For any reader who ever wondered why they weren’t feeling happy more often, or how they might more consistently get (and stay) in the happiness zone, HAPPY HERE AND NOW by Matt Tracy is the book to dive into. Effectively outlining profound yet simple concepts such as the “Belief-Word-Action Spiral,” Tracy teaches one to find the way towards a more reliable sense of contentment, peace of mind, joy, calm engagement, lightness of being, laughter, purpose, hope. This involves real world activities that will take practice, such as making conscious decisions not to fight the irritations Life hands out, big or small. If something goes badly, the author instructs: accept it, acknowledge it, then go ahead and fix what can be fixed, without checking to see or worrying about how other people would or are handling things. Love people as they are. Give people and pets affectionate attention even when it means putting aside whatever else is going on at the moment as happiness can be found in experiences like savoring the sensation of making someone else feel appreciated.
In this reader-friendly and relevant self-help book, relationship refinements are explored, including learning what Love Language others gravitate towards. Do family and friends feel more loved when receiving gifts or by sharing quality time? From encouraging words, or by helpful acts of service, or from physical touch? Knowing the correct answer for oneself along with one’s beloveds can make all the difference in co-creating a long-term, happy, harmonious home. HAPPY HERE AND NOW begins by delving into what happiness, gratitude, forgiveness, and the Meaning of Life are, then segues into a look at what makes up the voices playing on repeat in people’s heads plus metaphysical concepts such as giving away what one would like to receive more of. The power-packed little volume ends with 65 conveniently practical “Living It” nuggets which can be mindfully blended into the process of daily living. The only thing marring an otherwise perfect book are a few formatting issues, such as typos and inconsistent coloration in chapter headings within the Table of Contents. Containing supportive messages — such as: when one gets to the point of realizing that happiness can be felt even during tough times, a new level of living is reached — this would be a great gift for couples, in-laws, and frenemies…much less expensive than therapy!
Personable, not-preachy, HAPPY HERE AND NOW by Matt Tracy is a concise, extra helpful self-help/self-empowerment book; the kind one might want to read twice…or better yet, refer to again and again.
~C.S. Holmes for IndieReader