Customer Reviews

The Happiness Makeover: How to Teach Yourself to Be Happy and Enjoy Every Day

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This title intrigued me after reading about it in Life Magazine. Ryan is a life coach who says you can teach yourself to look on the brighter side of life. Sure your life may be complicated and sad things happen, but apparently you can train your brain to be more upbeat.
One exercise was to make a list of three good things from each day. Maybe it's just something small, like "I'm glad that I didn't lose my temper when my boss reprimanded me." Maybe it's focusing on the beauty that is around us, like "Seeing the egret fly by was a treat."
Eventually this attitude adjustment will become a routine part of our thinking. Sure can't hurt to try.
I signed up for the daily e-mails (happiness boosters) from this author. They're great and remind you to put into practice what you learned from reading the book.

Despite the affluence of the Western lifestyle, many people aren't happy, and the numbers of unhappy and depressed people is ever increasing. Seemingly we don't know how to live our lives in a satisfied way - how to draw contentment, happiness, maybe even a little joy, from our lives on a daily basis.
This little book has so much wisdom to offer on this topic. It is a true gem drawing from Eastern and Western wisdom traditions, including positive psychology and is a blend of philosophical, spiritual, emotional and practical perspectives.
It contains very readable short chapters, 17 looking at what stands in the way of living happier lives, and then 36 on real, practical ways to improve one's happiness.
These can range from learning to think more optimistically, working out and embracing what your "flow" activities are, practicing gratefulness, finding your "tribe", revelling in life's simple pleasures, and the ultimate wisdom: "what are you waiting for?" The author quotes Lao Tzu - "this is it", our life is now, and happiness is for today, not tomorrow, or when we have some particular set of circumstances in our life that we think we need.
There is page after page of practical wisdom in this little book - and once finished, it can be kept close at hand, to be picked up again and again, to take in something new, or to refresh oneself if need be. There is enough practical wisdom in there to keep a person working joyously on enhancing their life's contentment, happiness and joy for the rest of their life!
There is finally a section containing 22 "instant happiness boosters", and also an excellent bibliography for further reading if desired.
You can also join a mailing list for a "daily happiness booster" - a daily email with an excerpt from one of the chapters - it's a great way to keep refreshed on what you have read and may well be trying to put in place in your daily life.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I have read other books on positive thinking and happiness but somehow this is the book that clicked with me. The author pulls from many different disciplines ( psychology, religion, spirituality, philosophy, science) to illustrate and support her thesis. I think this is why it seems to go beyond the regular "self-help" type book for me. I found myself thinking about the book in various situations throughout the day and was able to really apply the things being said (especially with my children). I think its honest and real. I did not find it sappy or pollyanna like so many books on this topic run the danger of being. I have recommended the book to friends and look forward to reading more of M.J. Ryan's works as this was the first I have read.

I picked this book up at my local library in the "New Books" section. Boy, am I glad I did. I am only halfway through this book, but I have learned SO much about happiness. I have read zillions of self-motivation books, etc over the years, and NONE of them explain the road to happiness like this one. I will purchase this book, because I know that I will want to dog-ear and revisit this book over and over again. Highly recommended!!!

There is nothing new in this book. That doesn't mean it's bad, but all it offers is a simplistic (but helpful) rehash of what you've probably read a thousand times or more. It's sort of a two-step "Eliminate the negative, accent the positive" approach, to paraphrase the old song. Nothing wrong with it. If it helps you, fine, but the book and its little process offer nothing original.

I can't say enough to recommend this book to anyone dissatisfied or uninspired by other self-help books, particularly on depression. Other books focus on the problem and how to survive and maybe, if you're really good, get back to normal. This surprises you with the not-so-obvious to some of us Obvious - there's actually a wide range of happy space beyond normal. It avoids making you wallow in the problem all over again just to solve it, something that's turned me off in the past, despite my desperation to get out of depression.

For reference, I've been suffering with severe depression for the past 2 years, and in the past two months alone have lost my major relationship, daughter, 2 friends, and changed jobs. I picked this book up on a whim and it's been the ONLY book that worked for me. It's written in bite-sized chunks, so you can pick and choose what ideas feel right for you. It's written in an engaging not clinical way. Give it a try!

I love books that change my outlook on life. (For the better). This book does this for me. I read it through first. Now I keep it in my backpack and take it out every day and read one chapter. I have several chapters marked that I review even more often. I am a nurse. I bought extra copies of this book and I have given it to some of my patients and coworkers. This is a great book. If any one else has recommendations of books helps keep a positive outlook on life..... feel free to email me.

Don't believe what all the cynics say, this book is amazing!! I cannot sing its praises enough! As someone who struggled with depression and self-esteem issues for years, I was very skeptical at first. But I can honestly say that this book has significantly helped me on my road to better mental health. I haven't read many other books of its kind because this book has been enough for me. If you seriously take the suggestions of this book to heart and reevaluate your mental processes and views on life, I don't know how you couldn't be happier. I can't tell you how many times I've been feeling down, opened the book up to a random chapter, and almost instantly felt better.

I'm usually a tough customer, but I wish I could buy everyone who's ever meant anything to me a copy of this book! If you have any doubts, just buy the book. It's only $10, but may be the best 10 bucks you've ever spent! A great companion book is Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy Revised and Updated, to help you further identify negative thought patterns. My (unclinical and unauthorized) "prescription" for better mental health is: read The Happiness Makeover, get enough sleep, ditch old religious views or anyone/thing that suffocates or drags you down, and do something every day that brings you joy. I hope someone can benefit from these suggestions as much as I have. Don't give up. You really CAN get rid of the seeds of depression and unhappiness. I never thought it would happen but it did! Whether this is your book or you choose another path, my best wishes go to you in trying to achieve your happiest life. : )

And if you really can't handle things anymore, there is still help, and there is still someone there for you. Just call the HopeLine for free at 1(800)SUICIDE. There is so much happiness that awaits you if you just take the first positive steps to get whatever help you may need, whether it's a book, bravely asking for help from a friend or the HopeLine, contacting a counselor, or something else. Help and hope are there for you.

I'm normally a pretty happy person these days but I remember what it was like to be perpetually miserable. It is no fun crying all the time and being depressed over things you can't change. My trigger was a boyfriend breaking up with me. The truth is it took me a long time to realize that I had to decide to be happy. I finally forced myself to change my thinking patterns. I remember the day I decided to be happy and it was life changing.

This book explains how to do exactly what I did which is to change your attitude and habits. I know the information in this book works because I've lived it. One of the things M. J. Ryan talks about is how you have to start rejecting negative thinking - This is SO important. It actually took the author fifty years to get happy and she has some of the greatest ideas about how you can be happy too.

By following the advice in this book you will think more effectively, get sick less often and fall in love with life. Your goal is "exhilarated contentment." I liked her idea about taking a day off and spending it in bed. It can really rejuvenate you to do this and who feels like being happy when you are worn out? Another thing she mentioned is that people who are more selfish are more unhappy. By doing something small for another human being you can boost your happiness.

After reading this book I started to appreciate the flowers on my deck, enjoyed the scent of rain, really felt the sunshine on my back and realized how lucky I am to have a great conversation with a friend.

As a bonus, this book had a list of 22 instant happiness boosters. You really can't go wrong with this purchase as it will change something significant in your life and you will be better for it. To your happiness!

~The Rebecca Review

the shipping and shopping with amazon is fast and always good. However, the book is just ok. there is nothing new compared to other self help books. I like the book of Richard Carlson better.