Author: Douglas A. Smith
Format: finished copy, ebook
Publisher: White Pine Mountain
Date Published: January 2, 2014
Amazon
Summary (from Goodreads)
In the midst of a successful business career, Doug Smith received life-altering news that set him on an entirely new journey to understand what leads to truly joyful, meaningful living—in other words, what leads to happiness. Through research and study, he began to understand that what the most joyful among us have in common is that they remember the past with peace, anticipate the future with confidence, and live in the present with joy and exuberance. Additionally, he discovered that what gives them this perspective is a set of skills that they consistently, even if subconsciously, practice. He also realized that he is not particularly good at several of these skills. In Happiness: The Art of Living With Peace, Confidence and Joy, the author recounts, with insight and humor, his journey to better understand and practice the skills of happiness with the goal of helping others on their own path to joyful, meaningful living.
Review:
I received this book for free through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
To be quite honest, this isn't the kind of book that I would read on a regular day but it arrived at such an opportune time in my life that I saw it as a gift to just read it. Having just recently found out that I have chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (a blood disorder, although not as deadly), I easily connected with the author's situation. I found myself somehow headed towards an emotional downward spiral that has started to affect my relationships with people.
Dealing with unhappiness has always been a struggle for me, and this book has superbly outlines the things I needed to know about how to be content with what I have. There really is a big difference with having things outlined, the way the author has done so exquisitely, eloquently and personally.
Suffice to say I learned a lot, not just with ways on how to pursue happiness but also in taking care of other aspects of my life. What I love most about the book was the way the skills set were summarized at the end. It is a clear way of understanding and accepting which areas I am immensely lacking at and areas that need a little working with. The sketches also complement the words really well and provide a more personal feel of the book. I can already tell that the book has made a positive impact on my thinking.
Rating: ♚♚♚♚♚
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