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You can buy happiness

This is the book we're reading at the moment. The catchy title You Can Buy Happiness (and It's Cheap) sums up the theme that the best things in life don't cost much. By simplifying and focussing on what actually brings happiness, we can do less of the work we hate and live more of the life we love.


There are 3 sections - The paradox of stuff (eg. the stuff you own owns you), Finding happiness through simple living, and Buying happiness.

Even if you don't want to be exactly like the author, the micro-actions at the end of each chapter can help you live a life that's more "conscious and connected, sustainable and sustaining, heartfelt and happy".

I thoroughly recommended it.

..it's easy to accept culturally defined yet faulty ideas of 'happiness' that are based on acquiring material wealth [but the] question isn't 'What do I need to support my current lifestyle?' the question is 'What do I want most out of life and what lifestyle supports that best?'

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