MSI Press Blog

  excerpt from  How to Get Happy and Stay That Way  (Romer) - What Makes You Happy? I guess every generation thinks it’s pretty special, but there’s no doubt that mine, the so-called “Woodstock generation,” was unique. In fact, for a long time it seemed that my happiness had to relate back to the 1960s and 70s, as if then and not now I was the real me . But over the last few years, I’ve realized there are other ways of being happy, ways that build on all the things I learned as a free-spirited flower child (and later, a fun-living feminist)—yet add new ingredients, a certain type of self-awareness combined with gratitude, that really bring contentment. “Follow your bliss,” advised mythologist Joseph Campbell. I didn’t hear him say that on TV till the mid-1980s, well into my second marriage and light years away from my former hippie happiness. Yet the words struck a chord because by that time I knew I loved to write— had to write, in fact, although I’d only published a fe...

  Recently released - the audiobook edition of  How to Get Happy and Stay That Way  by Joanna Romer. Book description: A winningly simple yet comprehensive look at the source of happiness, based on interviews with twelve of the happiest people that the author knows, most of whom have had what others might consider difficult lives. Each "happy person" vignette includes an introspective mini-bio and advice for how readers can attain the same level of happiness. At the end of each chapter (interview), the author provides guidelines for achieving happiness in small steps that any reader can take with confidence. An excellent book for developing self-awareness and an attitude of gratitude, leading to peace and joy. Book Review by RLAManna (Amazon): What is the way to happiness and how does one stay on that path? How do we move beyond hardened views of the world, our place in it, and our often faulty perceptions? If it is true that peace and happiness abide within us, waiting t...

    excerpt from  How to Get Happy and Stay That Way  (Romer) - INTRODUCTION The “pursuit of happiness” is one of the rights promised in the Declaration of Independence, and most of us spend quite a bit of time engaged in this endeavor. Typically, we think it takes some big event---a wedding, job promotion, fantastic vacation—to bring happiness into our lives. But is this true? Could we, in fact, be happy simply by carrying out our daily activities? I say yes—if those activities are things we really like to do. The key to being happy is to engage on a daily basis in work or play that we love. And the key to turning this happiness into joy is gratitude. This is not an esoteric philosophy. It has nothing to do with reaching Nirvana or some other-worldly frame of mind. Yes, those states of consciousness can point the way—but for everyday happiness we need a practical set of techniques that will work year after year, despite obstacles. In addition to gratitude, these tec...

  This week's book back story features How to Get Happy and Stay That Way by Joanna Romer -- a perfect Christmas theme! from the editor -- I will have to tell this story since Joanna, alas, is no longer with us. She passed away suddenly from a heart attack a few years ago. Still, her books are loved and still sell.  This particular book proposal caught my attention immediately. Happy is the name of my cat, and here was an author wanting to tell the world how to get him. Oh, right, she meant joy, happiness, peace -- not my cat! At the time, Joanna was exploring some of the happier, kinder, and kind-to-self themes, writing several books in that vein. Maybe she was looking for joy. Maybe she had found it and wanted to share it. In either event, the book is certain to help others find the joy in their lives. Purchase the paperback 25% discount with coupon code FF25 at the  MSI Press webstore . For more posts about Joanna and her books, several of which have won awards, click...

  excerpt from How to Get Happy and Stay That Way (Romer) - How Can We Tell When True Happiness Is Ours? Knowing when we are happy may seem like a no-brainer, but actually it can be trickier than it sounds. What seems to be true happiness may be deceptive and turn out to be just a passing phase or, worse, the opposite of happiness. For example, have you ever spent hours, even days, planning an event, and it turns out to be something that sounded much better on paper than it actually was? In this case, it may be that whatever happiness was derived from the situation came from the planning process, and not the event itself. Now there’s nothing wrong with achieving satisfaction from producing an event—event planners will vouch for that! However, it’s important to know whether it’s the process or the result itself that makes us happy, so that we’re not disappointed. But how about simple, everyday happiness, not associated with major projects—how can we accurately tell when happiness i...