The Value of Being You

DailyWorth recently had the pleasure and privilege of interviewing Gretchen Rubin, author of "The Happiness Project" the same week that her book hit The New York Times best-seller list.

Gretchen Rubin's new book, "The Happiness Project," chronicles the year she devoted to following the precepts revealed by the last two thousand years (or so) of happiness research and philosophy.  

Naturally, here at DW HQ, we wanted to know about the financial side: How can one spend more on a happier way of life?  

Rubin described a common pattern that can drain your wallet and derail your happiness: "When people wish they were different from who they really are," Rubin says, "they end up spending a lot of money on fantasies—and don't end up happier."  

For example: "You wish you were sporty—but you're not," Rubin says. "So you go out and buy the yoga mat, the workout gear, the roller blades—because you have this fantasy that buying the stuff will make you athletic--and it all ends up in your closet."  

It's a waste of money on two fronts, Rubin notes:

A) You frequently end up in possession of a lot of junk (language tapes, cookware, books     about Goya); and

B) you could have invested that cash in your own true life.

The Happiness Project

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