Beyond Happiness

A thoughtful yet practical book aimed at anyone who wants to lead a happier and more fulfilled life, written by top headmaster and co-founder of Action for Happiness, Sir Anthony Seldon Owning the latest gadget, having a big salary or changing our appearance might bring us instant pleasure, but it won't bring lasting happiness - many of us end up feeling empty and lost. Anthony Seldon argues that we have the power to make the choices about the way we lead our lives. He proposes simple steps to help us tap into the happiness hidden within and take us beyond happiness and deeper into joy. In this thought-provoking and practical book, Anthony Seldon shares his own experiences as a teacher, historian, parent and co-founder of Action for Happiness. By highlighting the powerful effects of generosity, community, mindfulness and forgiveness, we are shown how they can be woven together to create a simple life full of purpose, meaning and lasting joy. 'A genuinely thoughtful and original approach to how to make your life happier' Derren Brown, illusionist, hypnotist, and writer 'A masterfully written exploration of the challenging road we all journey on as we seek a life of happiness' Tanya Byron, clinical psychologist 'A beyond brilliant and important book' Rachel Kelly, author of Black Rainbow and Walking on Sunshine: 52 Small Steps to Happiness As Britain's best-known headmaster, Sir Anthony famously introduced happiness, or well-being, lessons at his school, Wellington College. In 2011, he co-founded Action for Happiness, a body to raise awareness of the discovery of happiness and reduction of depression, whose influence is growing rapidly in Britain and across the world. In this book Anthony Seldon distinguishes between pleasure, happiness and joy, and offers an original 8-step approach on how to make our lives far more meaningful and rewarding. The pursuit of happiness can all too easily become a trap which seduces us into thinking there is no more to life than being happy. In fact, the author is highly critical of 'positive psychology' and other dominant schools of thought. In fact, we need to reach beyond this if we are to access the deepest levels of human experience open to us, and find our own unique path in life. The author offers a further 5 steps, which point the way to accessing these deeper levels of experience, which alone result in the joyful life which is our birthright. Paradoxically, as this book demonstrates, stepping off the happiness treadmill will ultimately make for a happier and more fulfilled life. It is time to go beyond happiness.