Seriously HAPPY: 10 life-changing philosophy lessons from Stoicism to Zen to supercharge your mindset

by Ben Aldridge

Overview

Seriously Happy is a highly practical self-help guide exploring 10 life-changing lessons based on teachings of the ancient philosophers. 

YA readers are encouraged to discover how Stoicism can improve your mental resilience; the calming, meditative influence of Zen; the decision-making prowess of Aristotle or the confidence-boosting ideas of the Cynic philosophers.

As a young man, author Ben Aldridge struggled with debilitating anxiety and self-doubt, until he discovered Stoicism and other philosophieswhichhelped him restore balance, peace, and contentment in his life. In this book, Ben shares over 20 practicalchallenges rooted in ancient philosophy that will power upyour focus and confidence, improve your critical thinking, build mental resilience, and embrace happiness. The text is accompanied by gorgeous illustrations by Michelle Brackenborough.

The challenges are based on ancient philosophical ideas – such as 'shame attacking', facing your fears, and appreciating the small things in life – as well as the ancient arts of Tai-Chi, Qi-Gong, and meditation. Seriously Happy shows how to harness the power of ancient philosophies to deal with the real-world stress and anxieties of today.

·         – Learn to master a growth mindset and face your fears with fun tasks and challenges such as ‘the banana walk’, inspired by Cynic philosophers.

·         – Get curious, question everything, and power up your critical thinking like Socrates.

·         – Learn how to make good life choices inspired by Aristotle’sGolden Mean.

·         – Train your mind and embrace discomfort with cold-water therapy or digital fasting like Buddhist teachers.

·         – Increase your mental resilience by keeping a setback diary like the Stoics.

·         – Power up your focus & concentrationwith a walking meditation inspired by Zen philosophy.

·         – Protect your wellbeing by practising Tai Chi and being in nature like the Taoists.

 Be calm, be confident, and be (seriously) happy!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780711297814
Publisher:	Holler
Publication date:	09/03/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	176
File size:	6 MB
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Ben Aldridge is a teacher, author, and speaker on philosophy, comfort zones, mental health, and adventure. He is the author of How to Control the Uncontrollable, How to Be Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable, and the Get Out of Your Comfort Zone Cards. Ben has spoken to audiences around the world, appeared on TV and radio, and has been interviewed on high-profile podcasts. His books have been translated into 6 languages and featured on a variety of best-seller lists.

His message encourages others to build resilience by stepping outside of their comfort zones in a host of different ways. His methods and thinking are inspired by ancient Greek philosophy and modern psychology.

Ben Aldridge is a teacher, author, and speaker on philosophy, comfort zones, mental health, and adventure. He is the author of How to Control the Uncontrollable, How to Be Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable, and the Get Out of Your Comfort Zone Cards. Ben has spoken to audiences around the world, appeared on TV and radio, and has been interviewed on high-profile podcasts. His books have been translated into 6 languages and featured on a variety of best-seller lists. His message encourages others to build resilience by stepping outside of their comfort zones in a host of different ways. His methods and thinking are inspired by ancient Greek philosophy and modern psychology.

Table of Contents

Part 1: Introduction

What is Your “Happy”?

Part 2: The Philosophies

Chapter 1: Power Up Your Focus—The Zen Philosophy

The Challenges

Chapter 2: Become Seriously Confident—The Cynics

The Challenges

Chapter 3: Boost Your Critical Thinking—The Socratic School

The Challenges

Chapter 4: A Workout for Your Well-Being—Taoism

The Challenges

Chapter 5: Supercharge Your Mindset—The Stoics

The Challenges

Chapter 6: Decision Time: Choose Awesome—Aristotle

The Challenges

Chapter 7: Grow Resilience and Bounce Back—Buddhism

The Challenges

Chapter 8: Find (Serious) Happiness!—Epicurus

The Challenges

Chapter 9: Relationship Reset—The Stoics (Again)

The Challenges

Chapter 10: Level Up Your Discipline—A Mix of Ancient Philosophies

The Challenges

Part 3: Conclusion

Think Like a Philosopher

Reading Recommendations

Acknowledgments

Editorial Reviews

…instructive and conveyed in an accessible, conversational style.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“This guide for teenagers has 10 life-changing lessons from ancient philosophies including Stoicism and Zen, and will help with anxiety, mental resilience and confidence.”

—The Bookseller

“…show[s] readers how to be confident, decisive, and resilient.”

—Rachel Werner, Shelf Awareness

“ . . . ultimately strengthen[s] readers’ comfort levels.”

—Angela Leeper, Booklist

From the Publisher

2024-07-19
A self-help guide to happiness that strives to make philosophy relevant to modern teens.

Aldridge mines the lessons of ancient Greek and Asian philosophy for wisdom, describing wisdom that’s focused not on boundless euphoria but on eudaemonia, or “living a good life,” which is achieved through honing resilience and character, embracing balance, and accepting life’s vicissitudes. Along the way, he explores Zen, Cynicism, Socratism, Taoism, Stoicism, Aristotelianism, and Buddhism, showing how these philosophies can help improve critical thinking, well-being, decision-making, resilience, self-discipline, and relationships. Anecdotes explain how these ideas helped Aldridge deal with his own severe anxiety. Each chapter concludes with challenges: for example, the Banana Walk, a therapeutic exercise created by Albert Ellis (who was inspired by Diogenes), which involves walking a banana tied to a piece of string in public as a way of becoming desensitized to fears of judgment. Unfortunately, perhaps due to the impossibility of accurately condensing multiple complex schools of thought in such a short space, the book often oversimplifies philosophical lessons in ways that misrepresent the underlying concepts and promote stereotypes. For example, Taoism feels reduced to spending time in nature, learning to go with the flow, and heeding your gut instinct (a “subtle art that is often neglected in Western culture”). Despite these weaknesses, the book’s overall message—that happiness might best be found in moderation and restraint—is instructive and conveyed in an accessible, conversational style.

A well-intentioned but underwhelming mishmash of philosophical tidbits and stereotypes. (reading recommendations, resources)(Nonfiction. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews