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Happy for No Reason

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Happy for No Reason

7 Steps to Being Happy from the Inside Out

Free Press,

15 min read
10 take-aways
Text available

What's inside?

You may not have been born with a song in your heart, but, with practice, you can find your happy tune.

Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Applicable

Recommendation

Marci Shimoff, who made her reputation with Chicken Soup for a Woman’s Soul and other books in that series, helps you build your “happiness home” on the foundation of positive psychology. She tells you how to abide by seven “happiness laws” and establish “21 happiness habits” to raise your level of joy. Although it’s bit platitudinous, the book conveys good news from psychology and self-help, but is light on facts. Shimoff distills the major tenets of “transformational” literature, and offers exercises to get you started. getAbstract recommends this to those who know about “happiness science” and wish to apply it. The author explains how to take a relaxed approach, integrate happier habits into your life and trust that the universe wishes you well.

Summary

Who’s Happy, Who’s Not?

Positive psychology is the empirical study of positive emotions, strength-based character and healthy institutions. Scientists explain that people have individual happiness “set-points,” levels of basic happiness that don’t change much no matter what life throws at them. Studies show that both paraplegics and lottery winners return to their innate happiness set-points within a year of the event that changed their lives, for ill or good. Though happiness is a hardwired result of genetics and the environment, you can raise your happiness set-point. To flip your switch and “practice happiness,” understand what adds to it and what diminishes it. Don’t buy into the “myth of more,” always needing something new to be happier. Don’t convince yourself that at some later, magic time – when you have the perfect job or loose 20 pounds ¬– you’ll be happy. When you quit chasing things you think will make you happy, you can be “happy for no reason.” Start by following these core “laws”:

  • The “Law of Expansion” – Things that uplift you make you happy, so you feel expansive and light. When you’re not happy, your “energy” retracts, making you feel ...

About the Author

Marci Shimoff, co-author of the bestseller Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul and other Chicken Soup books, is a keynote speaker and transformational-practices teacher. Carol Kline also co-authored many Chicken Soup for the Soul titles.

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