Over the summer, I was contacted by a representative of Jacqueline Pirtle, author of 365 Days of Happiness: Because happiness is a piece of cake!, and offered a complimentary copy of the book. The words “free” and “book” are two of my favorites, especially when put together. I said I’d love to see the book and thanked her for thinking of me. A few weeks later, the package was delivered. I was impressed to not only receive the book, but a cute cupcake bookmark and a personal note as well.
And then the school year began, my kids went back to their classes, I started working, and the book sat. And sat. Then, I got an email asking what I thought of the book, and, being embarrassed to say I hadn’t read it yet, I didn’t answer. Well, I got a second email this week. “No rush, just looking forward to hearing your thoughts.” The book has been sitting on my desk for three months, and I finally cracked it open. Here’s what I learned.
Initially Skeptical
The book’s cover states it’s a “step-by-step guide to being happy.” This made me hesitant because I don’t buy into such things. In many ways, happiness is not that simple. I believe there are many paths to happiness. All of them have some things in common. Some of those things are gratitude, giving of oneself, and learning and growing despite (and often because of) the hard things life throws at you. I don’t think anyone has a clear cut, step-by-step method to being happy. It’s more of a journey each person has to undertake on their own. So when I saw the title, I was skeptical. It didn’t look like I was off to a good start with this book.
I decided I should learn a little more about the author so I went to her website, freakyhealer.com. Jacqueline Pirtle is known as the “FreakyHealer” and has lead workshops, talks and private sessions for a dozen years. She describes herself as “an intuitive energy healer, medium, and psychic.” Her professional background “is in health and wellness, natural living, nutrition, skin care specialist, homeopathy, herbs, holistic and western medicine, kinesiology, and energy medicine.” She is also internationally certified as a Reiki Master.
Finding Common Ground
As I read these things, I became more skeptical. You could say I’m a little more mainstream in my beliefs. Some of her claims struck me as a little bit “New Agey.” I also had no idea what Reiki or energy medicine was, so I did a little research. It turns out Reiki is energy medicine. I actually have a friend who practices a form of it. Maybe it’s because I live in California, but I know more than a few people who have alternative spiritual belief systems and practices. Often, they strike me as a little “out there.” But this friend has actually helped me with my migraines, and my experiences with her have led me to belive that there is more to it that meets my skeptical eye.
Then, I read that Jacqueline’s passion is to study everything in the field of happiness and mindfulness. Here is where I found common ground. These two topics are a large part of what My Cup of Cocoa is about. With this common ground, I opened 365 Days of Happiness and started studying it.
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365 Days of Happiness
Mindfulness seems to be an ongoing theme in 365 Days of Happiness. For example, Day 359 encourages the reader to turn inward with all their senses. “Create a conscious inward moment with your breathing…” Day 19 talks about taking in the outside world with your senses and feeling your emotions. “How or what do I feel while seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling, or thinking about this?” Day 242 recommends being with yourself. “Make it a regular practice to spend time with yourself without any distractions.” Day 250 talks about happy mindfulness.
I recently wrote about the Three Gs of Happiness (Growth, Giving, Gratitude). Pirtle explores these ideas too. On Day 205, she reminds the reader to “remember what is important.” On Day 251, the reader is counseled to show kindness and compassion. Day 311 talks about being grateful for nothing and everything. Day 113 declares that “kindness changes everything” and Day 28 says “kindness is a necessity for happiness and health.” I couldn’t agree more.
Visualizations are also a big part of the book. I’m not big into visualizing, but if you’re interested every third day or so starts with the word “imagine.” Visualizations can be a form of meditation. Try a few and see where they take you.
Bottom Line
If I hadn’t been given this book, I don’t know that I would have purchased it for myself. I tend to check these types of books out from my local library. But if you are a fan of self-help books, this one is definitely worth a look. We’re talking 365 days of improving your happiness. Each day’s activity is simple and takes only a short time. Pirtle practiced each one of them for one year of her life and says she has been changed for the better.
If you really don’t like New Age philosophies, this book may not be for you. But you can still find useful ideas in it regardless of your personal belief system. If you love visualizations and use affirmations in your life, give this book a good look. It has loads of things for you to try.
I will probably use some of the ideas going forward. Adding positivity in any form is always welcome in my life. It’s worth experimenting with some of the tips and inspiration in 365 Days of Happiness. The investment is only a bit of my time and the pay off has the potential to be more happiness and peace in my life. I could use that, couldn’t you?
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