After Kristen Uitto, principal architect at Caddis Collaborative, lost her infant son in 2010, she stumbled across a book that spoke to her. Gretchen Rubin’s bestselling book The Happiness Project was healing and helpful as Kristen made her way through the aftermath of that devastating experience.

Especially compelling to Kristen was Rubin’s decision to try new things in an effort to increase her happiness. Rubin’s chronicle of a year spent trying twelve new habits – one each month – helped Kristen as she tried to figure out a way to move forward in her own life. Rubin focused on changes in her mental well-being, physical well-being, personal well-being, and her environment.

As Kristen tried to think about creating a sense of peace and calm in the physical environment of her home, she identified with Rubin’s efforts to clear the clutter in her own home. And as she worked on her relationship with her husband as they faced a difficult challenge and worked to heal together, Kristen found solace in Rubin’s description of the changes she made in her own marriage.

What Rubin proposed as a way of making change made sense to Kristen and seemed realistic. The book told the story of Rubin’s struggles to make positive changes with a sense of humor. If you’re going through a difficult experience of your own or just want to learn how to deepen your sense of happiness, Kristen enthusiastically recommends The Happiness Project!