I have been aware for a long time that young people are struggling with emotional difficulties. Many of my friends have children who are teenagers or young adults, and so many of these young people are struggling with anxiety and low self-esteem. It felt like it was hurting me because I know how hard this is to experience and I knew I could help. I wrote Happy Anyway to show them a way out from suffering.
I took the insights that I know from my studies and personal experience and wrote from the heart. I deliberately cleared myself out of the way so that I could write in a way that would connect with the reader. I wrote in plain English, without jargon so it would be easy to read for anyone. I wrote down the insights, encouragement and simple practices that will shift the reader’s mental state from anxiety to happiness. The 40 concise chapters make it easy to implement new ways of thinking that lead the reader step by step towards a happier way of being.
I wanted to give the reader clear insight into the mental habits that hurt and punish them, and how you can switch these for habits that are more supportive and beneficial. In one section you discover how to use your mental toolkit to build resilience instead of letting your mind run on autopilot. For example it teaches how to deliberately use your imagination positively and how to direct your attention towards useful subjects instead of ruminating on past events.
It touches on the tender issues of shame, trauma and loss, providing comfort that these issues are part of the shared human experience that no one escapes. It provides depth of understanding and warm reassurance that all experiences and feelings can be faced and overcome.
I drew from a wide range of ancient and modern psychologies to provide only tried and tested techniques. The book is underpinned by 2,500 year old Buddhist Psychology and moves beyond fixing problems towards a new way of thriving. Whilst deeply grounded in psychology there is also a spiritual dimension, an invitation to awakening to inner experience, to self-awareness and self-mastery. In addressing more spiritual themes it always stays true to form being practical, accessible, encouraging and comforting.
I am touched to the core of my being by the reviews and messages I have received. It is so clearly helping people to manage their mental health and helping them to feel better. One reviewer wrote”This book is so well written, as though the author is talking personally to you. It’s easy to read and understand, extremely helpful and insightful. I would thoroughly recommend this book to both teenagers and adults alike who are struggling with low self esteem, or anxiety problems. It has the potential in my view to be a true life changer for whoever reads it. I am so glad I purchased a copy.”
Happy Anyway is available in Kindle and paperback versions on Amazon, £4.99 and £8.99 respectively.