Before you read the title and think "oh, I don’t need to hear about a book" – WAIT – this book honestly changed my life and had me saying “woah” out loud to an empty room! I strongly suggest reading this book, but if you do not get a chance, take a look at a few of the many points that I really loved that show "How Happiness Happens" through the eyes of Max Lucado. You Have to Go Through the Back Door. Usually when people search for happiness, they look through the front door – or the one that happens when you get something. You get items, you get likes, you get compliments (which is nice for the short term) but true happiness comes when you go through the back door – or the one that happens when you give.(1) It’s often forgotten that we can give happiness away through simple things such as holding a door, thanking a cashier, or sending someone flowers. The front door is the one we aim for because it is often described by the advertising companies but it always fails to deliver what we’re looking for.(2) We can receive happiness when we GIVE, rather than when we GET. Get Rid of Those Pet Peeves This one really hit home for me. I’ll be honest, I have quite a few pet peeves. But why on earth do I care to let something that doesn’t matter bother me? Part of me thinks it’s because society expects us to… I can probably bet that at least once in your life you’ve been asked “What’s your greatest pet peeve?” Max tells it perfectly by saying “every pet peeve writes a check on our joy account.”(3) When something that usually doesn’t have much to do with us happens, we get mad and it can make us angry for a good amount of the day afterwards. Is it even worth it? Definitely not and we can get back some of our happiness. Serve Those Around You Serving is my absolute favorite thing to do, so I was not surprised to find this chapter in the book. It also connects perfectly to the first point that you have to go through the back door. Max wrote something that stuck with me because of how true it was, but also because it was something I wanted to share with you: “the easiest way to make yourself smile is to make someone else smile first.”(4) I loved how he put it. He added later that if you try and make your happiness based on how others serve you, you will always be disappointed, but when you flip that idea around, you can find the happiness you’ve been searching for.(5) Love Everyone. This was my favorite part of the book and might have been the best thing I have ever read especially in the times we are in now with constant arguments and hate throughout America. With the Bible at the focus of this book, this section stood out to me more with how Christians are to act towards all others. Even if not a Christian, the advice is strong and will 100% bring you happiness to love others. He pointed out here that agape (the Greek translation for love) means “unselfish affection.” He pointed out that “God loves a diverse creation” because that is how He created it.(6) He goes on to share that we are God’s workmanship or in Greek, his poetry. Together we are His poetry, not each one of us alone. After this led to my new favorite quote: “What letter, then, has a right to criticize another? Dare the p accuse the q of being backward? Dare the m mock the w for being too open minded? Who are we to tell the writer how to form us or when to use us? We need each other. By ourselves we are just letters on a page, but collectively we are poetry.”(7) So can we just stop for a minute and say woah?? This is so true for everyone whether Christian or not. I have been feeling the tug of the hate that has been occurring all around me. I have seen it from so many people that I know and don’t know, but where it hurts the most is from those who call themselves Christians, those who say they are followers of Jesus. This is just a small token of what it describes in the Bible of how to love others. Jesus showed us perfectly that no matter who the other person is we are to love – not to judge, not to hate, not to fix – that is God’s job, we are just the letters on the page. This was exactly what I needed to read to see that love means unselfish and it is for everyone. I would encourage you to think about these last two paragraphs – are you loving everyone? Or are you judging them, trying to change them, or hating them? All for what – to benefit the needs of yourself so you can just say you won an argument or you hurt them? As a Christian you are called to follow Jesus’ example. As someone who isn’t a Christian, I would just encourage you to love others because that is how you would like to be approached too. So, especially right now when people don’t agree with your strong political views or anything else really – are you loving them? Are you at least not attacking them and remembering the example that was set for us by Jesus Himself as He walked on this earth? This book was life changing – especially during a pandemic. The whole thing hit me, but especially the part of love. I’ve been saying it over and over but to read about it like this was more than encouraging. How Happiness Happens by Max Lucado brings so many examples about how we can find joy and how we can share it with others, and I hope it encourages you as much as it did for me. Notes:
Lucado, Max. How Happiness Happens. Thomas Nelson, 2019. (1/2- pg. 7; 3- pg. 32; 4- pg. 97; 5- pg. 98; 6/7- pg. 156)
2 Comments
Bonnie Corliss
10/19/2020 03:10:21 am
This sounds like a really good book for all of us to read. You always bless me with your suggestions and wisdom! Thank you so much.
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Cassidy Dunn
12/27/2020 06:22:02 pm
Thank you so much!! I appreciate that :)
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