(Review) When Happiness Is Not Enough

AS THE title suggests, this is not a book on happiness but on how to understand this emotion in our lives and ways to attain and embrace it.
As psychologist Chris Skellett puts it succinctly, “we all want to be happy and we continuously search for it in life”.
He also proposes that in order to live a truly fulfilling life, we need to “strike a considered balance between pleasure and achievement”.
The book also offers pointers on how we can become more aware of our own pleasure and achievement orientation and needs, and to balance them in our lives.
It also elaborates how we can enhance the quality of our personal relationships and harness the motivation and influences that drive our decision making.
Other topics covered include how to strike a healthy balance between the experience of pleasure, derived from an appreciation of the moment, and the experience of satisfaction derived from the achievement of personal goals.
When we are happy ourselves, only then can we make others around us happy.
Besides offering tips and pointers in the 12 chapters on how we can come to understand happiness and attain it in our lives and those around us – be it at work or at home – and also in relationships, the book also has a chapter on frequently-asked questions on happiness and the relaxation exercises we can do.
There is also a summary of the key points at the end of each chapter to remind readers on what’s been discussed.
Also, readers will be encouraged to create a structured personal plan that will help them enjoy a richer and more fulfilling life.