Kia Ora everyone,

The long weekend was a welcome break for those of us in Aotearoa – the land of the long white cloud. The air was somehow warm and cool, as sun shone both bright and gentle- and there seemed to be an aura of kindness and mirth as the weekend unfolded. I had a few highlights – one being a walk exploring the mixed terrain of Karangahape gorge; a dinner catches up with my friends and then completing a good read. Of course as I finished the book, I made a note to myself that I will share snippets from what I read….

Rationale : the book is evidence based, the subject resonates close to the ethos of how I do life and work; I share with the intention that the points discussed here will add meaning and wellness to your personal and professional journeys….The authors are the erudite Arthur Brooks in collaboration with the esteemed Oprah Winfrey. Arthur teaches happiness at Harvard; Oprah`s resplendence is a testament – to how she is forever empowering and transforming herself and others to do their best in life.

A snippet of the key concepts

–          Carving a life that is about being happier – as we move through the phases of our lives

–          Being Happier is about knowing ourselves and our emotions truly well

– Accepting that unhappiness is an inherent aspect of our lives and moving forward by embracing emotions and choosing actions that bring us meaning joy, and sense of contentment; We all have aspects of our lives that have some level of unhappiness – the more one accepts the concept the more likely we allow for an increase in our adaptability and willingness in

– Instilling a sense of awareness to our thought processes – how we think – the nature of our thoughts – the thoughts to choose and thoughts to let go

–          Embracing and taking note of the positives

–          Remembering that faith, friends, family and work that serves a purpose are the pillars of life

– Holding on to a belief system or Faith – works like an anchor – allows you to step back and have perspective to things that happen sometimes – that is beyond our control

– Connecting to friends that create the social fabric that paves pathways to meaning and joy – Sharing and looking out for one another – the trick is about looking for real friends who turn up just for you!!

– Navigating with Family – the authors emphasise on the age- old notion we don`t get to choose the family; family also means tricky corners to navigate through conflict; but he says the price of love also is about holding on to those connections… whenever possible of course

–          Building purpose – Work – feeds our lives with meaning – it instils in us a sense of awareness

– Giving thanks to all that is good – celebrating gratitude is about adding to the wellness and “happier” quotient

–          Looking through a lens that goes beyond ourselves with the intention to share, to love, to believe, to belong and to build a Happier Us …

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– So grateful for having read this book and my heart feels a little fuller in being able to share this with you all-💚🙏