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Start your free trialBlink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
A Simple Guide to Living a Happier Life Starting Today
The Happy Mind by Kevin Horsley and Louis Fourie explores the science of happiness and teaches readers practical ways to cultivate joy in their lives. It offers insights and tools to help readers shift their mindset towards positivity and develop healthy habits for a happy mind.
If someone asked you to define happiness, what would you say? Most of us assume we know what happiness is, but, if we stop to think about it, the concept becomes fuzzy. Let’s take a closer look to see if we can pin down what it is, as well as what it isn’t.
One common misconception is that happiness depends on external factors, such as material goods or events. People tend to associate happiness with nouns, like cars, vacation destinations and sexual partners, or moments in time that mark a personal or professional triumph.
What all these things have in common is that they provide only temporary moments of pleasure. As a result, people develop the impression that their happiness is tied to other people, or to whether or not a future event will occur.
This isn’t ideal, because, when your happiness is inextricably linked to external factors, you have no control over your happiness in the here and now.
You don’t have to look too hard to see that this arrangement doesn’t bode well for sustainable good cheer. In fact, the more you turn to external sources for happiness, the less happy you’ll be.
For millennia, people have lived under the misguided assumption that they can buy happiness, if only they had enough money. Yet there are numerous studies that show that wealthy people are just as miserable as anyone else.
When the average person sets out to gain money, they do so to buy all the luxury items they associate with the good life: big houses, fancy cars, massive TVs and stereos. But these things don’t just fail to bring lasting happiness, they also end up putting people into debt. The resulting financial pressure can easily send a person spiraling into more anxiety and depression than they had before they bought all their fancy toys.
But money isn’t the only thing people mistake for being a source of happiness – as we’ll see in the next blink.
The Happy Mind (2017) explores the misconceptions and realities surrounding that elusive thing we all long for: happiness. Authors Kevin Horsley and Louis Fourie explain why, despite having centuries of practice, humans still look for happiness in the wrong places and find only unhappiness in the pursuit of material riches. They also provide a practical plan that can help anyone get on the right track for a happy and more fulfilling life.
The Happy Mind by Kevin Horsley and Louis Fourie (2021) is a book that explores practical strategies for cultivating happiness and well-being in our lives. Here's why this book is worth reading:
While trying to find yourself in things, you may end up losing yourself in things. – Eckhart Tolle
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Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Start your free trialBlink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
What is the main message of The Happy Mind?
The main message of The Happy Mind is to cultivate happiness by training our minds and focusing on positive thoughts.
How long does it take to read The Happy Mind?
The reading time for The Happy Mind varies depending on reading speed. However, the Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is The Happy Mind a good book? Is it worth reading?
The Happy Mind is a valuable read for anyone seeking happiness. The book provides practical techniques to improve your mental well-being.
Who is the author of The Happy Mind?
The authors of The Happy Mind are Kevin Horsley and Louis Fourie.