Hi everyone! I’m Ellie. I just joined the Project Happiness team, after moving to California a couple months ago- I’m from Michigan but just graduated from college on the East Coast. When people ask me why I moved to California, my first reaction is always… I don’t know! I just had a sense, a gut feeling I guess you could call it, that there was something for me out here that I wouldn’t be able to find where I was.
I was searching. The problem was that I didn’t have any clue what exactly I was searching for. When you don’t have an X-marks-the-spot, it makes your treasure map quite confusing. That’s how my life has been since my graduation in June- a winding, unexpected, confusing treasure map with some unknown X at the end. And directions and maps have never been my thing. So since I didn’t have a plan, I just decided to follow my instincts… and my instincts brought me across the country to San Francisco.
Where did these instincts arise from? I was not exactly sure at the time. That’s what made them ‘instincts’ instead of ‘reasons,’ I think. And I’m still not exactly certain, but since moving, I have been able to recognize some of the forces that were pulling me out here.
My discovered passion in college was psychology- I became fascinated with the mind, studying the way people interact, and helping people. Throughout my education in psychology, a particular frustration kept resurfacing over and over: why are all the awesome discoveries made in science, in psychology, focused on treating people, on addressing their problems, to helping the unwell get back to baseline? Why do we have to wait until there is a problem to do something good for ourselves? Why is it that only in the face of a crisis do we seek help? I kept feeling that there must be another piece- the flip side to psychology. What about using science to help ourselves not just go from bad to fine but from fine to even better? Why isn’t psychology utilized as a preventative tool to the extent it is used as a treatment tool? These were the questions, the frustrations, that arose again and again for me in college.
Then I discovered a relatively new area of psychology called “Positive Psychology,” which explores positive emotions, good feelings, personal growth and development, how to make life more fulfilling, etc.. It is exactly the sort of psychology that was trying to answer my questions and frustrations. As I explored this area I found that, in general, the places I was looking for answers were much more traditional, and that I craved a more open-minded, creative atmosphere… and something was telling me that I could find that out West. Since coming out here, I have found exactly that atmosphere- a very friendly, very creative, very open energy that I’m loving! For instance, discovering a organization like Project Happiness exists has just been awesome, as it is built around the ideas of positive psychology that I find so totally fascinating, important, and helpful. So I am really excited to be out here in California, to be exploring new areas of psychology, to be part of the Project Happiness team, and to share my experiences here with all of you!