Is Being 10% Happier Something You Would Like To Achieve?

There are thousands of books out there proclaiming they are the answer to your happiness in one way or another.  Like me and most of the other people I talk to, after reading these self-help books, you find that there is still something missing.  There is a multibillion dollar industry out there based on almost giving you the answer.

 

ABC news anchor Dan Harris spent several years of his time as a journalist researching, challenging and debunking theories from many of the biggest self-help gurus and religious leaders.

 

Dan now says he found a way to simply improve his happiness by 10%.  Has an ABC news anchor, Dan was able to invest a lot of time and research into the world of self-help.  He shares his findings in his new book, 10% Happier. Before you skip to the next article, think about this: When was the last time you felt really happy if even for just a few moments?

 

Most of the people that I talk to describe situations of happiness in terms of Control and progress. The times we are most unhappy with ourselves are when we lose control and gain nothing.

 

There are even a few times when I have been in total control and still felt like I didn’t gain anything at the end of the day. The trade-off for control wasn’t worth it. Something tells me you have been there too.

 

Years ago when I was looking at a waterfront home, The owner made a profound statement. He looked me in the I and he said “As a business owner, you understand the stress we go through. I’m telling you that it doesn’t matter how bad your day is, when you come home and take a lap of the lake on a JetSki, it will all go away and your problems will solve themselves.”

 

That statement struck a note with me because I had the same experience when I would take my Harley out after work. Right then and there I realized how important my rides were to growing my business. Quite honestly my business stalled after selling my collection of Harley-Davidson’s.

 

My problem at that time was I didn’t understand how a motorcycle ride could possibly help my business. I felt like the time I was taking away from the office was time lost. More importantly I didn’t know if I can re-create it simply by buying another Harley. After reading Dan Harris’s book, the process became clear.  It wasn’t really the Harley, although it did help.

 

Dan’s book will take you through his adventures, chasing down spiritual and self-help gurus as a skeptic and a journalist at ABC. He also shares some of his innermost failings and demons, and discusses how he overcame them personally.

 

The journey is a very interesting one, Not much unlike my own. If you have read this far, it is likely that you have experienced at least part of this journey into the world of self-help and the frustration of not making any real progress.

 

The premise of becoming 10% happier should make sense to you. Imagine if next year you could be 10% happier. And imagine if you could be 10% happier again year after that. Like compounding interest your life could improve exponentially overtime.

 

Dan Harris does a great job as a journalist walking through the stories of several self-help Gurus and religious leaders. He shows us the flaws false teachings and how he found an answer to overcome them all in an unexpected place. Harris admits that due to his own pre-judgment, he might not have come to this understanding without the entire journey.

 

If there is something inside you that says happiness is possible, maybe starting out by getting 10% Happier is where you should start.

 

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