Kristi Ling - Operation Happiness The 3-Step Plan to Creating a Life of Lasting Joy, Abundant Energy, and Radical Bliss

Kristi Lings willingness to share her story and be a living example of what science is telling usthat we can train ourselves to be happyshows us all that happiness is always available if were willing to deliberately do it rather than just wait around for it.

Arielle Ford, author of Turn Your Mate into Your Soulmate

As a firm believer in pro-active participation in every aspect of our lives, I love the way Kristi Ling has extended this philosophy to our pursuit of happiness. Its all about personal responsibility, greater awareness, and taking positive action. Operation Happiness is the perfect road map!

Susan Wilking Horan, wellness advocate and bestselling author of The Single Source Cancer Course

Never has a book like Operation Happiness been more relevant! At a time when were searching for the next like, or external validation, Kristi Ling teaches us that happiness is a skill and ultimately our responsibility to learn and master.

Corey Jenkins, inspirational speaker and host of the talk show Life with Awareness

Mention of specific companies, organizations, or authorities in this book does not imply endorsement by the author or publisher, nor does mention of specific companies, organizations, or authorities imply that they endorse this book, its author, or the publisher.

Internet addresses and telephone numbers given in this book were accurate at the time it went to press.

2016 by Kristi Ling

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any other information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher.

Book design by Christina Gaugler

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file with the publisher.

ISBN 9781623365943 hardcover

ISBN 9781623365950 ebook

We inspire and enable people to improve their lives and the world around them.
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For my friends and family.
And for anyone who has ever felt like theyve been wandering the forest of life without a field guide for happiness.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

There are so many incredible people who have helped, supported, and inspired me in my journey and in the creation of this book. First, I would like to thank all four of my parents. You have all taught me so much more than you know. Mom, thank you for being my rock and for your love, honesty, strength, and grace. Dad, thank you for inspiring me with your entrepreneurial spirit. Keith (my second dad), I love and appreciate you so much. Jennifer, thank you for your joyful energy and for being a wonderful partner to my dad. Scott, Loren, Stacey, and Dana, I could not be a more fortunate sister. Thank you to my whole, big, wonderfully complex familynieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, in-laws, and long lost (and newly discovered) family members. I love you all.

I would like to extend tremendous gratitude and appreciation to my literary agent Bill Gladstone. Thank you for believing in me and for guiding me to believe in myself even more. A huge thanks to my gifted editors Lora Sickora and Jennifer Levesque. Your support, brilliant suggestions, and guidance have been invaluable. Enormous thanks to Aly Mostel, Evan Klonsky, Alyse Diamond, Aaron Pattap, Chris Gaugler, and the entire team at Rodale. Im honored to work with such a wonderful, mission-driven company that does so much to inspire people, improve lives, and help create a better world.

Thank you to friends, teachers, and mentors who were especially supportive with this book: T.R. Garland, Peggy McColl, Amateo Ra, Craig and Eddie Sanders, John Peterson, Jen Svejda, Maddy Bowman, Emmanuel Dagher, and Wendy L. Yost. And, thank you Mabel Katz for your Hooponopono guidance.

Endless thanks from my whole heart to dear ones who have offered endless support, inspiration, and brilliant insight: Richie Jacquez and family; Mark Fleischer; Susan Wilking Horan; Betty Boop and the Fleischer Studios team; Linda Joy; Amy Prenner; Steve Truitt; Michael Goodman; Dylan Vigil; Kenn Henman; Kathy Buckley; Jennifer Currier; Betsy Johnson; Leslie Kaz; Leslie and Brad Story; Julie Andersen and the gang; Nick Ramirez; Benjamin Hisoler; the Bowman family; John Mulhall; Matt Orr; Sam Lucas and Clayton Yeung; Brittain Alexander; Denise Ridlon; Cory Sadler; and, of course, Robert. And, infinite gratitude to my many other friends and colleagues who have cheered me on (you know who you are).

A heartfelt thanks to my social media family, blog readers, and podcast listeners. Im grateful every day to be connected and co-creating with such beautiful souls.

I would also like to acknowledge my beloved lifelong friends who left this world too soon: Rob Brown, Sharon Morgan, Mark Tortorici, and Blayne Alexander. Thank you for inspiring me, supporting me, and for all that I was so lucky to learn from you.

Finally, huge gratitude to all the trailblazing authors, teachers, and mentors who have inspired me with their wisdom and light in so many ways along my journey, including Thomas Leonard, Tony Robbins, Elizabeth Gilbert, Marianne Williamson, Guy Finley, Kris Carr, Tim Ferriss, Cheryl Richardson, Brendon Burchard, Oprah Winfrey, Neale Donald Walsch, and my third grade teacher Mr. Rhodes.

Im so grateful for you all and for this amazing, mysterious, wild life. I am truly blessed.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to Operation Happiness! This book is a fired-up, life-shifting, crash course in happiness that will, among other things, create a powerful perspective shift to reveal an enormously overlooked, life-illuminating truth: Happiness is a skill. Its widely known as a choice, a feeling, a state of being, which is all true. But most important, its an actual skill that can be learned, improved upon, and even masteredjust like playing a musical instrument or riding a bike. I believe this one powerful concept is the missing link thats been holding so many back from creating the amazing, dynamic lives they desire and deserve.

Crafting the happy, expansive, energetic life Im living today wasnt an overnight journey for me, and it definitely wasnt easy. It took me nearly ten years, a ton of hard work, a few giant missteps, dedicated study, and being open to big lessons. Ten years may seem like a long time, but the truth is, after feeling broken and hitting rock bottom, I was trying to reverse and dissolve patterns that had been within me for more than thirty years. When you think of it that way, a decade doesnt seem so long. However, when I had the enormous realization eight years into that journey that happiness is actually a skill and started practicing it that way daily, my life changed. It was like Id finally discovered my true nature and walked right into an entirely new, light-filled world. This magical approach is what this book is all about.

Ive spent the last thirteen years immersed in the study and practice of happiness. Ive read countless books; tried practical, scientific, and super woo-woo stuff; and been completely fascinated by it all. The first few years, it grew from my unrelenting desire to change my own life, but there came a point when I knew that all I was learning and discovering was so valuable, so life-changing, and so important, I had to share it with the world.