Journey With Quila

Started a project last week where I commit to doing everyday things that will reignite my childhood dreams.

I started this after reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, where she devoted a year of her life to finding true happiness. I think I connected with her book because lately, I’ve felt like I’m just going with the flow of life—not really living it by my own standards.

During weekdays, my days are filled with work concerns. Sometimes, I even have to work overtime just to finish my 9-to-5 responsibilities. I only have a few hours to cook, read a little, and then sleep. I really try to get at least six hours of sleep so I have enough energy for the next day’s demands.

Then on weekends, I spend my time resting. My partner and I go out to distract ourselves from work, then come home and sleep without an alarm—something that’s impossible to do during weekdays.

However, even these activities outside of work still drain me because they don’t bring me true happiness. They don’t fulfill me. I’ve felt like I’m wasting my life away because there’s something in me that wants to do more—but I’m not making time for it.

That’s when I came across a part in The Happiness Project where Rubin mentioned that one way to find happiness is to do something fun—because when something is fun, it doesn’t feel like a task.

When I thought about that, I realized I don’t really have any hobbies or interests that make me truly happy nowadays. That’s when I remembered the things I loved as a child—drawing, journaling, and writing.

I’ve been trying to reconnect with those passions by making time for them, even squeezing them into my chaotic and inconsistent free time. I’ve even bought journaling materials, but I’m still searching for that genuine feeling of happiness when doing them again.

Then a thought crossed my mind: maybe I need to understand what “fun” looks like in my present life.

Yes, drawing, writing, and journaling were fun for me as a child—but are they still fun for me now?

When I really think about it, the answer is yes. I enjoy collecting little trinkets to include in my journal—things that help me commemorate moments and emotions. I love remembering happy experiences. I love the feeling of doing something enjoyable. And I love to have the opportunity of sharing those moments with others, hoping it might encourage them to find their own version of happiness too.

I guess the “Reliving My Dreams Project” is really about bringing back the enthusiasm and excitement I once had for life.

With so much going on in the world—and with so many pressures from the internet about how we should define success, happiness, and contentment—I think it’s important to pause, reflect, and rediscover what truly makes us happy on our own terms.

Just like Taylor Swift once said:
“I hope you get to nurture your hobby and your passion just between you and that craft. Give yourself time. Give yourself time to make mistakes. Give yourself time to hone your craft. I am a firm believer that anything you feed your mind will internalize. Anything you feed the internet will attempt to kill.”

So, what are the things that make you truly happy these days?

I’m genuinely curious. Let’s talk.