Happiness Is All We Want #BookReview

"Happiness is all we want!" by Ashutosh Mishra offers an almost step-by-step guide to a happy and fulfilling life by addressing the three pillars of our existence, our mind, body, and spirit.

I recently received the book "Happiness is all we want" and enjoyed reading it. There's joy in turning the pages of a book that is full of takeaways and actionable tips: all focused on making ourselves happy. So it was with this one.

I made notes, and I also made some lifestyle changes out of guilt-guilt because I know these things, but had slacked off a bit, because lately, I've been overwhelmed. But being overwhelmed is not an excuse to be unhappy, and I'd the first to accept that. As the author endorses throughout the book, happiness is in our own hands.

Here's my review of Happiness is all we want!

• Paperback: 212 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury India (9 January 2017)
• Language: English

But first, the book blurb. Today, we are leading our lives in mindless pursuit, unable even to articulate what we are pursuing. We are unhappy even after achieving what we desire. Happiness is all we want! suggests that the source of peace and happiness is within us if we know the secret. The book's objective is to help us unlock that secret and attain a high level of overall well-being in order to lead a happy and fulfilling life and be the healthiest we can be, mentally and physically. A wide variety of tools and techniques are explained in simple language. Many real-life experiences of the author as well as other people are interspersed through the book. Demystifying the spiritual aspect of wellbeing, this book integrates it with your life objectives. You can immensely improve not only the peace and happiness in your life but your beauty and appearance as well.

My review of Happiness is all we want!

Happiness is all we want! is conveniently divided into three parts, focusing on the three pillars of our existence: the mind, body, and spirit.

Part 1 relates to mental wellbeing and is all about that monkey mind.

A very good starting point, I thought. It contains a series of wishlists presented as a comprehensive wishlist framework. These revolve around health, mental and physical wellbeing, relationship, business, wealth, and philanthropy. There are prompts to create your own, depending on your specific situation. The aim is to help you focus on what you want, and systematically work towards achieving it.

And, of course, this chapter deals with the pitfalls of expectations with tips to manage them. Usually, expectations are the culprits behind stealing our peace of mind. The author includes Reiki and the power of prayer as strategies, all woven together with practical tips you can take action on right away.

Part 2 of the book is about physical wellbeing.

This chapter describes the importance of staying physically healthy and taking care of our body. There is a chapter on nutrition and rebalancing your diet, and why exercise should be an integral part of one's wellness program. Suggestions include walking, running, weight training, swimming, gymming, yoga, and with tips to exercise at home. There are also suggestions on making lifestyle changes. I especially liked the part about rising early and why it can change your life since I practice it and enjoy the benefits.

If you already have a fitness regimen but can't figure out why you're not seeing results, there's an entire section describing why exercise programs fail and what you can do to be successful.

Part 3 is about spiritual wellbeing.

The author touches upon the concept of karma and rebirth, and the need to get enough good quality sleep. The chapter also discusses different kinds of fears we tend to nurture with examples, and tips to overcome them. There is a full section on spiritual cleansing, making the right choices, and techniques for spiritual advancement, including mindfulness, meditation, and yoga.

Why I liked about the book:

• The book is presented in an easy-to-read format. I am a big fan of a well laid out book and this is definitely one of them.
• Each chapter is formatted with an introduction, followed by the whys and the how to-s. Along the way, the author refers to tech traps and where we should draw the line. Very relevant in today's times when we are attached to those screens of all sizes.
• At the end of each chapter, there's a summary in the form of a list of things to do and things to ponder, which I absolutely loved. There are also SWCs or Smart Wellbeing Capsule activities such as meditation as a powerful tool to strengthen the mind. There are useful links to inspiring TED talks and other resources.
• Throughout each chapter, there are practical tips, wellbeing stories, and happiness moments, along with personal experiences and perspectives of people, binding the information in the book together, making it easier to identify with the book. The author also includes calming techniques that are easy to practice for mental wellbeing. Clearly, there is value in developing a meditation practice.
• While all chapters contain practical tips and activities, the final chapter has a holistic framework to help the reader turn the advice in the book into action.
• At the end of the book is a convenient table outlining the SWCs mentioned in the book with page numbers and time taken to implement each one.

Ultimately, the message of the book is: your happiness is in your hands. Take charge now.

Because...

if you don't take care of your business someone else will.

If you don't take care of yourself no one else will.

Happiness is all we want! makes a great wellness reference book that one can go back to, for inspiration.

Buy the book on Amazon.

About the author

Ashutosh is an MBA from XLRI Jamshedpur and a Mechanical Engineer from IIT Delhi. In his corporate career of seventeen years, he has been a senior banker with global banks like Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank and is currently with ANZ Bank. With grueling work schedule and plenty of business travel, he was fortunate to realize the importance of health and wellbeing early on. He learned and practiced many tools and techniques for his own wellbeing while balancing the demands of a high profile career and a lovely family. Based on his experiences over the last couple of decades, he has developed a framework for comprehensive wellness with a fresh perspective which he decided to share with the world through his book - Happiness is All We Want!

Visit his website.

Connect with Ashutosh on Twitter @a_mishra78, Quora, Linkedin and Facebook

Have you read "Happiness is all we want!"?