The How of Happiness

In almost every nation, when asked what they want most in life, people put happiness at the top of their lists. Striving to be happy is a serious, legitimate, and worthy aim. This book is a guide to attain happiness based on scientific research; it is a good reminder of how to be responsible for our own happiness. The aim of the author (which predictably is a woman) is to understand that becoming happier is realizable, that it is in our power, and that it is one of the most vital and significant things that we can do for ourselves and for those around us. The science of happiness is part of a movement called positive psychology, the psychology of what makes life worth living. It is just as important, maybe more, than traditional focus on repairing the weakness and curing pathologies. Now, positive psychology is focusing not only on how to lift people from feeling terrible to feeling good but also on how to elevate them to feeling great. This book is a powerful contribution to the field of positive psychology and a gift to people who have sought to take their happiness into their own hands. It discusses some of the concepts of positive psychology learned in other books, such as:

§  External circumstances (wealth, beauty, etc) do not create to lasting happiness.

§  The secret of happiness is that it lies within us.

§  Happiness can boost energy, creativity, the immune system, productivity, and longevity.

§  Happy people tend to be committed to lifelong goals and ambitions, have enduring and deep social networks, live in the present moment, are comfortable expressing gratitude, and are likely to be spiritual or religious.

§  Even happy people face stress, crises and even tragedies.