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How to Use This Little Book

The advantage of a little book is its size which enables a person to carry it with them in a bag, briefcase, or pocket wherever they go. With the advent and increasing popularity of electronic hand-readers, even size is irrelevant. Now, whenever you need a few words of encouragement to help you through the day, they are there at the touch of a button or a stroke of the screen.

There are no hard and fast rules to using A Season of Happiness. In fact, the only rules are those you make yourself. Whichever way works for YOU is the way to go. This is the essence of self-help.

To some, however, the concept behind the following pages may not appear as simple as was intended. My idea was to tackle a problem I had been unable to resolve head-on by looking outside the box. By that, I mean trying to appreciate it from a different perspective, because frequently we are too close and fail to see what is very apparent to an objective observer.

Here is an example from the Relationships section which, hopefully, will help explain. First, I have outlined a problem or issue that most of us will encounter at some time. Being misinterpreted can have adverse, sometimes disastrous results. The best way to avoid this happening would seem to be obvious:

SAY WHAT YOU MEAN

The diversities of language, culture and upbringing often lead to communication difficulties. No matter how carefully or in what form we send it, we cannot be certain that our message will be interpreted as we originally intended. It may even be received by a third party for whom it was never meant. As long as you say what you mean and mean what you say, you will have done your best to convey the truth.

Unfortunately, we don’t always do this and often expect others to understand because our words are plain enough to us. What we tend to forget is that whoever is on the receiving end of our attempt to communicate may not be on the same wavelength, perhaps being distracted by a personal problem on which they are still focussed. To really appreciate how straightforward words and actions can be misread, I decided to try something very basic.

SHINE A LIGHT

Take a flashlight out at night and shine it up into the sky, or towards the horizon. Is anyone out there to see it? What meaning might they attach to it and how might this simple message affect their subsequent actions? Whenever we speak, in whatever way, whether it be to others or just to ourselves, our words will always have consequences for which we must accept responsibility.

This may seem a pointless exercise because anyone can imagine what might happen by flashing a light around at night. But if you actually do it, you will be more aware of how a simple, casual act could have far-reaching consequences which you have unwittingly instigated. Environment is everything. A light flashed on and off, or waved around at sea or in a wilderness area could start an unnecessary and costly search for a person in distress. A neighbour catching sight of a torch-light in a suburban backyard might believe someone was up to no good and call the police.

But how does this relate to our usual day-to-day communications? Perhaps it doesn’t, if our words and deeds are always taken the way we intend. If not, maybe it would be worth thinking about the message we are trying to put across and how we are doing it, rather than blaming someone else for not listening properly.

I recommend first-time readers glimpse the Table of Contents to find something of interest they can relate to, or that may be a likely contributor to unhappiness. There are a number of situations in each group which are pertinent to the subject of the section headers, but they may also be relevant to other issues.

Please try the suggestions in a practical way, rather than just imagining how you might feel if you did. There is no substitute for the hands-on approach which often highlights subtle yet important considerations that might, under normal circumstances, be overlooked.

And think well on how you feel – before, during and after a particular exercise – because all of them are intended to help you look deeply into yourself and understand how you genuinely react to situations. Even annoyance at the prospect of performing some ridiculous charade can tell you much about yourself and the way you are coping with life in general. This little book is not meant to change you as a person, just help you become who you truly wish to be.

Enjoy A Season of Happiness.

You deserve it.

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