The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Anchor

Lidija lent me this book and it is a motivational type exercise written by a psychologist/corporate trainer about the power of positive psychology. Here’s the thing though: it’s great. A lot of the things he talks about actually work because I use them and I know they work.

So he talks about things like writing down three good things that happened to you each day. If you do this for as little as a week it can affect your view of the world for up to three months. Alternatively write about positive experiences three times a week for twenty minutes. Same result.

We all take the path of least resistance so it is very easy not to do the things we know make us feel good. So you put the desired behaviour right in your path – lay your gym clothes out and get into them the moment you get up. Then it’s too much trouble to take them off again so you go to the gym. Get healthy snacks prepared in the fridge so it’s easy to get them. Etc.

Conversely apply the twenty second rule: put temptation twenty seconds out of reach. Put the TV remote batteries away, put the chocolates in a cupboard downstairs. Etc.

Think about something happy right before a stressful or difficult situation: your performance will improve markedly.

Proven ways to elevate happiness:

1 Meditation, 5 minutes a day is enough
2 Find something to look forward to and give yourself bursts of pleasure by thinking about it
3 Do conscious acts of kindness: go out of the house determined to do five kind things before coming home
4 Infuse positivity into your surroundings: 20 minutes outside on a lovely day; watch less TV; beautify your physical environment
5 Exercise
6 Spend money on activities like concerts, meals with friends, instead of things
7 Exercise your signature strengths (www.viasurvey.org)

Change your mindset: find a positive way of describing whatever you do, especially things you find tedious eg look at the task, its purpose, its results and keep doing that until you find a result that is meaningful to you.

So much of this is common sense, but do we always apply common sense to the things we do?

The Lost of Art of Gratitude by Alexander McCall Smith

Isabel and Jamie continue in their life together. You know, not much happens in these books. I might give up on them. In this one, she gets taken for a ride by Minty Aucherlochtie who uses her as a go between to frighten some men who are giving her a hard time. For the rest of it, it’s philosophical musings.

The Comfort of Saturdays by Alexander McCall Smith

Isabel’s life continues, as she dithers around about her relationship with Jamie and is stitched up by her perceived ethical responsibilities in terms of having a relationship with a much younger man. She tries to help a doctor who has been unethical in his conduct in reporting test results for a new drug, but the real focus of this story is more on Isabel and her musings than anything else. I am enjoying her books though.

The Call by Yannick Murphy

This is a charming book that I read between 11pm and 2.30am yesterday when I couldn’t sleep. It’s a sort of diary made by a country vet on the east coast of America, a record of his thoughts as he deals with calls out, his wife and family, and then a couple of major problems that beset him with his twelve year old son and another man – called the Spaceman – from his past. It’s a delightful book and a very quick and easy read.

Death Comes to Pemberley by PD James

This well publicised novel is a follow on thriller from Pride and Prejudice featuring Mr and Mrs Darcy, the dreadful Wickham and all their cohort. Captain Denny is murdered in the shrubbery near Pemberley and Wickham is charged with the murder. The distress and scandal this causes threatens to undermine the entire family. Rubbish really, mildly entertaining, but a bit of a cheek to parody Jane Austen in such a way I think.

The Careful Use of Compliments by Alexander McCall Smith

More of the Isabel Dalhousie series, in which Isabel gets on the trail of an art forger and continues in her relationship with Jamie. The philosophical musings have really grown on me and I am a victim of the charm of this woman and of Edinburgh, wonderful since we’re going there next year.

The Right Attitude to Rain by Alexander McCall Smith

Next in line of the Isabel Dalhousie series, which I listened to as I did embroidery. Very appropriate. In this one Isabel and Jamie become closer and closer. In the meantime they become involved with Isabel's cousins, Mimi and Joe, and attend a houseparty with some wealthy Americans. There is more about the philosophy surrounding small things and about the love affair than any mystery in this novel. I liked it a lot.