about

Happiness x Authenticity, Individuality x Community, Freedom x Autonomy, Life x Possibility. 

Earthly Happiness is about real life happiness. It is not to encourage people to “break their upper limits” or some other motivational-speaker type joy commandment. It’s intended to be down-to-earth and chilled out.

When looking to read and connect about happiness, one can be easily whisked away to another planet where people life coach other people to become life coaches. I am not a life coach. I don’t want to be your life coach. I think you probably live a pretty sweet life, all things considered, and I would just like a space to talk about happiness without an aggressive joy karate chop to your self-esteem. 

I want to build a positive community where everyone's equal, and no one has to wish to be anyone but what they are. I love positive psych and the environmental movement, but add in lifestyle blogs and magazines and they easily take a wrong turn in these forums. Somewhere in the landscape a sort of holy rolling self-righteousness crept in.  I would like to spread these topics without alienating anyone who ever had a bad day or who didn't run a marathon, grow their breakfast, land a book deal and birth a child all this morning. 

I wouldn't be the first person to feel unintended negative pressure from otherwise good intentioned sources. Common criticism to positive psychology is the stigmatization of the negative. While I’ve studied this field for years, I relate to this criticism. It can seem like every single day must be this unfolding ball of wonder. And ok, you know, it totally is. It totally fucking is. But is it ok if I enjoy that wonder through a third episode in a row of House Hunters International? Yes, it is. As for the green movement, that’s all gorgeous and necessary, but someone better hit me with a pretty righteous Namaste if I have to go to my local co-op one more time and hear people try to one up each other with their recycled livingness, home food growingness, and rich-ass organic exclusiveness.  And while there are plenty of great ones out there, there’s a founded criticism that lifestyle blogs are the new women’s media which, as per usual, result in comparison, conformity, envy, and a resulting knock on readers' self-esteem as the enforcement of social norms shapes up a new cult of domesticity. 

EH wants to promote inspiration, not aspiration. EH knows the personal is political, and does not know how to shut up about it. EH is about personal choice, freedom, authenticity, the interlocking dichotomy of individuality and community and the necessity of all of these for real happiness. 

We are all-one or none. -Dr. Bronner