Practical Happiness: Four Principles to Improve Your Life

by Pamela Gail Johnson

Learn how to think differently about your happiness with a philosophy for creating a realistic yet joyful life.

People think happiness is a singular feeling, but it isn’t. The real way to feel happier is to expand your definition of happiness and manage your Happiness Zappers.

Pamela Gail Johnson, founder of the Society of Happy People, identified the four practical happiness principles that have helped thousands of people shift their mindsets so they naturally notice more happiness, whether it feels sparse, abundant, or somewhere in between. Pamela shares real stories from real people who put the four practical happiness principles into action. With thought-provoking workbook-style questions, you can immediately apply these principles to your life. You’ll

• How happiness is unique to you and your circumstances

• How to manage common experiences that zap your happiness

• How happiness changes

• Thirty-One Types of Happiness

If you’re tired of positive thinking, to-do lists, or science-based books about happiness, you’ll love the simple and realistic approach Practical Happiness takes for you to improve your life. It should come with a warning label— You will feel happier.

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 4, 2022

About the author

Pamela Gail Johnson founded the Society of Happy People in 1998 to provide a missing voice for those who are happy and want to express it without other people raining on their parades.

Pamela is the author of Practical Happiness: Four Principles to Improve Your Life, The Society of Happy People's Thirty-One Types of Happiness Guide, and Don’t Even Think of Raining on My Parade: Adventures of the Secret Society of Happy People. She also writes SOHP Weekly.

Pamela is the Practical Happiness Advocate and helps organizations that struggle with employee engagement, burnout, and retention.

Contact her at pamelagailjohnson.com or sohp.com.

Reviews

[knygugriauzike_gabriele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Knygos autorė Pamela Gail Johnson - laimingų žmonių draugijos, veikiančios nuo 1998 metų, įkūrėja. Susitikimuose Pamela išgirdo daugybę grupės narių, išgyvenusių kritines situacijas, istorijų: asmenys papasakojo, kaip sunkiausiais momentais stengėsi išlikti stiprūs ir išsaugoti laimės pojūtį. Šioje knygoje Pamela įvardija keturis praktinės laimės principus, kuriais pasinaudoti turėtume kiekvienas iš mūsų.

Kas yra tikroji laimė? Diskusinis klausimas. Atsakydami į jį, žmonės neabejotinai pasidalytų į skirtingas grupes. Vieni teigtų, kad laimė yra susijusi su stipria sveikata, mylimų žmonių buvimu šalia, nuotykiais, dvasine pilnatve ir kitais nematerialiais dalykais. Kiti pastariesiems oponuotų, kadangi jiems laimė asocijuotųsi su prašmatniais daiktais, pinigais ir galimybe leisti sau viską, ko geidžia širdis. Ar iš tiesų antroji grupė žmonių yra teisūs? Išdidžiai norėtume sakyti, kad ne, bet, pripažinkime, patys to nepajausdami, tampame urbanizuoto sociumo aukomis ir prioritetą teikiame materialiniams malonumams. Deja, nebevertiname paprastų, kasdienių gyvenimo džiaugsmų. Nepaisant to, tiek viena, tiek kita grupė sutiks, kad laimė nėra pastovi, ji neretai sudrumsčiama.

Gyvename geriausiais (moderniais, išmaniais), bet tuo pačiu sudėtingiausiais laikais. Įtemptas bei greitas gyvenimo ritmas, įvairūs kataklizmai, psichologiniai, fiziniai sunkumai - neatskiriamos gyvenimo dalys. Bandymas savo laimę ir sėkmę lyginti su kitų žmonių - dar labiau apsunkina asmens galimybę pasijusti laimingam, kadangi visada atrodo, kad mūsų laimė yra nieko verta, lyginant su kitų, kurie, pavyzdžiui, gyvenime daugiau pasiekę. Būtent pastarosios temos analizuojamos ir knygoje „Laimės praktika“. Aiškinamasi, kokie yra laimės komponentai, kas yra konkurencingoji, o kas - asmeninė laimė, ir kaip ją veikia šie veiksniai: nelaimė, stresas, baimė, chaosas, dirgikliai, branda. Kiekvienas veiksnys formuoja savaip mūsų pasaulėžiūrą, nulemia emocijas ir gebėjimą jausti (arba ne) laimę, kai aplink, regis, pasaulis griūva į šipulius, kai atrodo, kad gyvenimo kontrolė slysta iš rankų.

Knygą skaičiau gegužės mėnesio pradžioje, pamažu artėjant brandos egzaminų sesijai - įtemptam, streso kupinam laikotarpiui, kuris, neslėpsiu, laimę iš manęs pasisavindavo. Gausaus kiekio negrožinės literatūros tikrai nesu perskaičiusi, todėl sakyti, kad mane nustebinti yra be galo sunku (t.y., viskas turinio atžvilgiu jau kažkur matyta, girdėta ir išmokta), būtų nesąžininga, tačiau atrasti tokią, kuri paliestų širdį, kurios tekstas nuvilnytų į sąmonės gelmes, nėra lengva. Svarbu ne tik turinys (naudingas ir prasmingas ar ne), bet ir pastarojo išpildymas, pateikimas, bylojantis apie rašytojo gebėjimą atrasti nematomą giją su skaitytoju. Ir šį kartą, turbūt, pastarojo man pritrūko. Tekstas pasirodė paviršutiniškas, ne iki galo išpildytas - turinyje dominuoja kitų žmonių pasakojimai, kuriuos knygos autorė perpasakoja, tačiau nebando pati užmegzti ryšio su skaitytoju. Perpasakoti kito istoriją yra lengva, bet pateikti aišku kritinį vertinimą, kuris verstų susimąstyti, yra kur kas sunkiau. Man pačiai teko pastarąjį susikurti, o norėjosi didesnio ir gilesnio rašytojos indėlio į visa tai.

Grįžtant prie žmonių istorijų, apie kurias norisi pakalbėti plačiau, neslėpsiu, jos mane ir palietė, ir sukrėtė, ir šokiravo. Ne, ne pačios istorijos kažkuo itin išsiskiriančios. Taip, sužinoti, kad sergi vėžiu, yra baisu; išgirsti, kad negalėsi turėti vaikų, yra liūdna; prarasti mylimą žmogų ir likti vienai su vaikais - kastrofiška. Čia tik kelios žmonių istorijos, kuriomis dalijasi rašytoja, bet esmė yra ne jose (su tuo susiduria daugelis asmenų, neabejoju, kad kai kurie iš jūsų taip pat bus kažką panašaus patyrę), o reakcijose. Retas vėžiu sergantis pacientas, sužinojęs diagnozę, savo rankomis nusiskustų plaukus, kol pastarieji nenuslinko, ir kasdien rašytų smagius įrašus socialiniame tinkle. Jeigu visi žmonės, kurie negali turėti vaikų, įsivaikintų, greičiausiai, vaikų namų apskritai nebereikėtų, bet, deja, taip nėra. Ne kiekviena našlė išdrįstų sukaupti visą valią ir pradėti gyvenimą iš naujo, priimant į jį naują mylimąjį. Ir, žinote, kas jiems tai padėjo padaryti? Jeigu į klausimą atsakėte teiginiu, kad žmonės neprarado laimės, stengėsi ją išsaugoti, buvote teisūs. Būtent dirgiklių pašalinimas ir pastangos išlikti su šypsena veide tai garantavo. Jie nesivaikė svetimos laimės, o tiesiog bandė priimti savo gyvenimą tokį, koks jis yra, ir atrasti jėgų tuo džiaugtis.

„Laimės praktika“ - tikrumu pasižyminti knyga apie tikrąją laimę, kurią būtina puoselėti net ir kritinėse situacijose, kai šypsotis yra sunkiausia užduotis. Kūrinys, nestokojantis paprastų, atvirų gyvenimo istorijų, galėjusių nutikti bet kuriam iš mūsų - skirtumas tik tas, kad ne kiekvienas būtume jas priėmę taip, kaip tą padarė knygos herojai. Vieni būtume likimo iššūkius priėmę kaip bausmę, kiti - kaip neginčijamą tiesą, treti - kaip pakitusias sąlygas, prie kurių tiesiog dera prisitaikyti. Daugelis iš mūsų būtų tai padarę, bet ne knygos „Laimės praktika“ herojai. Noriu tikėti ir gal net palinkėti, kad šie žmonės, kurių istorijas skaitysite, jus įkvėptų ir pozityviai nuteiktų - nelaimės, sunkumai bei tas tamsus lyg naktis periodas anksčiau ar vėliau atsitraukia, nesitęsia amžinai - viskas galiausiai nurimsta ir nejučia susidėlioja į savo vietas. Tik mokėkime to momento išlaukti. Su šypsena veide, be abejo.

Rekomenduoju mėgstantiems negrožinės literatūros kūrinius, kurie nukelia ne į autoriaus išmonės pasaulį, bet į tikrų žmonių esminius gyvenimų momentus. Jeigu ieškote knygos ne su būriu šabloniškų patarimų, kaip padaryti vieną ar kitą, ne kaip pasiekti esminį lūžį savo gyvenime, bet kaip pamažu, keičiant savo požiūrio kampą, suprasti, kad laimė yra tai, ką turime ir kas esame šiuo momentu. Siūlau, jeigu ieškote neįpareigojančio skaitinio, su kuriuo norėtųsi „praleisti“ ne vieną dieną - skaitant pamažu, pildant lenteles, esančias knygoje, ir taip ieškant tikrosios priežasties, temdančios jūsų galimybę būti laimingiems. Rekomenduoju, jeigu jums prie širdies gyvenimiškos istorijos, kadangi pastarosios dominuoja knygoje, o laimės kūrimo principai yra dėliojami remiantis būtent jomis, todėl knyga patiks ir tiems, kurie naudoja metodus, paremtus realiais įvykiais.

[Knygų Romantikė · Rating 5 out of 5]

☆☆☆☆☆

Kodėl tiek daug knygų apie laimę? Nes viskas jau senai pasakyta, tik mes pamirštam, o skaitydami dar ir dar kartą tai prisimenam. Iš tikrųjų ši knyga nuo pirmų sakinių pritraukė savo paprastumu, aiškumu, pateikiamais realiais pavyzdžiais ir aišku praktine dalimi tarp skyrių, kurie padėjo įsisavinti informaciją.

💛Turbūt kiekvienam sutiktam citavau pagrindinę laimė mintį: kai Dievas susikvietė gyvūnus, kad jie padėtų nuspręsti, kur padėti laimingo gyvenimo paslaptį, jie siūlė aukščiausias kalno viršūnes, mėnulį, jūros dugną, bet Dievas sakė, kad žmogus pasieks tas vietas. Kai vienas iš gyvūnų pasiūlė tą paslaptį padėti žmogaus širdyje, Dievas pritarė, kad tai bus paskutinė vieta, kurioje žmogus ieškos laimės"... 💛

Rekomenduoju šią knygą kiekvienam, kas yra pasimetęs tarp rūpesčių, buities, nuolat jaučia nepasitenkinimą aplinka, gyvenimu, šios mažos knygutės dėka laimės paieškos bus palengvintos, nes iš tikrųjų yra būdai, kaip valdyti savo gyvenimą.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

this practical guide to living a happier life explores the 4 principles of happiness. It also provides ways to manage happiness zappers so you can lead a happier life.

the author narrates which lends authority and authenticity to the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc for my honest review

[Crystal Plante · Rating 5 out of 5]

This quick read is a realistic look at the individual journey to find happiness in even the most stressful and mundane events. The personal stories were my favorite part and add depth and meaning to the four principles of happiness. I found myself nodding at certain passages, stopping occasionally to ponder profound thoughts, and even marking sections to return to later for deeper reflection. Since I have finished reading it, I have returned to it a few times to help me think through certain situations. This is a timely and practical book for anyone seeking to embrace happiness in practical and sometimes surprising ways.

[Sheelie Kittee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really insightful, to the point, and makes so much sense yet why is it so difficult to adhere to, put into practice!

Some good exerpts I will definitely try to remember.

Happiness isn't about specific experiences, but rather abouthow we allow those experiences to define our happiness.

We don't always get to choose what our life looks like. Often life happens and we need to djust our dreams. We lose old ones, we discover new ones.

Our biggest choice is how we react to our experiences because our happiness changes when we change.

** Happiness is personal
** Happiness 'zappers' CAN be managed
** Happiness changes as we change
** Happiness is bigger than we think.

Ask yourself in moments of difficulty: What is working for me right now? How can I see that I AM supported, and everything always works out for me?

What if this doesn't work out - well, if this doesn't work out, then something else even better will come along.

IF you won't remember it a year from now: let it go.

The one thing we can always control is our reaction to a situation.

Acknowledge your feelings which brings them to the surface so that you are self aware of them: then control what you can, and let go of the rest because its the best you can do.

My spiritual practice enables me to go through the day with a completely different mindset: my whole experience is different.

The OPTIMIST CREED: omg, I LOVE this poem. everyone go look it up now =)

[Dione · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book describes the science behind happiness. It tells you what makes people happy. It also encourages you to not take small things for granted. All good things to know and think about. Happiness is a personal thing for each of us.
Then the book goes into things that take away our happiness. There are just things that happen in life that take away happiness for a period of time. We cannot avoid these things, they happen to all people in life. But we can still have moments of happiness during this time. We can also reduce the time that these sad things take away our happiness.
Then we all have issues that can steal our happiness. We need to anticipate these things and have a plan for them. This will allow us to be happy more of the time.
Happiness is not something that I feel like I have a problem with, but I thought the title and description of the book were interesting. I will use some of the tools I learned and recommend this book to others.
I listened to this as an audiobook. Then I downloaded the book so I could read parts of it again. I also wanted to see some of the recommendations in print. If that would not have been an option I would have listened to parts again. I usually do not listen to self help books. It was nice that both were options on the book.

[Cristina Elena | LaaA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listening to this book got me thinking about my own way of looking at happiness. I have days when everything seems to be going fine and I’m on top of my game, and days when a single unpleasant event (emotional zappers) ruins my mood and I can’t get over it...

When it comes to the later, it can be quite challenging to get back on track, especially if you don’t have an emotional emergency kit to rely on. This is where “Practical Happiness” comes in handy!

Through a combination of stories and lessons learned, Pamela Gail Johnson provides a book that is not only great when going through challenging emotional times, but also helps with putting in mechanisms in place to prevent zappers from hijacking our happiness. Although some of the stories can be quite hard to listen to or read, I had to remember that this is **not** a work of fiction and that life doesn’t always go as expected. Being aware of the what’s going on and, even better, knowing how to react to what happens to us, can make a difference in successfully overcoming negative experiences. It’s a book that I definitely recommend to anyone interested in improving their emotional intelligence or who are just at the beginning of this journey.

One thing to be aware of (or it least for me to remember the next time I listening to the audiobook version) is the slow start of the book. It might seem that it’s all talk and no action, but after half an hour of listening, the content starts becoming so captivating, that you might find yourself not wanting to press the pause or stop button.

Special thanks to NetGalley, HighBridge Audio and the author for giving me the opportunity to review the ARC in audiobook format and to you, my reader, for taking the time to read this honest personal book review.

If you are interested in other of my book reviews, make sure to follow me on GoodReads!

#LifeLongLearning #PracticalHappiness #NetGalley

[Tee-Hee Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

😊BOOK REVIEW 😊

Thank you @netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this audiobook to review.

This is a self help book that I was interested in to make myself learn how to be more happy, and to have a better mindset.

I really enjoyed all the narratives included in this book. It was helpful to learn how happiness is self-based and there’s not one thing or a set of things that makes every person happy. It’s okay to want what you want, whether it’s the same or not as everyone else.

It’s so true how todays world has what is called “competitive happiness”, and the author did a great job explaining this and how social media plays a role in people basing their happiness off of comparing it to others’.

I wasn’t entirely motivated or more happy at the end of reading this. I felt the book was more a study on happiness than the self help I was looking for, but overall it was an okay read and I don’t regret reading it. I recommend it to those looking to better understand what happiness is, and maybe those interested in hearing narratives of others finding their happiness and how they did it.

My overall rating:

🌟🌟🌟/5 Stars

[Amanda F · Rating 3 out of 5]

This seemed overly simplified at times and seemed like some common sense things. I think maybe it's because I'm a naturally happy person who tries to always find the good in everything, but I'm guessing that maybe after reading this book, there are people who need to hear the things in it. I liked the practical, real-life examples, but it felt like there were too many and it jumped around a lot. I thought the audio narration was stilted sounding sometimes, but overall I enjoyed the author reading it. I would've had a better experience had I read along with the physical or ebook as I was listening, I think, because it just felt like I was missing individual stories because they were so short and told so quickly.

[Daniel Hardy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the book well enough; huge swaths of it were personal experience stories from the author or from other individuals. That's not something that really resonates with me as an autistic with adhd- what works well for others doesn't always work well for me, and hearing someone's thought process (which i can see clearly isn't mine) doesn't help me. BUT 3 stars for the parts that resonated. And I know that my brain doesn't work the same as everyone else's so i'm certain that the example stories might be of great benefit for some others. 3 stars for my personal view of the book. it's probably a 4 star book on the whole. i wouldn't go out of my way to suggest this to a client but if they were asking about it, and like to read, i would tell them that they should give it a try.

[Kat Robbins · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 (3 stars)

This definitely gave me something to think about. I am not wildly more motivated than my current normal to pursue and recognize happiness, but I appreciated the inclusion of narratives from other people who were able to find their own happiness. The author narrated her own audiobook, which I fundamentally appreciate in the non-fiction genre. Since she is first and foremost an author and not a paid narrator, I am being more lenient on some of the choppiness and awkwardness in the narration.

Thank you NetGalley, HighBridge Audio, and the author for providing me with the audiobook ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aren't we all on a quest to find more joy in our day?

I sure am. That's why I listened to Pamela Gail Johnson's "Practical Happiness: Four Principles to Improve Your Life." As the founder of the Society of Happy People, she asks her fellow members what makes them happy.

The audiobook is four hours of practical ways real people are seeking real happiness. Plus, there are loads of questions to journal in regard to your own happiness journey.

I'm grateful for the chance to listen to the advanced audio from HighBridge audio via the NetGalley app.

[Johanna Sawyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A guide to learning how to think differently about happiness, and instruction on what happiness can appear to be. I thought it was a methodical approach and informative. The author gives examples on the 31 types of happiness, helps you identify feelings that you can explore to make yourself happy.

I did not exactly enjoy the narration but the information was great. Author tripped over her words numerous times and inflection kind of bothered me but I got through it.

I gave the narration three stars but the subject was five stars!

[Kami Bumgardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

happiness...it's our everlasting pursuit, yeah? well, I've read LOADS about it, in countless books, and Pamela has certainly hit upon the most clever way to go about it: be *practical*! this book is filled from front to back with real stories of real people, and how they maintain a higher than average Happiness Quotient, just by doing seemingly small things day to day to zap unhappiness when it rears its head. there's so much good advice on how to make a concept like happiness seem much easier to attain!

[Karen Landon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book made me happy!
Some of my favorite Happiness insights:
•Our happiness is more personal than scientific.
•There is enough happiness for everyone—it doesn’t need to be competitive.
•Happiness isn’t linear. It’s not one-size-fits-all…. Happiness is abundant.

[sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my usual audiobook choice but it was an interesting listen . Useful insights on how to deal with ‘happiness zappers’ ,it put a lot of things in perspective.

The narrator was the author and she did a good job.

Arc received via net gallery.

[Kathy Buchko · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very practical guide to acknowledging and celebrating the happy moments in your life, as well as tips on dealing with the common "Happiness Zappers"!! And please consider joining the SOHP, Society of Happy People, of which I have been a member for over a decade!!!

[Jinx · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unsurprisingly this book did not offer advice insightful enough to contend with the fact America just re-elected a fascist… lol, some of the personal accounts were good and this book has given me some food for thought, but most of it isn’t groundbreaking.

[Krystal Hender]

An inspiring book about practical ways real people are finding joy.

Was a quick and easy read. I liked the insights into how people are actually implementing these practices and thought Pamela’s narration made it even more personal.

Listening to this made me happier so I think it did the job!

[Cassandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy.

Definitely a book that requires thinking in a positive way and achieving a better mindset. The author gives you stories and helpful brain boosting moments.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Snippet from my review: In this book, Johnson takes you through ways to find the happiness that is already in you. She helps you identify "happiness zappers" and how to overcome them. Each chapter includes space for you to answer questions about your own happiness and happiness zappers, identify stressors, and create a plan of action to live a life of practical happiness.

Full book review here: https://cookscrapcraft.blogspot.com/2...

[Lieke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a lot of new information, more a collection of other peoples idea of happiness then a self-help book.
Might be more interesting for people that have been part the Society of Happy People.
The author did a good job narrating the book.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

[Maher Razouk · Rating 3 out of 5]

تروي قصة أمريكية قديمة كيف جمع الله مستشاريه من الحيوانات معًا ، لمساعدته في تحديد مكان إخفاء سر الحياة السعيدة عن البشر.

سأل النسر أولاً ، "أين أضعه؟"
أجاب النسر: "على قمة أعلى جبل. لن يجده الإنسان هناك أبدًا ".
قال الرب : " لا . ذات يوم ، سيذهب الإنسان إلى هناك".

بعد ذلك ، سأل المحّار ، "أين أضعها ، أيها المحّار الصغير؟"
أجاب المحّار : "في قاع المحيط الأعمق".
بدت هذه فكرة أفضل ، لكن الرب تردد مرة أخرى. قال بعد بعض التفكير: "سيذهب الإنسان إلى هناك يومًا ما".

ثم تقدمت البومة الحكيمة إلى الأمام : "على الرغم من أنني للأسف لا أستطيع أن آخذه هناك بنفسي ، لكن ربما يجب عليك إخفاء السر على سطح القمر."
بعد التفكير في هذا ، توصل الرب أخيرًا إلى نفس النتيجة السابقة: "لا. هناك ، أيضًا ، سيذهب الإنسان ".

بعد فترة من التفكير ، ظهر حيوان الأبسوم المتواضع. قال بهدوء "ربما يجب إخفاء السر في قلب الإنسان". كان هناك صمت رهيب بين الحيوانات.
أخيرًا ، قال الرب: "نعم ، أيها أبوسوم الماكر ، سيكون هذا آخر مكان يبحث فيه الإنسان."
.
Pamela Johnson
Practical Happiness
Translated By #Maher_Razouk