All Ears Audiobooks discussion

Eat, Pray, Love One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia

This is the literary work I'll start with, although I read an interesting opinion in our local newspaper The Sacramento Bee about Aristotle's "Nichomachean Ethics," a book in which he analyzes happiness in all its complexity. The striking thing about Aristotle's book is its great universal content that's so relevant to our modern times.

He says: "Why then should we not say that he is happy who is active in accordance with complete virtue and is sufficiently equipped with external goods, not for some chance period but throughout a complete life?"

As to Gilbert's book, I feel that she goes through an interesting spiritual and self-discovery journey that resulted in her transfomation while achieving happiness. Although she claims in her book that her traveling will allow her to experience wordly enjoyment and divine transcendence, ultimately it all boils down to her inner peace and happiness.

Her definition of happiness is simple, and yet powerful, as it lingers in our minds and hearts. To her, happiness equals generosity to the world.
The author says: "Clearing out all your misery gets you out of the way. You cease being an obstacle, not only to yourself but to anyone else. Only then are you free to serve and enjoy other people."

Let me know your thoughts on her book or any other book that contains incisive, funny and interesting thoughts on happiness.

I'll end here with a Chinese proverb on happiness: "To be unhappy over what one lacks is to waste what one already possesses."

Happy Reading!








I also saw from your profile that you read Eat, Love, and Pray, which is such a great, erudite book written in an engaging, and yet intellectually appealing way. I read the book, and got to make notes on it. I like the passage on happiness, where she describes how we as human beings are all responsible for our own happiness and that happiness is something that we constantly have to work on, as it doesn't come on its own. She was also touching on Dalai Lama's ideas that acquiring happiness might require a degree of selfishness, but that ultimately it has a powerful effect on the people around us, as they will be happy, too.

Hi, Carmen.

What a wonderful post and great discussion topic, especially these days as we worry about jobs, the economy, the environment, etc. I agree with your point that happiness has to come from within. I recently saw a quote that if you search for happiness, you can never find it - it's a state of being, not a destination. Have you read Tal Ben Shahar's book, Happier? He is a Harvard professor who teaches a class on happiness. I saw him speak at my son, Michael's school. One of the things that he suggested was to write down 5 things that you are grateful for at the end of each day. I've tried doing this as a family during dinner, but with all the eye rolling and 'can I please be excused', my sense of gratitude diminishes! I'll have to find a quiet time during my day to try this out.

Thanks again for the post, Carmen. I definitely will think more about this!

Hi Julie,

Yes, I totally agree with you regarding gratitude. I, too, keep a journal and write down the five things I'm grateful for, but not on a regular basis due to time constraints, after listening to the author of "Simple abundance" talk about gratitude. She said that simple things we write down help us internalize all the wonderful things present in our lives, as well as give us perspective on things. It's funny that you say you try to do this during dinner. I, too, started doing this, but mainly in a story form, as my kids's retention span is tiny, tiny. It worked well in the beginning and was exciting, but then I lost my audience. I did a little tweak to this, and aplied it to our evening prayer, and that way my son Alex really likes to enumerate all the things he's thankful for (for now it's his toys, food, his sister, and mommy and daddy). Thanks for the reply and I'll come up more literary works that address the topic of happiness. Take care!

I love the topic of happiness.

I recently finished "Whole New Mind" by Daniel Pink.

In this book, Pink talks about humanity's transition into the next age.

Pink discusses that in order to stay relevant and ahead, we just develop our mind holistically - shifting our emphasis on the left brain more to the right brain.
The differences between the 2 halves are:
1. One controls the opposite side of the body
2. Left - sequential, right - simultaneous
3. Left - text, right -context
4. Left - details, right - big picture

To develop the right side to meet the increasingly vigorous needs of the future, Pink suggests to hone our 6 senses of the right brain. These 6 senses are separate but they are closely linked and overlapped. Pink also adds a portfolio segment at the end of each 'senses' chapter on how to develop that particular sense.

(1) Design
It is illustrated that the world is moving beyond functionality to something that adds in an engaging experiential component to life. Design can only make the difference between 2 products with the same function. To develop this, we can diversify our learning, don't conform to the masses, be choosy and to learn how to be creative.

(2) Story
We remember details better if they are part of a bigger story due to the emotion factor. Such engaging experiences will only attract.

(3) Symphony
This is the ability to synthesize than analyze. Seeing relationships, connecting different parts, recognizing the bigger picture and creating new from old are ways to be different. This is something a computer cannot do. We ought to practice drawing, being metaphorical and keep asking 'why nots' instead of 'why'.

(4) Empathy (feel bad with; different from sympathy - feel bad for)
The ability to connect with people is increasingly being recognized as a necessary trait in a globalizing world. This can be seen in the need for people-skills in job recruitment as well. We can hone this skill by volunteering and putting ourselves in people's shoes constantly.

(5) Play
It is a trend that people are seeking work that are more 'play'. Passion is the key word. Entertainment is one of the largest industry and merging it with work to value-add gives greater incentive for people to seek this course.
Humor is equally important to develop meaningful relationships and creating better lives.

(6) Meaning
There is an increasing connection with our work and something spiritual. The need to connect with something deeper gives meaning to our experience in life. We can hone this by dedicating work to some cause or to show gratitude daily.

Pink suggests two methods of gratitude: birthday gratitude and gratitude one-a-day.

From Pink's book, I started a birthday gratitude which is listing a "gratitude" for each of your birthday.

Great post, Ann! Thank you so much. I like the birthday gratitude, so I might start this year.

Hi Carmen,

My favorite books on the topic of happiness:

"Geography of Bliss" by Eric Weiner
(available on CD and paperback)

"Happiness is a Serious Problem by Dennis Prager
(only available on paperback and audio cassette)

Great! I'll start with "Geography of Bliss."
Have a great weekend!