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If you want to be happy, be.

L EO T OLSTOY

W HEN WAS THE LAST TIME you felt truly happy, fulfilled, clear-minded, well rested, and deeply connected not only to yourself but also to the people and world around you? If its been a while, this book is for you. Youre far from alone in this feeling. Millions of people are suffering today and either dont realize it or dont know what to do about it. Some have given up and are going through the daily motions as best they can. It doesnt have to be this way.

You can wake up from this state of monotony and start pursuing lasting joy and a deeply meaningful existenceeven as you move through struggles, disappointments, and challenges. Those are inevitable. What is not inevitable is feeling chronically untethered, foggy-minded, anxious about an uncertain future, and frustratedmaybe even shatteredby life itself. The thing is, there are very real ways to avoid many of these feelings and, even more important, create ongoing happiness in your life. Some of the strategies shared in the pages ahead will be easier than others, but all will be doable and accessible.

Let us confess from the get-go: we havent attained a perfect realization of this goal. Were on this journey with you. Our belief is that weve found a powerful way to reframe and reclaim our potential for exceptional mental and physical health, and we cant wait for you to implement this in your own life.

Heres the paradox that persecutes us today: modernity provides us with infinite opportunities. We can eat whatever we want whenever we want. We can completely immerse ourselves in the vast, enticing world of digital media. We can buy goods and services and even find potential mates with the touch of a button or swipe of a finger. We can live around the clock in a virtual world where everything about us is public, from our thoughts and perspectives to our purchases, photos, browsing habits, likes and dislikes, and location. We think this 24-7 new reality should make us healthy and happy. But it doesnt. The systems in place to meetand exceed in many regardsall our basic needs do not create Utopia. Quite the opposite. We struggle with soaring rates of largely preventable illnesses, and many of us are more lonely, depressed, and anxious than ever before. Genuine joy remains elusive.

The crazy thing is, despite what the incessant news cycle would have us believe, our modern world is relatively peaceful. Yet poll a large, diverse group of people and the vast majority of them will say they think we live in perilous times. They are fearful, uneasy, and nervous. They feel trapped. Life, overall, is just not a pleasant experience. Whats more, distrust in one another has reached a new high. A 2014 survey of ten thousand Americans revealed the biggest division in political ideologies in decades, and since 2004, the percentage of people with negative views of the opposing party has more than doubled. For anyone keeping abreast of the news, this finding is probably not surprising.

We promise to bring you a new framework for living your life. Together we are going to find a way to cultivate and maintain a more fulfilling existence beyond robust health and psychological well-being. Its time for a brain wash of an entirely different kind.

Imagine for a moment that youre not particularly concerned about anything. You feel grounded and energetic, not the least bit worn, weighed down, burned out, or dead inside. You trust your bodys innate physiology to take care of you and heal on its own. Youre not overly stressed because you have confidence that any challenges you have will work themselves out. Youre comfortable not knowing what tomorrow will bring, though you have a sense of positive agency over the possibilities. And you are okay with the past, however traumatic it was. Youre even okay with friends who have completely different viewpoints from yours. Everything feels right. Your private self-talk is hopeful, relaxed, and open. The sound track of your life is a song you want to play over and over again.

Its hard to consider this level of calmness and contentment when the obligations of the modern world feel more inescapable and crushing with each passing day. But this can be your reality. The secret is knowing whats going on in your head and then changing the circuitry that leads you down destructive paths. This book builds from a simple premise:

Our brains performance is being gravely manipulated, resulting in behaviors that leave us more lonely, anxious, depressed, distrustful, illness-prone, and overweight than ever before. At the same time, we feel disconnected from ourselves, from others, and from the world at large.