Happiness Happens

Posted on August 2, 2010 by Heather Dearly

“Happiness Happens Month is observed in August to remind people that despite global and personal chaos, happiness still happens. There are two purposes of the month; recognize and express happiness and don’t rain on other people’s parades.”

-Weslaco Public Library

I have a confession: I’ve been struggling with the concept of happiness as of late. My life, like many others in this fragile economy, has become difficult to manage, and maintaining a positive outlook feels borderline masochistic most days.

I am seriously tired of feeling this way.

So, for the month of August, I propose to find the happy and embrace it—or strangle it into submission. I will search for the bright shiny everywhere it hides as if I were a licensed happiness detective.

My first place to investigate will be the local library and I invite all of you to join me. And please do drop by this month and spread the joy by sharing which books promote happiness for you.

We Heart Our February Top Picks!

Posted on February 1, 2010 by Malena Lott

It’s February, the month of LOVE so all week we’ll be celebrating our love of books and love of life. We’ll be doing our first-ever FREE workshop series on happiness that you can follow along with on our Facebook group and we’re discussing finding your fire, marriage and authenticity thanks to our top picks! See why they were selected in this month’s video.

Becoming Enlightened

Posted on February 23, 2009 by malenalott

Becoming Enlightened by His Holiness the Dalai Lama

First line: “We have arrived in the twenty-first century, a time of considerable material progress largely based on technological advances spurred on by a flurry of scientific discoveries.”

Becoming Enlightened aims to answer the age-old questions: How can we live free from suffering? How can we achieve lasting happiness and peace? Fortunately for the reader, the narrative is easy to read and digest, though the “practicing” part of it might be a bit of a challenge. The book is a nice blend of history, dogma and anecdotes. Personally, I’ve been drawn to Buddhism (and Eastern religions) because the stories and anecdotes, which are thousands of years old, can still easily be applied to situations we encounter today.

The book is meant for people of all faiths who can receive the wisdom, guidance and inspiration for their own spiritual path. On page 7 regarding comparing religions, HH says, “People need a system that fits them.” And this bit of logic, “According to an Old Tibetan saying, we must value the person of a religions teacher but investigate the teaching.” I don’t know about you, but that’s mighty different than, “don’t question, just believe,” which is what I grew up with. (Brings to mind this year’s Oscar-nominated film DOUBT.)

For me, the book is better than most self-help books. (Isn’t that what spirituality’s primary goal should be? Help us all collectively lead better lives?) What I’ve always admired about Buddhism is the focus on the mind – clearing the mind – both in meditation and how to control your thoughts, getting rid of the junk. I think there’s a lot of psychology there. If you read A NEW EARTH by Eckhart Tolle and are a fan of Deepak Chopra, you’ll find several of the same themes and teachings in this book. If any of these words resonate with you, you’ll get a lot from the book: meditation, love, peace, altruism, courage.

For: Spiritual seekers and anyone wishing to learn more about enlightenment. - Malena Lott

Buy it at Amazon.

More Notes from the Universe

Posted on June 13, 2008 by malenalott

More Notes from the Universe by Mike Dooley

First line: ”So-o-o-o-o-o-…How’s it going down on earth?”

Dooley-as-Universe (aka God) speaks to us in a playful, uplifting manner that, well, we might expect from a kind doting-dad sort of God figure. These mostly one-paragraph, one-pagers are little reminders about being who you are, loving yourself, not beating yourself up (or others) and reaching for the stars, because, according to the Universe, it’s yours for the taking. Dooley was featured in The Secret, and if you’ll remember the premise of that worldwide bestseller, it was basically, ask and you shall receive. Whether or not you believe in the “secret”, these humorous notes from beyond do wonders for the spirit. Most of them sound like messages my grandmother who raised me would have said. I think we all need more positive post-its, don’t you?

For: Feel good advice on days you do and you don’t really need that extra nudge. – Malena Lott

Buy it at Amazon.

Whatever Makes You Happy

Posted on May 30, 2008 by malenalott

Whatever Makes You Happy, Lisa Grunwald

First Line: “When I was ten years old, my friends and I would sneak out at night and meet in our building’s service courtyard to play spy games and exchange secrets.”

Grunwald stirred the story pot with flavorful historical facts about happiness – the advertising, famous quotes and ludicrous things people do believing it will make them happy. I found the non-fic portions more interesting than the novel itself until I began to care about the mostly unsympathetic heroine. She’s sent on a slippery slope to happiness, but do you think in the end, she’ll get or deserve it?

For: Anyone whose ever bought into the idea that happiness is the elixer to a good life. –Malena Lott

Buy it at Amazon.