Customer Reviews

This Darned Elusive Happiness

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What I love most about this dynamic book is the way in which Theun shifts the focus from a technical approach to the teachings by choosing to place the accent on a fun, simple approach that begins a joyful journey. It has been nearly two years since I attended my first residential course taught by Theun Mares and I am still learning to shift the focus from complexity to simplicity. Well! Acquiring such a skill does not happen overnight, but acquiring such a skill is central to success upon the Path of Knowledge. In fact, it was during the course I attended in South Africa that I first picked up this book, as it was then hot off the press. I decided to buy a copy for my girlfriend back home and asked Theun to sign it. He was happy to do so quietly suggesting that it would be a good book for me too. I quickly fumed under the collar, for didn't he know that I was reading his formal books and that I was too "advanced" for this "simple" book? (What a laugh! Those memories make me chuckle today.) Six months later and after a failed relationship, struggle, heartache and sorrow, I was no closer to finding my own happiness than a snake is to walking. So I decided to read This Darned Elusive Happiness hoping it would shed some light on the concepts I assumed to understand. Welcome to the Ship of Adjustment! In order to board this ship one must first grasp and apply the four terms of Captain Life: (1) Becoming aware of another's state of being, (2) Changing your self-image, (3) Your shortcomings are your ticket to freedom, and (4) Give yourself time. Today, not too long after first setting sail, I find myself living with more awareness, a firmer belief in myself, a little more joy, and it all grows day by day. Keeping it simple was the first step that allowed me to move into this space and is one of the toughest lessons I've learnt. If you're relationships are not working, if your happiness is fleeting, then by all means, keep it simple, stop looking for complexity, shift the focus, and try reading this book! You may be surprised, I was! And if you are studying the Toltec teaching series that Toltec nagal Theun Mares is writing, might I suggest that this book is also for you. I now see a deeper meaning and insight in the formal books that Theun has written based on firmly grasping, and also applying, what I previously assumed to understand. Merry Sailing! and Thank-You Theun!

Are you on that endless search to find a book that will help you find true happiness in your life? I have read many books in search of this, and the answers are here in Theun Mares' "This Darned Elusive Happiness".

While other books are heavy on theory and short on actionable ideas, "This Darned Elusive Happiness" cuts to the chase and puts the information you need right in the palm of your hand. This little volume contains deceptively simple wisdom that our schools and parents forgot to teach us.

The content is likely to challenge your thinking in some areas, and this is exactly what is needed in today's world where the old rules we were taught simply are not working. Has anyone explained to us what it truly means to be Male? To be Female? To relate and cooperate with the people in our lives and the world around us? To manifest true happiness? Bring an open mind and test one of the ideas for yourself in your life to see if it does not make a profound difference.

For those who want more in the way of theory, this book provides a good, high-level overview and entry point into Mares' more detailed writings where he presents theory along with practice.

Want to really get right down to it? Flip straight to Chapter Seven. It contains the ten key rules to enjoying successful relationships. That chapter alone is worth the price of the book.

I like this book which is small and easy to read. Mares focuses particularly on relationships as the key to happiness and gives many techniques to work on relationships and improve them. I especially liked the concept of using others as mirrors to gain insight into our own behaviour in a relationship and thereby generate new choices. These are powerful ideas once I put them into practice and my relationships have improved. For people who have read Castaneda, the text starts to make Toltec principles accessible and useful in a small book which is easy to read.

When it comes to the thorny topic of handling relationships, only the simpleton fails to find the gifts in being simple. Then too, simple does not imply being easy. If you find this book uplifting and want a more challenging read, go on to read the other books by Theun Mares. Then come back and re-read this one. I did; and I found this one to be just as challenging. However, by putting into practice the various techniques, I have found that my relationships have been transformed beyond measure.

I recommend this book to everyone who wants to enrich their life. Although I study his other, more complex and involved books, I still return to this one when I need a dose of reality. It always blows me away when I realize the simplicity of the toltec teachings to freedom, or the simplicity of being happy. It's all about relationships. And like everything else, making relationships work requires skill, which is only achieved through living and learning.

This book offers us some invaluable guidance in learning how to live a fulfilled and happy life.

This book is just a very watered down version of his three excellent books, Return of the Warriors, Cry of the Eagle, and Mists of Dragon Lore. It seems as if it was written as mass consumption fluff. If you want to get down to business, check out his other three books.

The content was very fast to read. Didn't care for the paper it was printed on. Made letters look fuzzy with the cotton content. Maybe I've read too many self-help books about relationships and life, but I was disappointed with this work. I have read the previous writings (highly recommend) and couldn't wait to read this book, but unfortunately, it didn't resemble previous works.

I am nor sure what this book is trying to do, it is quite flimsy on philosophy and has its premise that happiness is elusive(?), but doesn't get to grips with telling the reader why the author believes this. And this to my mind would be the first place to make a bold statement.Nor does the book tie in well with his other books which one might agree with or disagree with, but at least the sentiments in those books are expressed strongly .

This book may be a beginners intro to certain toltec teachings.Useful in places but very light read.