Live Happy: Ten Practices for Choosing Joy

by Deborah K. Heisz

Overview

An eye-opening shift of perspective on the secret of authentic happiness: how surprisingly simple, everyday acts lead to lifelong joy and fulfillment, from the experts at Live Happy magazine.

We are all increasingly hungry for soul-deep happiness. All over the globe, from the hallways of Harvard, where the university’s most popular course is a class on positive psychology, to the United Nations’ resolution naming March 20th the International Day of Happiness, the question of how to be authentically happy concerns millions of lives today.

But what if the secret of lasting happiness is actually . . . simple? Now, in Live Happy, the editors of Live Happy magazine, the first lifestyle publication dedicated to the timeless quest to achieve authentic happiness, reveal that true happiness is all about the big impact of small acts of everyday happiness.

Organized around the key components of a happy life, from gratitude to attitude and play to purpose, Live Happy brings together illuminating real-life happiness stories, eye-opening examinations on the science of happiness, and simple and inspiring everyday “happy acts” to empower readers to achieve big happiness breakthroughs.

Authentic happiness is within reach—and Live Happy shows readers how they can manifest it not only in their own lives but also make a positive and lasting difference in the world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062442307
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	06/11/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	297
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Deborah K. Heisz is the cofounder, COO, and editorial director of Live Happy magazine and former founding editor-in-chief of Success magazine. She lives in Dallas, Texas, with her spouse, three children, and their dogs.

Table of Contents

Foreword ix

Introduction 1

The Truth About Happiness 7

Attitude

Discovering and Achieving Dreams Mary Miller 22

Saying Yes to Life Jason Mraz 26

Taking Note of the Good Susan Bender Phelps 29

Cooking forward Hoda Kotb 33

The Science Behind the Wisdom of a Positive Attitude 37

Get Happy! 45

Connection

When Happiness Experts Fall in Love Shawn Achor Michelle Gielan 51

More to Love Gary Vicki Flenniken 55

Happy at Work Jenn Lim Tony Hsieh 59

Judy Kirkwood and Gretchen Brant: Friends for Life's Ups and Downs 62

The Science Behind the Wisdom of Positive Relationships 65

Get Happy! 72

Meaning

Performing a Service Alastair Moock 77

Jumping Off the Career Track Kerry Stallo 80

Delivering Cheer Rebecca Weiss 84

Helping Others Succeed Dan Miller 88

The Science Behind the Wisdom of Meaning 92

Get Happy! 96

Creativity

Making Creativity a Priority Ben Hotly Raynes 101

Writing Myself Happy Stephanie Dolgoff 105

Reinventing Himself Billi Kid 109

Finding a New Voice Levon Helm 112

The Science Behind the Wisdom of Creativity 115

Get Happy! 124

Gratitude

Giving with a Thankful Heart Ryan Bell 129

The Healing Power of Gratitude Kristin A. Meekhof 133

Committed to Gratitude Brandon Mancine 136

The Power of Gratitude Joan Lewis 139

The Science Behind the Wisdom of Gratitude 142

Get Happy! 148

Mindfulness

Savoring the Moment Gretchen Rubin 153

Pursuing Happiness Adam Shell 156

On Becoming Mindful Barb Schmidt 159

Ever Mindful Alanis Morissette 163

The Science Behind the Wisdom of Mindfulness 166

Get Happy! 172

Health

A Shift for Good Tory Johnson 177

Everything Can Wait Arianna Huffington 180

One Step at a Time Natalie Wilgoren 183

Ninety-Five Years Young Roy Rowan 187

The Science Behind the Wisdom of Health 191

Get Happy! 196

Resilience

Soldiering On Rhonda Cornum 201

The Beauty of Blindness Sabriye Tenberken 205

Thriving After a Financial Crisis Lauren Mark Greutman 209

Always a Mom Celeste Peterson 213

The Science Behind the Wisdom of Resilience 217

Get Happy! 222

Spirituality

Finding Unconditional Love Mathew Newburger 227

Wishing Others Well Laura Benanti 230

Nature as Her Cathedral Stephanie von Hirschberg 234

A Twist of faith Shane Claiborne 237

The Science Behind the Wisdom of Spirituality 241

Get Happy! 245

Giving Back

Michele Larsen and The Joy Team: Changing Lives by Sharing Messages of Joy 251

The Gift of Giving Kenrick Wagner 255

The Gift of Time Niki Taylor 258

Can Happy Acts Change Me? Monya Williams 261

Helping, Her Way Stacy Kaiser 266

The Science Behind the Wisdom of Giving Back 269

Get Happy! 273

Closing Happy Thoughts 275

Acknowledgements 279

Notes 283

Editorial Reviews

There are two ways to learn how to have more well-being in your life. Read the ‘happiness’ books and do the exercises they prescribe. Or attend to the stories of what happy people actually do and how they live. This is the go-to book for these stories.” — Martin Seligman, Ph.D., director of the Positive Psychology Center and Zellerback Family Professor of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, and author of Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-Being

“An incredibly powerful book! Along with excellent, science-based advice on how to live a happier, more meaningful life are stories that show the science in action—and that made me laugh and cry.” — Michelle Gielan, founder, Institute for Applied Positive Research, and bestselling author of Broadcasting Happiness

“[Deborah K. Heisz’s] book will not only make you smile from deep inside but encourage you to completely transform beyond your wildest dreams.” — Allyson Gracie, Retailing Insight

“A great book to help you turn the quest for happiness into actionable steps. Want to cultivate more happiness and joy in you life? Read this book.” — Drew Ramsey, M.D., Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Columbia University and author of Eat Complete and The Happiness Diet

“This book is thoughtful, practical and powerful. The positive psychology research is placed alongside individuals’ personal journeys to happiness, which were often achieved after great trials or even tragedy.” — Shawn Achor, The New York Times bestselling author of The Happiness Advantage

“With its lively tone and riveting stories, Live Happy’s book makes accessible the profound research being done all over the world on what makes people truly happy. I recommend it highly!” — Tal Ben-Shahar, Ph.D.,co-founder of the Wholebing Institute and HappierTV and author of Choose the Life You Want: The Mindful Way to Happiness

“Full of practical wisdom, sound science and beautiful stories, I can’t think of a better prescription to connect the dots between health and happiness than reading this book.” — Dr. Michael Finkelstein, author of Slow Medicine: Hope and Healing for Chronic Illness

“Here is a well-written and insightful book that puts happiness within our grasp. Live Happy offers the science of happiness as excellent guided practices as well as compelling human stories.” — Fred Luskin, Ph.D., director of the Stanford Forgiveness Project and author of Forgive for Good: A Proven Prescription for Health & Happiness

“If we want to be happy, we have to shift out of the habit of constantly looking for what could go wrong and learn to appreciate what we already have in each moment. In this delightful book, your brain will be bombarded with positivity and inspiration.” — Richard Sears, Ph.D., director, Center for Clinical Mindfulness and Meditation and volunteer associate professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine

“Although I’ve been a student of positive psychology for over a decade, there is so much that is new in this book...that I think it ought to be among the top 10 books anyone has in a happiness library...I can’t recommend the book highly enough.” — Caroline Miller, MAPP, best-selling author of My Name is Caroline and Create Your Best Life: The Ultimate Life List Guide

“Live Happy’s book about choosing joy is the perfect combination of science, heartwarming stories and important, helpful guidance...Live Happy knows how to spread the happiness message!” — Stacy Kaiser, psychotherapist, advice columnist for USA Today and author of How to Be a Grown Up: The Ten Secret Skills Everyone Needs to Know

“What a wonderful read! Every story—we mean EVERY story—is engaging. We read most of it in one night. Kudos to the Live Happy folks for giving people a book they’ll want to come home to!” — Margaret H. Greenberg and Senia Maymin, Ph.D., executive consultants and authors of the bestseller Profit from the Positive: Proven Leadership Strategies to Boost Productivity and Transform Your Business

“In the last 20 years scientists have begun to confirm the wisdom of the ancients: We can become happier, more fulfilled people by introducing a set of practices and habits into our daily lives. Live Happy‘s book makes this wisdom accessible to everyone...” — Lord James O'Shaughnessy, chair of the Steering Committee of the International Positive Education Network (IPEN) and Founder of Floreat Education, United Kingdom

From the Publisher

An incredibly powerful book! Along with excellent, science-based advice on how to live a happier, more meaningful life are stories that show the science in action—and that made me laugh and cry.

Michelle Gielan

[Deborah K. Heisz’s] book will not only make you smile from deep inside but encourage you to completely transform beyond your wildest dreams.

Allyson Gracie

This book is thoughtful, practical and powerful. The positive psychology research is placed alongside individuals’ personal journeys to happiness, which were often achieved after great trials or even tragedy.

Shawn Achor

There are two ways to learn how to have more well-being in your life. Read the ‘happiness’ books and do the exercises they prescribe. Or attend to the stories of what happy people actually do and how they live. This is the go-to book for these stories.

Martin Seligman

Here is a well-written and insightful book that puts happiness within our grasp. Live Happy offers the science of happiness as excellent guided practices as well as compelling human stories.

Fred Luskin

A great book to help you turn the quest for happiness into actionable steps. Want to cultivate more happiness and joy in you life? Read this book.

Drew Ramsey

Full of practical wisdom, sound science and beautiful stories, I can’t think of a better prescription to connect the dots between health and happiness than reading this book.

Dr. Michael Finkelstein

Although I’ve been a student of positive psychology for over a decade, there is so much that is new in this book...that I think it ought to be among the top 10 books anyone has in a happiness library...I can’t recommend the book highly enough.

Caroline Miller

With its lively tone and riveting stories, Live Happy’s book makes accessible the profound research being done all over the world on what makes people truly happy. I recommend it highly!

Tal Ben-Shahar

If we want to be happy, we have to shift out of the habit of constantly looking for what could go wrong and learn to appreciate what we already have in each moment. In this delightful book, your brain will be bombarded with positivity and inspiration.

Richard Sears

In the last 20 years scientists have begun to confirm the wisdom of the ancients: We can become happier, more fulfilled people by introducing a set of practices and habits into our daily lives. Live Happy‘s book makes this wisdom accessible to everyone...

Lord James O'Shaughnessy

Live Happy’s book about choosing joy is the perfect combination of science, heartwarming stories and important, helpful guidance...Live Happy knows how to spread the happiness message!

Stacy Kaiser

What a wonderful read! Every story—we mean EVERY story—is engaging. We read most of it in one night. Kudos to the Live Happy folks for giving people a book they’ll want to come home to!

Margaret H. Greenberg and Senia Maymin

Karen White narrates this clear-headed review of happiness psychology, unfolding her syllables so deliberately that the book’s message seems at first to be weighed down by formality and intensity. But once listeners adapt, White’s otherwise likable performance works well because her vocal character ultimately fits the author, a high-flying former tech executive who now leads a happiness magazine. After a succinct survey of the happiness literature, the author describes 10 practices that can improve our sense of fulfillment and satisfaction with life. Our attitudes, health habits, relationships, spiritual mindset, resilience, and generosity are addressed, and all are subject to our control. The thoroughness of this writing, combined with the author’s obvious dedication to her work, should make LIVE HAPPY a seminal audio in anyone’s personal growth library. T.W. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine

SEPTEMBER 2016 - AudioFile