What Happy People Know
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Book Report:
What Happy People Know
By Dan Baker and Cameron Stauth
Report written by: Kelsey Welsh
Report written for: Professor Mary Tucker
December 7, 2005
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What Happy People Know: Book Report
Breaking Free of Fear
Qualities of Happiness
Happiness Tools
Appreciation
The Appreciation Audit.
Self-Appreciation.
Victimization.
Personal Power
Victimization.
Entitlement.
Rescue.
Blame.
Free Yourself of the VERBs.
A Recognition of Strength
Best Practices Tool.
A Sense of Choice
The Power of Language and Stories
Multidimensional Living
Synthesis
Personal Experience
Other Readings
References
What Happy People Know: Book Report
Dan Baker and Cameron Stauths What Happy People Know is a great book, I would recommend it to anyone to read because, “the same basic principles about happiness apply to virtually everyone, across all age groups, nationality, cultures” (Baker & Stauth, 2003, p. 40). It compares and contrasts what happy people know and do in comparison to what unhappy people know and do. The book teaches the reader how to change their outlook on life from a negative to a positive one. I will begin this report with a brief explanation of what the major underlying factor of unhappiness is. Next, I will briefly talk about the qualities of happiness, according to Baker and Stauth (2003). And lastly, I will reveal just what it is happy people know, also called the happiness tools (Baker & Stauth).
According to What Makes People Happy, a person cannot be happy if they have fear in their lives (Baker & Stauth, 2003). Most people dont realize that they are living in fear. Fear enters many peoples lives disguised as anger, perfectionism, depression, hate, anxiety, and so on. According to the authors (2003), fear is the opposite of something that makes sense (p. 17). In todays world, most types of fear can be placed into either of the two categories: “fear of not having enough and fear of not being enough” (Baker & Stauth, 2003, p. 24).
Breaking Free of Fear
The first step in break free of fear is to admit that you have fear and then accept the fear. Baker and Stauth (2003) say, “Welcome it. Laugh at yourself. Forgive yourself. Rise to the height of your soaring spirit. And move on” (p. 59). There is not better time than now to accept this fear so you can begin your happy life.
In this report I will discuss many additional ways to break free of your fear. Unfortunately, nobody can get rid of fear forever, because, part of everybodys brain is dedicated just to fear (Baker & Stauth, 2003).
Qualities of Happiness
The authors recognize that living in fear is the easy route in life, and that happiness is difficult to achieve. According to the authors (2003), there are twelve qualities that define happiness and they are what people should aim to achieve. If you are able to achieve these qualities, your search for happiness should be over, because happiness will find you (Baker & Stauth, 2003). The following are the twelve qualities of happiness, according to Baker and Stauth (p. 19-21):
Optimism
Courage
A sense of freedom
Proactivity
Security
Health
Spirituality
Altruism
Perspective
Humor
Purpose
Happiness Tools
As mentioned, it is a lot of work to lead a happy lifestyle. Baker and Stauth (2003) suggest that happiness can be created through the following (p. 248):
Appreciation
Personal power
A recognition of strengths
A sense of choice
The power of language and stories
Multidimensional living
Appreciation
The authors (2003) place a very strong emphasis on the benefits and uses of appreciation. The reason they placed such a strong emphasis on appreciation is because due to the way our brains work, it is impossible for fear and appreciation to be present simultaneously. Remember, fear is the basis of most unhappiness. When you do not have appreciation in your life, your brain is locked into using the fear part of the brain (Baker & Stauth, 2003).
The Appreciation Audit.
One way to help bring upon appreciation is to use the Appreciation Audit. In order for the Appreciation Audit to be effective, you must protect yourself from fear (since fear and appreciation cannot be present simultaneously). The purpose of this activity is to change the way you view the facts of your life and then use