Stop thinking Start living book review

This book was written by famous psychotherapist Richard Carlson, one of the leading experts in happiness and stress reduction in the USA. This book was narrated by the author in a simple and new perspective, and after reading it, it makes you wonder if the reason to be happy in your life is always there within you. Here are the top 5 keys to staying happy in your life.

1. Staying happy is a commitment

2. You are the master of your thoughts

3. What is analysis paralysis?

4. Awareness of your moods

5. Be Grateful

1. Staying happy is a commitment

We all commit ourselves to our goals, friends, family, studies, making money, etc. An athlete commits to winning an Olympic gold medal, parents commit to take care of their children, an investment banker commits to make money for his clients, and a businessman commits to improving the lives of his customers by creating a great product. Similarly, staying happy is also a commitment you have to make in your everyday life. You have to give everything you got by eliminating all the challenges, conditions, and thoughts your mind presents to you. If you think after buying a new iPhone or car you're gonna be happy, you are delaying your happiness. Even after you buy the iPhone or car, the next year a new model comes onto the market, and now you want to go for that new model, and the cycle repeats. It will be like if I have an X, then I will be happy. So eliminate the if conditions. Stay committed to be happy.

2. You are the master of your thoughts

Whenever I sit to study, I always keep my phone in airplane mode to avoid distractions. After a while, favorite scenes of the Friends series played in my mind, and I immediately reacted, reaching out to my smartphone to watch them again. After that, it went from one scene to many more. Later, I blamed myself for having no control over the phone. But the reality is, it all started when I started to give my attention to that one thought of my favorite scene. Thoughts grow with attention, so when I realized this, I started to pause for a moment when distracted thoughts appeared and focused my attention back towards my studies. Always remember that you are the creator of your own thoughts.

3. What is analysis paralysis?

Analysis Paralysis means trying to solve a problem aggressively, which eventually lowers our intelligence and focus levels. You can’t even notice that you have been caught up in an infinite loop of thoughts; all you think about is that problem in your mind rather than finding a solution.

Einstein once said, "The solution to a problem will never come about from the same level of understanding that created the problem in the first place". So whenever problems arise in life, slow down and stay calm until your thoughts get settled, and then your mind can work on finding a solution in an efficient manner.

4. Awareness of your moods

Every human being faces low and high moods in their life. An example from the author, Richard, dealing with his client when he is in a low mood I read in the newspaper that your company’s business is doing well The client replied: "I hate my job,there is no job security anyway". In another session, when the client was in a high mood, Richard asked about an article about his company donating money to hungry people. The client replied, ‘Yeah, I’m part of the program and so happy to work for this company'. When Richard showed the recorded conversation to the client, he was shocked to hear that it was him. He realized that when he is in a low mood, he is hopeless and pessimistic, and negative thoughts flood his mind. When he is in a high mood, he feels a sense of gratitude and hope for a better future. You have to be aware that whenever you are in a low mood, you should ignore your thoughts and feelings.

5. Be Grateful

Gratitude is a powerful feeling that heightens your sense of positive self. It brings inner peace to the mind. It makes you feel good about yourself. Even science has proven that gratitude has a profound impact on life. The feeling of gratitude improves your self-esteem, your relationships, your stress levels, your goals, etc. The motivational speaker Tony Robbins says "When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears". Make a habit of being grateful every day while you wake up and go to sleep.