Dr. Louise Lambert - Happiness: Get It, Keep It, Oh…And Enjoy It!

Its official! We have a Minister of Happiness and Wellbeing in the UAE. Its a great place to live and full of human potential. We have good jobs. We have loads of holidays. We have beachesand we have great weather (well, if you like 50+ Celsius, that is). We are a multicultural nation that is peaceful, tolerant, welcoming, and loads of fun. Yet, I bet many of you are reading this saying, yes, thats true, but why am I still not happy? Whats wrong with me?

Sunshine, theres nothing wrong with you. Its that happiness is elusive, takes work, and constant vigilance, and depends upon much more than your external surroundings and personal circumstances. Sure, those play a role, but they are much smaller than you think. Happiness comes down to how we see the world, how we interpret what happens to us, how we approach problems, and on what we choose to focus. Its more complicated than just shopping (which doesnt work by the way) or spending time with friends (which does work, but you need more than that); its a science. Really.

Its called positive psychology, the science of well-being which takes happiness as seriously as psychology has historically taken misery. The fact that we know so much about anxiety, depression, and anger shows how seriously psychology has taken its role, but the truth is, weve only just begun looking at happiness with the same vigor for the past 10 to 15 years. Being a psychologist, Im interested in research and why things are the way they are, but I also recognize that statistics and graphs dont explain how someone can be happier. But, youre in luck. I was also a practicing psychologist for over 15 years and made a career out of explaining, in plain English, what those research findings mean and what you can do in turn. So, youve come to the right place if youre looking for something grounded in science. This will become increasingly important as there are happiness specialists popping up all over the region.

Because it is a new focus in science that seems intuitively easy compared to neuropsychology for example, everyone is trying to cash in. This book in particular relies upon empirical research (observed or experimental testing) taken from the scientific literature. Relying on the research saves you effort and avoids you wasting your money with the happiness fairy who can only seem to tell you to think positively! Duh! If that worked, wed all be happy, wouldnt we?

I will give you practical advice from psychology and a few technical terms, but this is because I want you to know what science has to say about happiness and why certain strategies work. I dont want you to just take my word for it. I want you to learn about happiness for yourself. My commitment is to provide you with information as well as instructions to implement that information. I will also ask you questions along the way, so keep a paper and pen handy to reflect on your thoughts and feelings. Ill also give you activities to try. I am also focused on the present and future and will not be delving into your past or asking you to do so either. The past is not necessary for you to be happy today. We will also not be looking for what is wrong with you, nor will we be talking about depression. This is a book on happiness, after all!