Happiness seems to be an elusive concept in our society. Society chases it, hunts for it, claims it as the reason for their decisions, and hopes for it to come "one day". It's as if happiness was a rare butterfly where people wait hours in one spot hoping to catch a glimpse of the creature, only to have it flit away on silent wings. People gamble for it, shop for it, dream of it, and hope that by 'luck' it will come....if even for a moment.
But what if happiness wasn't a mystical creature that by chance you capture, but rather a fulfillment of the gifting and calling God has given each of us individually? What if instead of being a 'kill-joy'as many people think of Him, God has already given us the ticket and it's up to us if we want to join Him on the ride.
Such is the premise of Jennifer Dukes Lee's book The Happiness Dare. In it, she proposes that each of us has a specific style of happiness God wants us to fulfill. These five styles are Doer, Relater, Thinking, Giver, and Experiencer. Jennifer writes from her farm house in Iowa, of her own struggles to experience happiness. She wrestled with whether God even wanted her to be happy in the first place. Jennifer finally came to the conclusion that God not only permits it, but desires for us to join Him in this pursuit of happiness through blessing those around us and delighting in His creation.
Even without taking the handy quiz online or in the book, it was clear my style is the relater. Take me out for coffee, send me a note, or let me communicate with the world in some form, and I am happy. I also enjoy my moments of doing and sharing new experiences. One of my dear friends is a Doer who thrives on helping others, while another friend is always looking for ways to give time or materials to support those around her. Each of us is most 'happy' when we are acting within our personal style.
To say I loved this book is an understatement! I sent the quiz to my friends and processed how it would help me better support them in their journeys. I also am learning to be content in my own gifting/enjoyments, instead of comparing myself to others. I highly recommend this book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers for review purposes.
