You Can Be Happy No Matter What: Five Principles Your Therapist Never Told You

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Summary: Natural State of Mind verses Habitual Thought Patterns
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What a wonderful book!! Ultimately, it is the ability to leave the habitual thought patterns, that of analytical thinking and contemplative efforts to the state of thoughtless non-activity, which Carlson calls the "Natural State of Mind." This is truly the place where peace and happiness always exists, always in the present moment regardless of external circumstances.

Carlson calls this a new teaching and labels the area outside of the habitual thought patterns an area called the Natural State of Mind. While this may be true, it has been known for thousands of years, such as in the Gita and the Vigyan Bhairav Tantra, which Osho so profoundly expounds upon. The only difference is the two opposing forces are those of the mind and the consciousness/the no-mind, as the mind itself is the disease. Regardless of how you wish to interpret it teaching is basically the same. One place is of thoughts and computer analytical deductions and interpretations, the other is the area of peace and thoughtless, relaxed wisdom. If you can come to the awareness that your mind is not you, but habitual patterns of thought that can both benefit you greatly and detrimentally disturb you - depending on how you use it - then you can obtain the ability to leave the mind and rest in the consciousness or natural state and find happiness despite ALL external circumstances. It is an amazingly profound concept.

Carlson's comments on moods, feelings and separate realities are equally profound in that our thinking derives from our self accumulated perceptions, our perceptions derive from our thinking patterns and our feelings from our thinking. Our moods, once recognized with our awareness of our mind separate from our natural state can then be tolerated and taken far less seriously, enabling us to both endure and patiently wait until such moods pass over. This is the power we obtain when we can be objective, an objectivity that comes with the ability to enter our natural state of mind (no-mind) and understand our thoughts that are clouding our decisions are from the lower areas of habitual thought patterns.

I can't write like Carlson, or like Osho, but am so grateful to both men and many other authors, psychologists, writers, masters and so forth. I've read this book a dozen times and it's never old, always valuable. Far more valuable than relying on a perceived religious book of absolutes, when in effect, it is the mind and the consciousness (the natural state of mind or the no-mind) that one must discover to find peace, not the other way around.

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Summary: Depressed? Anxious? Try healthy psychological functioning!!!
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This was the first of several books I read from Dr. Carlson, and I know it was a very instrumental part of my recovery process overcoming depression. I can't remember when I was so excited to read a book (except perhaps, when I read his book, "Shortcut Through Therapy"). I've read it three times, and bought four copies for other people who were also amazed at how much control they actually had over their own happiness!

The beauty of this book is it's simplicity. It combines principles and applications that are not difficult to understand and, with practice, almost effortless to implement. This book benefited me because I believed, that I had little or no control over my thoughts, feelings, moods, circumstances or happiness.

As I reflect after reading the book, I find that I have been feeling better longer. I still have low moods, but I don't sink as low, stay as long or hurt as bad as I used to. I'm still in therapy, and an end is in sight. My shrinks have substantially lenthened the time between visits, and reduced my meds considerably.

Thank you Dr. Carlson, for your helping hand when it was needed most.

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Summary: This is Self Help at Its BEST!
Review: Ever felt like depression and negativitity were swamping all the happiness out of your life? Then read this book before you turn to Prozac. When I first found this book, back in 1997, I instantly recognized myself in Dr. Carlson's descriptions of the way thoughts can play through one's head and cause you to act in reactionary, emotional ways when one is experiencing what he calls a "low mood." He teaches readers, though, through a step by step process, how to return once again, to a state of "healthy psychological functioning." This book is NOT another "positive thinking" book. No, it is one of the most profound little books you'll ever pick up. It teaches you how to recognize "low moods" and to avoid action during low moods. It shows how to return to "normal functioning." After reading the book version several times a year for the last couple of years, I recently bought a two-tape audio version of this book, which is read by the author, and allows me to review the book's key principles whenever I feel a low mood setting in for too long. Not just a book. A great mental health tool.

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Summary: Wary of self-help books, like me? This book makes sense!
Review: I can only add a few words to the mostly positive reviews already posted. The reader from Chicago unfortunately missed the point. Life does not have to be a self-improvement course. We _do_ have the tools we need to live a happy life, but so often deny ourselves, out of a notion that life is only meaningful if we "struggle for clarity", and earn our well-being. Over the years I've taken myself to task for mistakes,choices,relationships, in order to consider myself "worthy' of a happy

existence. The concepts in this book _are_ simple, but not stupid. Carlson's metaphor for living in the moment; the image of a motor boat, and it's wake, couldn't be easier to understand. We stand at the back of the boat, studying the wake, but it's the engine that moves us forward! As it is with our past, we can examine it, but like the wake, it's not going to get us anywhere.

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Summary: A Refreshing Mood Change Upon Reading
Review: It's amazing, after each turn of a page, you feel better and better. This book literally saved my mind! My mood is so much improved and after dealing with depression and medication for it, this is a gift from God. I especially liked the chapter on improving relationships. Just wish I had this book before my last serious love relationship which ended in a bitter break up. I can see where I went wrong and how I contributed to it's failure. But, like the book teaches, I choose not to dwell in past hurts or disappointments and instead choose to live in the present moment! I believe Dr. Carlson has a gift from God and knows just how to articulate it to be so simple and understandable. Although I've never met the author, I consider him a good friend. Thank you so much Richard.

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Summary: Profound Words of Wisdom
Review: This book gave me new insight and profound concepts into what constitutes happiness. Words of wisdom from someone that must practice or consult on this matter a lot.

My favorites?
Happiness is a state of mind, not a set of circumstances, or outcome. If you hear yourself saying "I'll be happy when I ...." get married? get a house? get a new job? kids? Carlson says you can be happy now because its your state of mind not what or when you achieve something. Often when you achieve what you were seeking, you're not much happier than before.

Principle of Present Moment; your past, like the wake of a boat, is powerless. Your past can only be signficance only if you decide to give it so. Therefore, don't dwell on your past, your past has no bearing on your happiness now. Accept the past for what it is, experiences that culminate to form how and what you view life is today, use the past, and then let them go, and move on.

Happy people view life as a series of present moments to be experienced, one after another. They understand that life is to be lived now, and future activities and tomorrow's to-do list distracts from your present moment.

Are you playing a war in your own head?

Are you thinking about yourself too much?

Loosen up and live and enjoy life, in the present moment! You have everything necessary to be happy!