So This Is Happiness

HOT READS FOR THE PRACTIONER

Title: Stumbling on Happiness

Competency: self-development

Who benefits: happy people, unhappy people

Consultant Usage: it will cheer you up — and, oh yeah, may make you more effective

What’s it about?  I just finished reading Stumbling on Happiness. And I am sooooo happy to have stumbled upon this book.    

I consider this a perfect book.  So what makes a perfect book?  Well, of course, you first have to be interested in the topic.   I am. 

This book is about the science of happiness.  It is not a self-help book.  There is not one single “should” in the book.  You don’t have to should on yourself.  The only “should” associated with the book is in this sentence: I think you should read this book.  Which I wrote.

A perfect book must have style and substance.  This book is written in a clear and concise style.  It is filled with witty phrases and worthy analogies.  It entertains while it enlightens.

The author explains a complex subject in terms that even a simple creature like me can understand.  I learned something.  And it was valuable.  If you are at all interested in the topic of “happiness” I recommend it with enthusiasm.

One of the delights of the book was the unexpected gems that seemed to pop up on every page.  I delight in relaying some of those jewels that amused and educated me in the same moment.

I learned a new word: “Prospection” – The act of looking forward in time or considering the future.

I learned we are anticipation machines and what we look forward to are happy events, which creates happiness in the moment.  Daydreams at work can actually make us happy.  It is called “The Joy of Next”. 

I learned about the many uses of the word “happy” and how we misuse the word frequently…and yet still get by.  You might not appreciate the example I picked from the book, but boy the sentence just won’t leave my mind: “After a day spent killing his parents, Frank was happy.”  Not a pretty picture, but the author’s point is, who is to say Frank isn’t happy.  Happiness is not something easily defined nor universally agreed upon.

I loved one of the greatest written sentences of all time: “It is only when your brain predicts badly that you suddenly feel avocado.” 

Why is that sentence great?  Because it shocks us?  (My first thought was “What the Hell?”.)  Because within the paragraph it makes perfect sense.  And the sentence itself illustrates exactly what the author is trying to communicate.  You cannot possibly ask more of a sentence!

Our forefathers promised life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  I am still working on the life and liberty thing; but the pursuit of happiness I now get. 

I respectfully suggest that if you are interested in the topic, you read this book.  You will be happy that you did.

Catch you later.

[tags]happy, happiness, prospection, the joy of next, mind’s eye, daniel gilbert, bill bradley, william bradley,  bradley[/tags]

Bill Bradley

Bill Bradley (mostly) retired after 35 years in organizational consulting, training and management development. During those years he worked internally with seven organizations and trained and consulted externally with more than 90 large and small businesses, government agencies, hospitals and schools.