Happiness... and more ...

WHATEVER YOU DO, BE HAPPY by Julia Dellitt suggests “400 Things to Think & Do for a Happy Life.” This could be a fun book to give as a graduation gift or even to give to anyone who is feeling a bit down due to being confined during the pandemic. Its bright, sunny cover reflects the upbeat tone within. Each of the simple, manageable activities is written in bold and followed by a few sentences to help motivate the reader. Many of the ideas are ones which we probably already know (go for a walk or reduce clutter), but it’s still nice to have them grouped together and 400 works out to trying at least one a day for a full year.  Looking for a few examples? How about playing some happy music, complimenting a stranger, or rolling your shoulders? Dellitt also mentions getting enough sleep and visiting the library.  She includes many quotes that deal with happiness and offers somewhat longer profiles for tasks like building confidence with body language or turning off your phone. Unfortunately, there are few images, but we could find some and may look to these ideas as inspiration for displays at school, too. Have fun with WHATEVER YOU DO, BE HAPPY and remember to smile (and laugh)!

WHY BE HAPPY? by Scott Haas is all about the Japanese Way of Acceptance and a different way of seeing things. Do you know those people who make us feel calm and less stressed? Who help us to roll with uncertainty and challenges? This book contains many of their values – listening more than talking, appreciating rituals, being a part of a community, and even finding time for taking naps.  Haas argues in the first chapter that “in Japan, happiness isn’t a private experience. And happiness isn’t really a goal. Acceptance is the goal. … The individualism we prize in the West is supplemented by an awareness that life’s greatest pleasures come from satisfying others.” Hass uses numerous examples from his own travels and business dealings in Japan to clarify his point that “it’s not about you. It’s about you in relationship to others and your surroundings.” Haas is a clinical psychologist and includes description of many Japanese terms (like ikigai) and concepts as well as footnotes, but his work is not overly scholarly or jargon-filled. In fact, WHY BE HAPPY? is under 300 pages and offers a relatively quick read at first - with much to contemplate.