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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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?..

  • 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