All You Need to Know About
HAPPINESS
HOW TO MAKE HAPPINESS (ALMOST) INEVITABLE
Forget karma — the universe doesn’t care whether good or bad things happen to you. Some aspects of life are within your control, others are not. Focus on what you can change.
In this book, I’ll explain that happiness doesn’t show up on its own — you must build a system that allows you to enjoy the present, smile when you judge the past, and face the future with optimism.
I’ll explain how your brain decides what makes you happy, and how to rewire it to your advantage.
I’ll help you design your day and environment so that the experiences that bring you joy are frequent and repeatable.
You’l learn to manage fear, reframe expectations, and temper emotional reactions.
In the end, happiness will be your default state.
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CONTENTS
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Before we start
Were we happier before?
The happiness map
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What is happiness anyway?
Don't let the truth get in the way of a good story
You feel pleasure in the present, but happiness is a judgment about the past
You interpret the past and future based on the present
Any past — or future — time was better
Stop imagining the future and travel there
A glass of water tastes better in the desert
Value is relative to the alternatives
The micro is lived today, but the macro crystallizes with time
What counts of the experience are some specific moments
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First things first: maximize your energy
Our body is a chemical lab
Understand the sleep cycle
Create a bedtime routine
Stay active
Choose the sport that suits you best
Turn laziness into your ally in the kitchen
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A day off can be a nightmare
Place yourself in a special environment and special things will happen to you
Slow down when you find something interesting
Mix variety and frequency to keep experiences from getting stale
Find your islands of happiness
Enjoy the anticipation
Make your islands of happiness independent of time, place and company
Invest in experiences and enjoy the dividends
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Find something exciting to aspire to
We don't need another hero
Find good problems to solve
Make decisions on behalf of your future self
Be clear about what you want and the price you are willing to pay
Don't postpone your happiness too much
Don't follow your passion, let it find you
Find a passion that matches your personality
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Shit happens
Don't let fear paralyze you
Become antifragile
What's on the other side of fear?
Trust the process
Don't anticipate negative emotions
Takes calculated risks in safe environments
Laugh at your failures
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Lower your expectations to an ambitious but achievable level
Use a reasonable benchmark to measure your success
Measure yourself against your goals, not other people
You don't have the right to be happy
Don't expect success on you first try
Succeed even when you fail
Find the right place and patiently wait for the right time
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Plan your life well and your days will be more memorable, more often
Point your day in the right direction and good things will happen
The universe doesn't give a s#!t about your happiness
“Play the ball as it lies”
You can't control what happens to you, but you can control
how you react
Step 1: don't fight emotions
Step 2: detach yourself from your emotions
Step 3: choose your reaction
Trick your body with your brain, and vice versa
Trick your body with your environment, and vice versa
Be selfish
Appreciate what you have, so you don't crave what you don't
Train yourself to avoid dependence on material things
What if the person you love most dies?..
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Final thought: you are the architect of your happiness
Summary
Other ideas related to happiness that you can find in my other books
References
All the books of this series