Smith - Happiness: the art of living with peace, confidence and joy

Praise for Happiness: The Art of Living with Peace, Confidence and Joy

The clarity and thoughtfulness that Smith brings to this book have been distilled through years of teaching a class on happiness at DePauw University, and he offers clear advice with quiet authenticity, grace and none of the distasteful aggressiveness that can be found in the methods of some self-help books. Smiths tools are simple but not simplified, aiming for, in the words of Oliver Wendell Holmes, simplicity on the other side of complexity. He neither turns his back on his corporate past nor insists on applying a CEOs toolset to a more mindful approach to life, making his words more broadly appealing. Smith tells his own life story, sharing the challenges and successes he found in articulating and manifesting the skills of happiness, and how he enriched his life by spending time alone in nature and with his wife and two sons. He shares his journey confronting the realities of his illnesschronic lymphocytic leukemiawhile trying to nurture five thing in life: grace, gratitude, courage, peace, and time, each with deep sincerity. Yet he doesnt infuse his own narrative with a much grander meaning, as can be common in books written by those who teach from their own lives. Instead, his well-articulated though not quite groundbreaking story helps by sharing one way to find personal joy by focusing on how we relate to ourselves and others. A big thinker turns his mind to the essence of his happiness in a memoir thats easy to read and maybe even follow.

Kirkus Reviews

Read this book with joy and gratefulness as I did and it will lead to happiness.

Mark Liponis, M.D. Canyon Ranch Corporate Medical Director Author,
Ultra-Longevity and Hunter/Farmer Diet Solution

In confronting lifes triumphs, as well as personal challenges, Doug Smith emerges with a balance and view that is remarkable. His book draws you into his personal journey and his insights have application to our everyday lives.

Richard P. Mayer Former CEO of Kraft Foods; Former CEO of KFC

From a ledge on White Pine Mountain, the oracle of happiness identifies the secret sauce of life, and shares it in poignant stories and easy-to-follow teachings. Carve out some quiet alone time, and let Doug share his journey and teachings with you.

John Lowe CEO, Jenis Splendid Ice Creams

Doug has approached the subject of happiness in the same way he solves business problems: with humor and analytics, intertwined with razor-sharp thinking and writing.

Parker MacDonell Principal, Invergarry Partners

Doug Smiths generously honest book offers wise guidance to readers interested in pursuing a happy life. His infectious optimism and love for the world are reflected throughout this book, and his open and genuine narration of his own journey towards happiness is inspiring.

Brian Casey President, DePauw University

Dougs book should be on everyones bedside table to remind us, in troubled times, that we can overcome obstacles with mindful attention to finding meaning, purpose, flow and cherishing others. Doug gives generously and honestly of his lifes experiences so that we, his readers, will know that we are not alone.

Nancy Williams Executive Director, Lake George Land Conservancy

Reading this book will benefit everyone; for many it will be life-changing; for some it may be life-saving. Heartfelt, moving and impactful, a must read for all.

H. S. Sunenshine, PhD Former President, Walker Research

Take a journey with Doug Smiths Happiness. It is a remarkable book and personal story that I highly recommend. This book will make you smile and maybe even start you on your own journey toward achieving a higher level of personal contentment and self-actualization.

Peter R. Dolan Former Chairman and CEO of Bristol-Myers Squibb

Happiness... That warm and fuzzy thing, right?? No. Absolutely not. Its that necessary and very real thing we all seek. Doug shares his life experiences while teaching us the skills of happiness in a very moving and real way.

Andrew R. Summerfield President & Creative Director, Summerfield Advertising

This powerful book guides us along a path of faith and determination to reach our dreams through forgiveness and compassion.

Prof. em. Dr. Guido Mislin ETH, Zrich.

Doug Smith brings great insights to an extremely important topic. It makes terrific reading for anyone going through life changes and challenges.

Stephen Sadove Former Chairman and CEO, Saks

When adversity found him, Doug found happiness, and, in so doing, blazed a path that many readers will benefit from following.

Josh Sommer Executive Director, Chordoma Foundation

With a business leaders smarts, a fathers love, a husbands devotion, Doug tackles the questions of happiness in his own life and gives away the secrets to his readers.

John P. Schuster Author of Answering Your Call and The Power of Your Past

Doug Smith provides us all with a truly rare and unsparingly honest glimpse into the inner life of a CEOand one mans journey from being driven by fear and judgment, to leading from love and happiness. The concepts and skills Doug describes are invaluable to us all.

Ken Murphy Former EVP of Human Resources, Altria

The lessons in this book are a poignant reminder that the values of gratitude, friendship, forgiveness and optimism are universal and true for all of us. This is a moving story of one blood cancer survivors journey, his story will inspire other patients and their families who are living with a blood cancer, as well as anyone who wants to pause for a moment and reflect on themselves and their impact on others...

John E. Walter President & CEO, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

This book is a gift that has made me a better father, better friend and better leader. This book is the most important book I have read in years.

Tom Krouse President, Donatos

In the true spirit of altruism, encouraged within these pages, Doug has graciously given us the gift of better understanding how to find happiness.

Dennis Bland CEO, The Center for Leadership Development

H APPINESS

The Art of Living with Peace, Confidence and Joy

by
Douglas A. Smith

Published by

White Pine Mountain

445 Hutchinson Ave., Ste 270

Columbus, OH 43235

Copyright 2014 by Douglas A. Smith

Edited by RobinLee Allen

Cover design and illustrations by Summerfield Advertising

2nd Edition, 2014.

ISBN: 978-0-9860708-0-8

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013954900

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.

Printed in the United States of America.

To Sparky

and

To everyone working
to make it a
cancer-free world

My great-grandfather told how during the Great Famine, when everyone around his part of the country was starving, a crow flew past with a potato in its beak, which meant it was a good potato, not diseased, and men, women and children set off after the crow, stumbling into ditches, falling, jostling each other to be the one to get the food if the bird dropped it. Thats what the pursuit of happiness is like. This is one of lifes mysteries there is no coming to terms with that as long as we have breath we have no choice but to go running after happiness, our poor faces strained upward as if we cannot get enough of it, as if happy is what we were meant to be, as if without happiness we would starve. As we would.