Luminita D. Saviuc - 15 Things You Should Give Up to Be Happy: An Inspiring Guide to Discovering Effortless Joy

When I first met Luminita, she had just arrived in Malaysia for a career change, to begin a new role with my education company, Mindvalley. I never could have guessed just what an impact she would soon have on my learning and growth, and on the millions of lives she would later touch through her writing.

I didnt realize then that she is a powerhousea powerhouse who overcame painful and traumatic circumstances, yet emerged a beacon of light.

Even in those early days, though, the signs were evident. It was clear to everyone how much she genuinely cared about helping people. Luminita often received amazing words of gratitude from our students for her thoughtful and comforting responses. For an organization that primarily focuses on empowering others with transformational education, this was a valuable trait. But that was only the beginning.

One of the things I will always admire about Luminita is how avid a student she is. Often, on her breaks in the office, Id see her studying the work of authors such as Wayne Dyer, Lao Tzu, and Louise Hay, just to name a few, then later sharing what she had learned with others around her, and through her blog, in deceptively simple yet powerful ways that uplifted them, and changed their lives.

At one point she even started a coaching group at Mindvalley, drawing wisdom from the Tao Te Ching. As if expanding our minds was not enough, she then got us on an exercise plan, inspiring her friends and colleagues, including me, to give up some of the mindsets and habits that were stopping us from being healthier and more joyful. I never thought Id have the discipline to commit to a thirty-day intensive exercise regimen, but I did, because Luminita had the power to persuade, prod and move us to just do it.

And thats precisely what this heartfelt book will help you with, too. Based on her famous blog post 15 Things You Should Give Up To Be Happy, which went viral and was shared on Facebook more than 1.2 million times, it will inspire you and help you to transform your life from the inside out.

Peppered with personal stories, quotes, and powerful insights that have inspired millions, this book reveals how Luminita, despite her abusive childhood, persevered and believed in her growth and her healing, and how you can, too.

In the chapters that follow, you will learn about the wisdom of giving yourself permission to give upthat is, to let go of what holds you back. You will discover how to give up the past, the need to always be right, blaming others, and much, much more. At each step along the way Luminita will invite you, through parables, personal stories, and uplifting words, to truly take hold of your life by simply letting go.

Anyone who has lived through what Luminita did and managed to emerge with such remarkable inner strength, to become the luminous being that she is, is someone for whom I have profound respect, and someone we can all learn from.

And so, I encourage you to dive into 15 Things You Should Give Up to Be Happy, and be truly inspired by the hard-won lessons of someone who has managed to turn her life around, let go of the past, and heal herself so that she could seek her ultimate truthto live at the peak of her human potential and inspire the lives of many others. I hope youll take great insight from Luminitas work, as I have.

Vishen Lakhiani

Founder and CEO, Mindvalley