Gretchen Rubin had an epiphany one rainy afternoon in the unlikeliest of places: a city bus. "The days are long, but the years are short," she realized. "Time is passing, and I'm not focusing enough on the things that really matter." In that moment, she decided to dedicate a year to her happiness project.
The objects that fill our everyday lives are our constant companions. As such, writes philosopher and Japanese folk-craft pioneer Soetsu Yanagi, they should be made with care and built to last, treated with respect and even affection.