Barbara Berger - Are You Happy Now?: 10 Ways to Live a Happy Life

The Road to Power
Fast Food for the Soul

The Road to Power 2
More Fast Food for the Soul

Gateway to Grace
Barbara Bergers Guide to User-Friendly Meditation

Mental Technology (The 10 Mental Laws)
Software for Your Hardware

The Spiritual Pathway
A Guide to the Joys of Awakening and Soul Evolution

The Adventures of Pebble Beach
Single for the Second Time

The Awakening Human Being
A Guide to the Power of Mind (with Tim Ray)

Sane Self Talk
Cultivating the Voice of Sanity Within

First published by O-Books, 2013
O-Books is an imprint of John Hunt Publishing Ltd., Laurel House, Station Approach,
Alresford, Hants, SO24 9JH, UK
www.johnhuntpublishing.com

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Text copyright: Barbara Weitzen Berger 2006

ISBN: 978 1 78279 201 7

All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical articles or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publishers.

The rights of Barbara Weitzen Berger as author have been asserted in accordance with the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Design: Lee Nash
Cover photo: Sren Solkaer Starbird

Printed and bound by CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon, CR0 4YY

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This book came about when I was lying on my sofa one afternoon thinking to myselfOK Barbara, now that youve been through so much and are getting older, what do you need to remember to live a happy life? If you would sum it all up, what would it be? What do you need to know to get you through the rest of your life in a better way?

So I wrote this list.

I wrote down the points that I thought were important. Just to see if I could sum it up for myself. And then I started writing down why I thought each of these points was important again just to explain it to myself. I thought if I could explain it to myself then maybe I would remember the points better. And then maybe Id be able to live the remainder of my life a little more wisely, a little more peacefully, a little more happily.

Because you see, looking back, I could see how much of my life I spent worrying about stuff or being nervous and insecure about stuff or not really enjoying the fullness and richness of my life. I had to admit that to myself. Because it seemed to me in retrospect that even though Ive had a wonderful, exciting life, I was often worried about something or afraid of something or anxious about something. And look what happened! I got here anyway. Despite all the worries! Somehow I made it to today. I might not be able to tell you exactly how, but here I am anyway. Sitting right here in front of my computer. Maybe a bit worse for wear, but sitting here just the same! So what did I learn from all of this?

In other words, what does it take to live a happy life?

This is what Ive found out so far and am trying to live.

Maybe it can help you too!

Wheres the proof?
When I do the things in this book, I feel happy!

The 10 ways:

Accept what is

Want what you have

Be honest with yourself

Investigate your stories

Mind your own business

Follow your passion and accept the consequences

Do the right thing and accept the consequences

Deal with what is in front of you and forget the rest

Know what is what

Learn to see beyond impermanence

The number 1 cause of suffering and unhappiness is wanting life to be something its not.

This basically is our main problem. We want life to be something its not. We want the impossible.

Just think about it.

Dont you want the impossible? Like living forever in this body? Dont you want that? And dont you want to feel good all the time, and look great, and be in control too? And dont you want to be strong and healthy and never get sick or tired or be in pain? And wouldnt you like to succeed at everything you do? And have everyone love and respect you no matter what? And wouldnt you like toWell yes, the list is rather long when you think about it, isnt it?

But the reality is that life isnt like that. Do you know anyone who has lived forever and never died? Or someone who never got sick and never grew old? Probably not because the reality is that there is no one. The reality is that bodies come and go and that they break down, grow old and die. Thats just the way it is.