judge whether a par cular course of ac on will make you happy in the future is to
ask people who are following that course of ac on right now if they're happy and assume that you'll feel the
same way.”
You can do anything you want, but you can't do everything you want. This insight is remarkably similarly to the
one I had a couple of years ago, when I realized that I can buy anything I want, but can't buy everything I want.
“One of the best ways to make yourself happy is to make other people happy. One of the best ways to make
other people happy is to be happy yourself.”
“Best is good, be er is best.” In other words, the perfect is the enemy of the good. When you spend too much
me pursuing the best, you're bound to be unhappy.
“Money doesn't buy happiness the way good health doesn't buy happiness. When money or health is a
problem, you think of li le else; when it's not a problem, you don't think much about it. Both money and health
contribute to happiness mostly in the nega ve; the lack of them brings much more unhappiness than
possessing them brings happiness.”
I loved this p from a reader of Rubin's blog: “[I] change my passwords to a goal that I've been working on, or an
achievement I want. They become a constant reminder of my goals, my dreams, of what I want to achieve.”
July 2018
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The Happiness Project is filled with anecdotes: from Rubin's life, from the comments on her blog, and from
the people she meets. These stories add a lot of colour to the topics she covers, and help to show how
complex happiness can be. For example, from the chapter on money, here's a story that made me laugh:
While I was thinking hard about the rela onship between money and happiness, I struck up a conversa on with
a fellow guest at a bridal shower. I told her that I was trying to figure out ways to “Buy some happiness.” (As I
explained the issue, it began to dawn on me, dimly, that I might be becoming a happiness bore.)
She became quite indignant at my sugges on. “That's so wrong!” she said. “Money can't buy happiness!”
“You don't think so?”
“I'm the perfect example. I don't make much money. A few years back, I took my savings and bought a horse. My
mother and everyone told me I was crazy. But that horse makes me incredibly happy — even though I end up
spending all my extra money on him.”
“But,” I said, confused, “money did make you happy. It makes you so happy to have a horse!”
“But I don't have any money,” she answered. “I spent it all.”
“Right, because you used it to buy a horse.”
She shook her head and gave up on me.
Rubin undertook her happiness project because she realized, “I wasn't as happy as I could be, and my life wasn't
going to change unless I made it change.” This realiza on is so important. Too many folks sit back, wai ng things
for to improve. That's what I used to do with money. But it wasn't un l I actually took charge of my own life that I
was able to defeat debt and build wealth. And it wasn't un l Rubin decided to be responsible for her own
happiness that she was able to make the li le changes that brought about increased well-being.
Making resolu ons
The sec on on “finding fun” — one of the subjects of chapter 5 (“May: Be Serious About Play”) — literally
moved me to tears. As I read about Rubin's love of children's literature, how she rediscovered her passion for
scrapbooking, and her general quest to make room in her life for fun, I realize that's something I've been
missing. For the past few years, everything I've done has been very very adult. I've reaped adult rewards for
adult effort, but it hasn't been a whole lot of fun. I need to make room in my life to enjoy myself just for the sake
of pleasure. So, that's one of my goals for the next few months: Find more fun.
But Rubin draws a dis nc on between goals and resolu ons:
You hit a goal, but keep a resolu on. “Run a marathon” makes a good goal. It's specific, easy to measure
success, and once you've done it, you've done it. “Sing in the morning” and “Exercise be er” are be er cast as
resolu ons. You won't wake up one day and find that you've achieved it. It's something you have to resolve to
do every day, forever.
July 2018
22

As you know, I'm a fan of goals and, generally, I refuse to set resolu ons. But I see Rubin's point. As a result, I've
decided to set some resolu ons of my own. I'll be tracking the following with Joe's Goals:
Eat real food
Be ac ve
Avoid strong drinks
Read for pleasure
Write daily
Be dy
Purge Stuff
Be friendly
Be true to myself
Some of these will be easier than others. I write nearly every day because I cannot help myself; I'm drawn to
it. Tidiness? Real food? Being true to myself? These things will be tougher, but I really think they'll make me
happy.
I'm tempted to say that The Happiness Project is one of the best books I've ever read, but I know that's just me
engaging in hyperbole. Instead, it's probably be er to say that this was the perfect book for me to read for
where I am in life. It spoke to me. I can't say for sure that it will speak to you, but a personal happiness project
could lead to increased wealth — financial and otherwise
July 2018
23

“Balance is not
be er me management,
but be er boundary management.
Balance means making choices
and enjoying those choices."
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