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The Handy Psychology Answer Book
by Lisa J. CohenBridging the gap between the entertainment-focused "pop psychology” on television and the dry academic research that is published in journals, The Handy Psychology Answer Book helps answer why humans do what we do through accurate scientific data presented in a lively, accessible, and engaging way. It covers the fundamentals and explains the psychology behind how people deal with money, sex, morality, family, children, aging, addiction, work, and other everyday issues. Fully revised to reflect the latest scientific research--such as the current DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, published by the American Psychiatric Association); the latest neurobiological theories; and the changing face of marriage--this timely reference has expanded to include information sections on the biology and evolution of emotions; technology and adolescence; bisexuality; optimism; autism; as well as a full section on the law, eyewitness testimony and police shootings. Featuring more than 1,500 answers to questions concerning how the human mind and the science of psychology really work such as: How have other cultures addressed psychological issues? Why was Freud so focused on sex? How can I maintain a healthy brain? Is it normal to argue during marriage? Does religion make people happier? How do we reduce social prejudice?
The Happiness Advantage: How a Positive Brain Fuels Success in Work and Life
by Shawn AchorOur most commonly held formula for success is broken. Conventional wisdom holds that if we work hard we will be more successful, and if we are more successful, then we'll be happy. If we can just find that great job, win that next promotion, lose those five pounds, happiness will follow. But recent discoveries in the field of positive psychology have shown that this formula is actually backward: Happiness fuels success, not the other way around. When we are positive, our brains become more engaged, creative, motivated, energetic, resilient, and productive at work. This isn't just an empty mantra. This discovery has been repeatedly borne out by rigorous research in psychology and neuroscience, management studies, and the bottom lines of organizations around the globe. In The Happiness Advantage, Shawn Achor, who spent over a decade living, researching, and lecturing at Harvard University, draws on his own research--including one of the largest studies of happiness and potential at Harvard and others at companies like UBS and KPMG--to fix this broken formula. Using stories and case studies from his work with thousands of Fortune 500 executives in 42 countries, Achor explains how we can reprogram our brains to become more positive in order to gain a competitive edge at work. Isolating seven practical, actionable principles that have been tried and tested everywhere from classrooms to boardrooms, stretching from Argentina to Zimbabwe, he shows us how we can capitalize on the Happiness Advantage to improve our performance and maximize our potential. Among the principles he outlines: * The Tetris Effect: how to retrain our brains to spot patterns of possibility, so we can see--and seize--opportunities wherever we look. * The Zorro Circle: how to channel our efforts on small, manageable goals, to gain the leverage to gradually conquer bigger and bigger ones. * Social Investment: how to reap the dividends of investing in one of the greatest predictors of success and happiness--our social support network A must-read for everyone trying to excel in a world of increasing workloads, stress, and negativity, The Happiness Advantage isn't only about how to become happier at work. It's about how to reap the benefits of a happier and more positive mind-set to achieve the extraordinary in our work and in our lives.From the Hardcover edition.
The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology that Fuel Success and Performance at Work
by Shawn Achor<p>Our most commonly held formula for success is broken. Conventional wisdom holds that if we work hard we will be more successful, and if we are more successful, then we’ll be happy. If we can just find that great job, win that next promotion, lose those five pounds, happiness will follow. But recent discoveries in the field of positive psychology have shown that this formula is actually backward: Happiness fuels success, not the other way around. When we are positive, our brains become more engaged, creative, motivated, energetic, resilient, and productive at work. This isn’t just an empty mantra. This discovery has been repeatedly borne out by rigorous research in psychology and neuroscience, management studies, and the bottom lines of organizations around the globe. <p>In The Happiness Advantage, Shawn Achor, who spent over a decade living, researching, and lecturing at Harvard University, draws on his own research—including one of the largest studies of happiness and potential at Harvard and others at companies like UBS and KPMG—to fix this broken formula. Using stories and case studies from his work with thousands of Fortune 500 executives in 42 countries, Achor explains how we can reprogram our brains to become more positive in order to gain a competitive edge at work. <p>Isolating seven practical, actionable principles that have been tried and tested everywhere from classrooms to boardrooms, stretching from Argentina to Zimbabwe, he shows us how we can capitalize on the Happiness Advantage to improve our performance and maximize our potential.</p>
The Happiness Cure: Why You're Not Built for Constant Happiness, and How to Enjoy the Journey
by Anders Hansen&“Anders Hansen&’s work is the antidote to our modern-day struggles.&”—Dr. Rangan Chatterjee, author of The Stress Solution Find long-term meaning and contentment in the journey of life with The Happiness Cure by internationally bestselling, award-winning psychiatrist and viral TEDx speaker Dr. Anders Hansen. As a species, we&’ve never had it so good. We&’re living longer and healthier lives than ever before; the sum of human knowledge and endless entertainment are only ever a few clicks away. So why are we in the midst of a mental health crisis? In The Happiness Cure, psychiatrist and well-being guru Dr. Anders Hansen presents a groundbreaking guide that explores the evolutionary roots of happiness and provides practical steps to help readers find true fulfillment. By combining cutting-edge neuroscientific research with relatable stories of ordinary individuals, Dr. Hansen offers a fresh perspective that challenges conventional thinking: the human brain isn&’t naturally wired for happiness. The Happiness Cure provides actionable strategies to navigate the complexities of modern life, finding joy along the way. With expertise and credibility, Dr. Anders Hansen empowers readers to take charge of their own happiness journey. Embark on a transformative path toward long-term contentment and discover the keys to a more fulfilling life. · Learn about the neural pathway hacks to contentment as you explore the intricate relationship between the human brain and happiness through the latest neuroscientific research and captivating real-life stories. · Gain inspiration from relatable stories of ordinary individuals who have applied the principles outlined in the book to their everyday lives. · Embrace a radical new approach to fulfillment utilizing the science of happiness, focusing on long-term contentment instead of short-term gratification. · Learn to better navigate the complexities of modern life and cultivate genuine happiness as you discover actionable strategies and practical steps. · Benefit from the wealth of knowledge and expertise of Dr. Anders Hansen, a respected psychiatrist and viral TEDx speaker, as he guides you toward a deeper understanding of how to be happy.
The Happiness Dictionary: Words from Around the World to Help Us Lead a Richer Life
by Dr Tim Lomas'A delightful compendium' - Evening StandardHave you ever had a feeling that you couldn't quite describe, because no English word exists for it?Indeed, without such a word, it's difficult to remember or understand the feeling, and to talk about it with other people. This applies to all aspects of life, but most of all that most sought-after of feelings, happiness, where our ability to both experience and understand it is limited by the words at our disposal. However, all is not lost. Even if English has not created a word for a specific feeling, another language probably has. These are known as 'untranslatable' words, because they lack an exact equivalent in another language. By discovering and learning these words, the boundaries of our world expand accordingly. These words allow us to give voice to feelings that we've probably experienced, but have previously lacked the ability to conceptualise. They may even allow us to encounter new feelings that we hadn't previously been aware of or enjoyed.This book will introduce you to a wealth of untranslatable words relating to happiness, from languages across the world. Reading it will enrich not just your understanding of happiness, but also the way that you experience it.
The Happiness Formula: A Scientific, Groundbreaking Approach to Happiness and Personal Fulfillment
by Alphonsus ObayuwanaA scientific, groundbreaking approach to happiness and personal fulfillment.In 1979, Dr. Alphonsus Obayuwana was awarded a national research grant and Smith-Kline Medical Perspective Fellowship to develop an instrument for measuring human hope, with the purpose of detecting hopelessness early enough in troubled human individuals so assistance could be offered in time to prevent suicide. The Hope Index Scale (HIS) that resulted from this grant became very popular with Fortune 500 companies and other institutions both in the US and in other countries. This led to the foundation of decades of research that ultimately resulted in this cutting-edge book, The Happiness Formula: Using Science to Understand Personal Satisfaction, Human Hope, and Subjective Well-Being. Unlike other books about happiness, which are too often filled with dos and don&’ts, wishful thinking, and empty aphorisms, The Happiness Formula breaks new ground by introducing a universal unit of measure called the &“Personal Happiness Index&” or PHI. This makes it possible—for the first time ever—to calculate and assign numerical happiness scores to human individuals by plugging their unique hopes, hungers, assets, and aspirations into an equation. Despite its title, The Happiness Formula is much more than a mathematical equation for measuring happiness. It is a book about life; the relationship between human hope and happiness; how to find, measure and boost them; and, most interestingly, how to confirm the happiest country in the world and even help identify the happiest living human, or HLH. It challenges the World Happiness Report of 2023, debunks three major happiness myths, and then introduces the Triple-H Equation—the simple but profound formula about what makes life worth living. This is a book for happiness seekers and happiness advocates everywhere.
The Happiness Illusion: How the media sold us a fairytale
by Luke Hockley Nadi FadinaThe West has never been more affluent yet the use of anti-depressants is on the increase to the extent that the World Health Organisation has declared it a major source of concern. How has this state of affairs come about and what can be done? Television and advertising media seem to know. Wherever we look they offer countless remedies for our current situation - unfortunately none of them seem to work. The Happiness Illusion explores how the metaphorical insights of fairy-tales have been literalised and turned into commodities. In so doing, their ability to educate and entertain has largely been lost. Instead advertising and television sell us products that offer to magically transform the way we look, how we age, where we live –both in the city and the countryside, the possibility of new jobs, and so forth. All of these are supposed to make us happy. But despite the allure of ‘retail therapy’ modern magic has lost its spell. What then are the sources of happiness in our contemporary society? Through a series of fairy-tales The Happiness Illusion: How the media sold us a fairytale looks at topics such as age, gender, marriage and rom-coms, Nordic Noir and the representations of therapy on television. In doing so it explores alternative ways to relate to the world in a symbolic and less literal manner – it suggests that happiness comes by making sure we don’t fall under the spell of the illusionary promises of contemporary television and advertising. Instead, happiness comes from being ourselves – warts and all. This book will be of interest to Jungian academics, film, media and cultural studies academics, social psychologists and their students, as well as reaching out to those interested in fairy-tale studies, psychotherapists and educated cinema goers. Luke Hockley PhD, is Research Professor of Media Analysis, at the University of Bedfordshire, UK. He is a practicing psychotherapist and is registered with the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP). Luke is joint Editor in Chief of the International Journal of Jungian Studies (IJJS) and a member of the Advisory Board for the journal Spring and lectures widely. www.lukehockley.com Nadi Fadina is a media entrepreneur and a managing partner in an international film fund. She is involved in a variety of arts and media related projects, both in profit and non-profit spheres. She teaches Film Business in the University of Bedfordshire, however, her academic interests outreach spheres of business and cover ideology, Russian fairytales, sexuality, politics, anthropology, and cinema. www. nadi-fadina.com
The Happiness Makeover: Overcome Stress and Negativity to Become a Hopeful, Happy Person
by M. J. RyanBecome a Happy Person Through Positivity and Self-Care“A wonderful blend of motivation, inspiration, and explanation, The Happiness Makeover is a recipe for enjoying today and all your tomorrows.” —David Niven, PhD, author of The 100 Simple Secrets of Happy PeopleFrom M.J. Ryan, one of the creators of the New York Times bestselling Random Acts of Kindness series, The Happiness Makeover teaches you how to be a happy person and enjoy the experience of life again.Train your brain to be optimistic, even in the darkest situations. From stress management tips to positive and motivational quotes, M.J. Ryan’s positivity book shows you how to transform your mindset so that you can face any difficult challenge thrown your way.We all want the things that we are sure will make us a happy person —money, success, independence, and love. But when we finally get them, we can find to our surprise that we are the same miserable, moody, or unhappy person we always were. Do things have to be that way? Absolutely not!Cultivating the ability to feel contentment is the key. There are people whose lives are full of serious challenges who nevertheless feel peace and joy —and there are those who have few difficulties in life and yet feel hopeless negativity. You can teach yourself to be a happy person and enjoy your days. M.J. Ryan, the bestselling author of The Power of Patience and Attitudes of Gratitude, shows you how in this positive thinking guide. The Happiness Makeover gives you a plan that can help you:Clear away happiness hindrances like worry, fear, envy, and grudgesDiscover happiness boosters with gratitude and hopeRewire your brain to experience joyLearn to think optimistically and be a happy personIf you enjoyed optimism books and positivity books like A Year of Positive Thinking, The Happiness Trap, or Habits of a Happy Brain, then you’ll love The Happiness Makeover.
The Happiness Makeover: Teach Yourself to Enjoy Every Day
by M. J. RyanTrain your brain to be more optimistic: &“This book is like happy electricity—connecting us all to our joy, which we continually forget how to access.&”—SARK, author/artist of Make Your Creative Dreams Real We all want the things that we&’re sure will make us happy—money, success, independence, love. But when we finally get them, we can find to our surprise that we are the same miserable, moody, or just neutral people we always were. Is that just the way things are? Luckily, no! There are people whose lives are full of serious challenges but who nevertheless feel peace and joy—and there are those who have few difficulties in life and yet feel hopeless. Cultivating the ability to feel contentment is the key. We can teach ourselves to be happy and enjoy every day, and M.J. Ryan, bestselling author of The Power of Patience and Attitudes of Gratitude, shows us how. The Happiness Makeover presents a plan that can help you: · clear away happiness hindrances like worry, fear, envy, and grudges · discover happiness boosters · rewire your brain to experience contentment—even joy · learn to think optimistically (It really is possible!)
The Happiness Myth: Why What We Think Is Right Is Wrong
by Jennifer Hecht“Among the raft of happiness books published lately, this one is the obvious standout. I suggest climbing aboard.” —Cleveland Plain DealerIn this “eclectic and entertaining” book (Publishers Weekly), Jennifer Michael Hecht explodes myths both ancient and modern about how to be happy—liberating us from the message that there’s only one way to care for our hearts, minds, and bodies. The result is “a provocative, well-researched cultural history that will certainly make readers rethink their assumptions about what constitutes happiness” (Library Journal).“Hecht’s curiosity ranges widely, and the breadth of her learning is impressive . . . Fresh and daring analysis.” —The Washington Post“Deep and thoughtful.” —Scientific American“Exposing the half-baked fads of the present by illuminating the even less baked ones of the past can be a lot of fun, and Hecht, a historian and poet, entertains us with some classics.” —The New York Times“A pleasure not only to read but also to ponder.” —Booklist
The Happiness Problem: Expecting Better in an Uncertain World
by Sam Wren-LewisWe appear to have more control over our lives than ever before. If we could get things right – the perfect job, relationship, family, body and mind – then we’d be happy. With enough economic growth and technological innovation, we could cure all societal ills. The Happiness Problem shows that this way of thinking is too simplistic and can even be harmful: no matter how much progress we make, we will still be vulnerable to disappointment, loss and suffering. The things we do to make ourselves happy are merely the tip of the iceberg. Sam Wren-Lewis offers an alternative process that acknowledges insecurity and embraces uncertainty. Drawing on our psychological capacities for curiosity and compassion, he proposes that we can connect with, and gain a deeper understanding of, the personal and social challenges that define our time
The Happiness Project, Tenth Anniversary Edition: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun
by Gretchen Rubin#1 New York Times Bestseller“An enlightening, laugh-aloud read. . . . Filled with open, honest glimpses into [Rubin’s] real life, woven together with constant doses of humor.”—Christian Science MonitorGretchen Rubin’s year-long experiment to discover how to create true happiness. Drawing on cutting-edge science, classical philosophy, and real-world examples, Rubin delivers an engaging, eminently relatable chronicle of transformation. This special 10th Anniversary edition features a Conversation with Gretchen Rubin, Happiness Project Stories, a guide to creating your own happiness project, a list of dozens of free resources, and more.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.In this lively and compelling account—now updated with new material by the author—Rubin chronicles her adventures during the twelve months she spent test-driving the wisdom of the ages, current scientific research, and lessons from popular culture about how to be happier. Among other things, she found that novelty and challenge are powerful sources of happiness; that money can help buy happiness, when spent wisely; that outer order contributes to inner calm; and that the very smallest of changes can make the biggest difference.This updated edition includes:An extensive new interview with the authorStories of other people’s life-changing happiness projectsA resource guide to the dozens of free resources created for readersThe Happiness Project ManifestoAn excerpt from Rubin’s bestselling book The Four Tendencies: The Indispensable Personality Profiles that Reveal How to Make Your Life Better (and Other People’s Lives Better, Too)
The Happiness Revolution: A Manifesto for Living Your Best Life
by Andy Cope Paul McGeeA new book by two of the biggest powerhouses in positive psychology and personal development – Dr Andy Cope and Professor Paul McGee Happiness. We chase it, we crave it…it’s so in demand… yet so scarce and fleeting. But here’s the good news. In The Happiness Revolution: A Manifesto For Living Your Best Life, bestselling authors Dr Andy Cope and Professor Paul McGee deliver a page-turning self-help book of the times, for the times. As the world wakes up to a new kind of normal, The Happiness Revolution challenges readers to sign up to an uprising of wellbeing and to making the most of the privilege of being on this planet. The book outlines a 10-point Happiness Manifesto. Grounded in the science of human flourishing and the reality of life, the principles are simple, do-able and above all make a difference not only to yourself but to others too. Let the fight back to mental wealth start right here. Welcome to global domination of the happiness kind! Discover: How to regain your sanity, clarity, and wellbeing, even when your smartphone, kids, spouse, job, and possessions seem to be conspiring to keep you from doing just that. Why it can be so hard to maintain a happy outlook when the outside world has never been so fast, complex, and unpredictable. How to be at your best in a world that is doing its worst. Happiness is the #1 thing you want for yourself and your family. The Happiness Revolution is an indispensable guide for everyone trying to live their best life and to spread some happiness whilst doing so. Rise Up and Be Happy! Vive la revolution!
The Happiness Riddle and the Quest for a Good Life
by Mark CieslikThis book examines the meaning of happiness in Britain today, and observes that although we face challenges such as austerity, climate change and disenchantment with politics, we continue to be interested in happiness and living well. The author illustrates how happiness is a far more contested, social process than is often portrayed by economists and psychologists, and takes issue with sociologists who often regard wellbeing and the happiness industry with suspicion, whilst neglecting one of the key features of being human – the quest for a good life. Exploring themes that question what it means to be happy and live a good life in Britain today, such as the challenges young people face making their way through education and into their first jobs; work life-balance; mid-life crises; and old age, the book presents nineteen life stories that call for a far more critical and ambitious approach to happiness research that marries the radicalism of sociology, with recent advances in psychology and economics. This book will appeal to students and academics interested in wellbeing, happiness and quality of life and also those researching areas such as the life course, work-life balance, biographies, aging and youth studies.
The Happiness Trap 2nd Edition: Stop Struggling, Start Living
by Russ HarrisTHE MILLION-COPY BESTSELLERDo you ever feel worried, miserable or unfulfilled - yet put on a happy face and pretend everything's fine? You are not alone. Stress, anxiety, depression and low self-esteem are all around. Research suggests that many of us get caught in a psychological trap, a vicious circle in which the more we strive for happiness, the more it eludes us.Fortunately, there is a way to escape from the 'Happiness Trap' in this updated and expanded second edition which unlocks the secrets to a truly fulfilling life. This empowering book presents the insights and techniques of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), covering more topics and providing more practical tools than ever before. Learn how to clarify your values, develop self-compassion and find true satisfaction with this bigger and better guide to:· Reducing stress and worry· Handling painful thoughts and feelings more effectively· Breaking self-defeating habits· Overcoming insecurity and self-doubt· Building better relationships· Improving performance and finding fulfilment at workThe Happiness Trap is for everyone. Whether you're lacking confidence, facing illness, coping with loss, working in a high-stress job, or suffering from anxiety or depression, this book will show you how to build authentic happiness, from the inside out.
The Happiness Trap: A Guide to ACT
by Steven Hayes Russ HarrisAre you, like milllions of Americans, caught in the happiness trap? Russ Harris explains that the way most of us go about trying to find happiness ends up making us miserable, driving the epidemics of stress, anxiety, and depression. This empowering book presents the insights and techniques of ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) a revolutionary new psychotherapy based on cutting-edge research in behavioral psychology. By clarifying your values and developing mindfulness (a technique for living fully in the present moment), ACT helps you escape the happiness trap and find true satisfaction in life. The techniques presented in The Happiness Trap will help readers to: * Reduce stress and worry * Handle painful feelings and thoughts more effectively * Break self-defeating habits * Overcome insecurity and self-doubt * Create a rich, full, and meaningful life
The Happiness Trap: How to Stop Struggling and Start Living (Second Edition)
by Russ HarrisBuild a more satisfying and meaningful life with this best-selling guide to freeing yourself from depression, anxiety, and insecurity through Acceptance and Commitment TherapyAre you, like millions of Americans, caught in the happiness trap? Russ Harris explains that the way most of us go about trying to find happiness ends up making us miserable, driving the epidemics of stress, anxiety, and depression. This empowering book presents the insights and techniques of ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) a revolutionary new psychotherapy based on cutting-edge research in behavioral psychology. By clarifying your values and developing mindfulness (a technique for living fully in the present moment), ACT helps you escape the happiness trap and find true satisfaction in life.The techniques presented in The Happiness Trap will help readers to: • Reduce stress and worry • Handle painful feelings and thoughts more effectively • Break self-defeating habits • Overcome insecurity and self-doubt • Create a rich, full, and meaningful life&“ . . . a powerful beacon showing us another way forward.&” —Steven Hayes, PhD, author of Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life
The Happiness Trap: Stop Struggling, Start Living
by Russ HarrisTHE MILLION COPY BESTSELLERDo you ever feel worried, miserable or unfulfilled - yet put on a happy face and pretend everything's fine? You are not alone. Stress, anxiety, depression and low self-esteem are all around. Research suggests that many of us get caught in a psychological trap, a vicious circle in which the more we strive for happiness, the more it eludes us.Fortunately, there is a way to escape from the 'Happiness Trap', a ground-breaking new approach based on mindfulness skills. Using the six principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Russ Harris can help you to:· Reduce stress and worry· Rise above fear, doubt and insecurity· Handle painful thoughts and feelings more effectively· Break self-defeating habits· Improve performance and find fulfilment in your work· Build more satisfying relationships· Create a richer and more meaningful life
The Happiness of Pursuit: What Neuroscience Can Teach Us About the Good Life
by Shimon EdelmanWhen fishing for happiness, catch and release. Remember these seven words-they are the keys to being happy. So says Shimon Edelman, an expert on psychology and the mind. In The Happiness of Pursuit, Edelman offers a fundamental understanding of pleasure and joy via the brain. Using the concept of the mind as a computing device, he unpacks how the human brain is highly active, involved in patterned networks, and constantly learning from experience. As our brains predict the future through pursuit of experience, we are rewarded both in real time and in the long run. Essentially, as Edelman discovers, it’s the journey, rather than the destination, that matters. The idea that cognition is computation-the brain is a machine-is nothing new of course. But, as Edelman argues, the mind is actually a bundle of ongoing computations, essentially, the brain being one of many possible substrates that can support them. Edelman makes the case for these claims by constructing a conceptual toolbox that offers readers a glimpse of the computations underlying the mind’s faculties: perception, motivation and emotions, action, memory, thinking, social cognition, learning and language. It is this collection of tools that enables us to discover how and why happiness happens. An informative, accessible, and witty tour of the mind, The Happiness of Pursuit offers insights to a thorough understanding of what minds are, how they relate to each other and to the world, and how we can make the best of it all.
The Happy Depressive: In Pursuit of Personal and Political Happiness
by Alastair CampbellAre you happy? Does it matter?Increasingly, governments seem to think so. As the UK government conducts its first happiness survey, Alastair Campbell looks at happiness as a political as well as a personal issue; what it should mean to us, what it means to him. Taking in economic and political theories, he questions how happiness can survive in a grossly negative media culture, and how it could inform social policy. But happiness is also deeply personal. Campbell, who suffers from depression, looks in the mirror and finds a bittersweet reflection, a life divided between the bad and not-so-bad days, where the highest achievements in his professional life could leave him numb, and he can somehow look back on a catastrophic breakdown twenty-five years ago as the best thing that happened to him. He writes too of what he has learned from the recent death of his best friend, further informing his view that the pursuit of happiness is a long game.Originally published as part of the Brain Shots series, the pre-eminent source for high-quality, short-form digital non-fiction.
The Happy Introvert: A Wild and Crazy Guide to Celebrating Your True Self
by Elizabeth WageleBE YOURSELFBE INTROVERTEDBE HAPPYAll your life you've heard the myths . . . Introverts are depressed and lonely. Introverts wish they were more outgoing. Introverts lack self-confidence.These stereotypes about introverts have been propagated by the people who do all the loud talking-the extroverts. To counter these (and many more) common misconceptions, author Elizabeth Wagele, a self-proclaimed introvert, offers a book that delivers the truth: The Happy Introvert.This compassionate guide explores the rich inner world you as an introvert enjoy. The insightful advice-presented in a fun format of provocative quizzes wacky cartoons and inspiring quotes-will help you better appreciate your uniqueness.With The Happy Introvert, you'll learn to navigate the extroverted world without compromising your creative, independent self.
The Happy Life
by David MaloufBy Australia's greatest contemporary author, an elegant, succinct meditation on what makes for a happy life. ;-)"Happiness surely is among the simplest of human emotions and the most spontaneous," says David Malouf. But what exactly are we looking for when we chase happiness? At this particular moment in history, privileged, industrialized nations have lessened much of what makes us unhappy: widespread poverty, illness, famine. Yet we are still unfulfilled, turning increasingly to yoga, church, Match.com, drugs, clinical therapy and retail therapy. What is at the root of our collective stress, and how can we find our way to contentment? Drawing on mythology, philosophy, art and literature, Malouf traces our conception of happiness throughout history, distilling centuries of thought into a lucid narrative. He discusses the creation myths of ancient Greece and the philosophical schools of Athens, analyzes Thomas Jefferson's revolutionary declaration that "the pursuit of happiness" is a right, explores the celebration of sensual delight in Rembrandt and Rubens and offers a perceptive take on a modern society growing larger and more impersonal. With wisdom and insight, Malouf investigates that simplest, most spontaneous of feelings and urges us to do the same.
The Happy Manifesto
by Henry StewartImagine a workplace where people are energized and motivated by being in control of the work they do. Imagine they are trusted and given freedom, within clear guidelines, to decide how to achieve their results. Imagine they are able to get the life balance they want. Imagine they are valued according to the work they do, rather than the number of hours they spend at their desk.Wouldn't you want to work there? Wouldn't it also be the place that would enable you to work at your best and most productive? The Happy Manifesto is a guide to anyone wanting to improve their workplace. Learn how you too could change your work environment for the better.
The Happy Mind: Cognitive Contributions to Well-Being
by Michael D. Robinson Michael EidThis edited volume focuses on different views of happiness and well-being, considering constructs like meaning and spirituality in addition to the more standard constructs of positive emotion and life satisfaction. A premise of the volume is that being happy consists of more than having the right things happen to us; it also depends on how we interpret those events as well as what we are trying to achieve. Such considerations suggest that cognitive-emotional factors should play a fairly pronounced role in how happy we are. The present volume pursues these themes in the context of 25 chapters organized into 5 sections. The first section centers on cognitive variables such as attention and executive function, in addition to mindfulness. The second section considers important sources of positive cognition such as savoring and optimism and the third section focuses on self-regulatory contributions to well-being. Finally, social processes are covered in a fourth section and meaning-related processes are covered in the fifth. What results is a rich and diverse volume centering on the ways in which our minds can help or hinder our aspirations for happiness.
The Hardest Peace
by Kara TippettsKara Tippetts knows the ordinary days of mothering four kids, the joy of watching her children grow ... and the devestating reality of stage-four cancer. In The Hardest Peace, Kara doesn't offer answers for when living is hard, but she asks us to join her in moving away from fear and control and toward peace and grace. Most of all, she draws us back to the God who is with us, in the mundane and the suffering, and who shapes even our pain into beauty.