18 May, 2015

Reading Reveries # 8 : Think Yourself Happy



"No day is a bad day, but thinking makes it so."

This blog post will probably be one of the most personal ones I've ever written. However, if this book can help anyone at all, the way it helped me, it will most certainly be worth it.

Think Yourself Happy by Rick Norris is described as a "simple 6-step program to change your life from within". I read it a couple of years ago, when I was struggling with negative thinking and an in general very pessimistic world view. It completely changed my thought-process.

The book is made up of six chapters:
     - Step 1: Recognize that you are not alone
     - Step 2: Understand how your negative mind works
     - Step 3: Realize why you must accept yourself
     - Step 4: Master the use of your positive mind
     - Step 5: Know what you can control and let go of what you can't
     - Step 6: Learn how to move forward

Knowing why your mind works the way it does is so insightful, because then you can use that to your advantage. The book also teaches you how to train your mind to be more positive by asking you questions and setting little goals. The fifth chapter is interesting for people - like me - who think they can control everything, but often get disappointed or frustrated when it turns out that they can't. 

It's very hard to go into much detail with this book, but it is written in a very approachable way (giving real-life examples to illustrate and explaining everything in a not-too-scientific manner). 

In short, I would definitely recommend reading this (it's only 147 pages!) if you struggle with anxiety or negative thoughts or if you just want to get to know your mind a little bit better. 

To this day I still use Norris' 'positive list', where at the end of each day, you list at least three things that were positive about that day. It has helped me to focus on the positive each and every day.

What are your thoughts on books like this?