what it meant to be "happy"?
something like fifteen academic definitions, so I embraced the
broadness of the term. My focus was on whether something's
going to make me feel happier, and I didn't worry too much about
what the word `happiness' means. I didn't find it a useful thing
to ponder.
most influential?
inspirational because he was super-practical.
From his autobiography, I got the idea of
doing resolution charts. I consider my spiritual
master Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. She was
about the every day and wasn't a flashy saint.
She's a good person to think about when
thinking about ordinary routines. She shows
heroic virtue through every day actions. The
third person, Samuel Johnson, was a crazy
brilliant eccentric lexicographer. Trough
studying him, I feel I learn the most
about myself.
just be for me. My favorite thing in the world
is to research. All of my books allow me to do
research; I know I was deep into the research
when I made the decision.
come out as I went in. From the outside, life
looks exactly the same, so it's striking how
much it's changed. I am writing another book
about happiness and keeping a blog that
touches upon every subject of life, so both of
those help guide me to living a happier life.
In terms of the book, as a writer who loves all
the books I've written, to see it's resonated
with such a large number of people is very
rewarding. I was able to connect with my
audience in a satisfying way.
combat this?
a huge difference. Things look better in the morning, so sometimes
I will go to sleep early. I will reach out to family or friend. I will
kiss more, hug more, and touch more. I will read children's books
and give myself a treat or a break. I have become obsessed with
the smell of hay. It's beautiful and I decided to save it, so when I
am feeling blue I will smell and enjoy it. A lot of times you can