How to Be Happier Without Really Trying

Barking Up The Wrong Tree May 16th, 2022 --------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------- How to Be Happier Without Really Trying Today is day six in our 7-day social skills boot camp from my book [Plays Well With Others](. Even if you already have the book, below is a quick tip you can put to use immediately. (And if you don’t have the book, it’s available now and already an Amazon bestseller. Grab your copy [here]( How do we find happiness? Sometimes it feels like a total Lewis and Clark expedition. And the advice we usually get has “some errors” the way the Middle East has “some sand.” It rarely helps. The real problem with finding happiness is often in the approach we take... From [Plays Well With Others]( Johann Hari points to research showing if you try to be happier, you will likely fail. Why? Because the Western definition of happiness is individualistic. And, as Brett Ford of UC Berkeley found, that doesn’t work. As Ford told Hari, “The more you think happiness is a social thing, the better off you are.” You can get happier. But your plan needs to be social. When trying to be happy, we think too much from that individualistic perspective. What do I need to get? What do I need to do? This weaponized independence is solipsism passing as self-care, greasing the skids on an already downward spiral. One of the biggest contributors to our happiness is our relationships. A study found a better social life was the happiness equivalent of an extra $131,232 a year. You don’t have to buy anything or achieve anything to become happier. Try shifting your perspective. Look beyond you. Take a communal approach. Think about how to help others. Remember to ask for help. Show gratitude for the help you get. When you see yourself as part of a group, a family, or a team, problems get smaller and the joys become more frequent. When we know we’re not alone, life becomes more beautiful and gathers us into the dance. That’s the tip for today. I’ll be back tomorrow with another one. The [book]( has many other tips on how to improve your social life and become happier. I also explain the meaning of life. (Did I mention this was a hard book to write?) And I extended the [bonus]( deadline to 5/16. Just reply to this email with proof of purchase and you literally get 25% more book. Bonuses will be sent by me to your email on 5/18. Grab it at [Amazon]( [Barnes and Noble]( [Books A Million]( [Indiebound]( or [Bookshop](. Thanks! Eric This email was sent to {EMAIL} [why did I get this?](    [unsubscribe from this list](    [update subscription preferences]( Bakadesuyo · 8033 Sunset Boulevard, #1073 · Los Angeles, CA 90046 · USA