Little Guinness

She’s nine years old and only six pounds with no teeth! (She had to get them all pulled last year when we adopted her, poor thing.) Well, after I turned a page, I put my finger on her tiny paw and petted it. Just for a second. And from her deep little slumber, she started to purr like a big, steady motor.

Me and "Little G" on the couch

That’s how Guinness. She purrs all the time. And it only requires the tiniest provocation to get her to do it. Give her a quick glance and say her name? Purr. Pat the couch and call her over? Purr. Pick up her bag of food? Purr. Even the vet said that after they pulled all her teeth and she woke up groggy out of her anesthesia, she opened her eyes and purred!

Thinking about that this morning made me wonder: Why don’t we purr this easily in life? Why does it take us so much more to feel happy?

Here’s what I think we could do: Let’s think like Guinness for a day. Every time we see or hear or taste or feel or touch something that is good, let’s imagine a little purr of happiness inside. When you take your first sip of hot coffee in the morning? Purr. When you get a green light? Purr. When you greet your good friend? Purr. When you put on a soft, warm pair of socks at the end of a long day? Purr.

If we’re really paying attention, we could have our motors going all day long, just like Guinness does. They do say cats really life the life, right? Well, I think we can, too.

Did I cover the good stuff in my little list there? What makes you purr on a regular day?

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The Little Things That Make Me Happy

Big love,

If you haven’t ordered your copy yet, you can pre-order the book on Amazon.com. Then check out all the great book recommendations here:

Big love,

My second book, Bright Side Up: 100 Ways to Be Happier Right Now, will be released on February 7—which is just two weeks from today! Which means that if you want to get the book as soon as possible, you can pre-order it today on Amazon.com or on BarnesandNoble.com! Or you can get it on iBooks or the Kindle or the Nook… Or, you can go old school and line up at your local bookstore to pick it up in person on launch day! Either way, we’re both happier.

Bright Side Up is like a guide for “emergency optimism.” When you get a flat tire, when your computer crashes, when your relationship ends, when you gain 10 pounds—these are 100 practical strategies for seeing those day-to-day negative experiences from a more positive place. Because it’s not what happens to us that matters for our happiness, but how we see, feel and experience what happens to us.

Which means you don’t have to re-invent your life to be happier! You don’t need a bigger house, a new car or expensive shoes, you just need to see what you have in front of you from a more positive perspective. Really, you don’t have to change your life itself to be happier—you just need to change how you look at the life you have.

I am so proud of this book, and I’m certain it will help change how you see your life for the better. Here’s to turning the bright on, one idea at a time.

—Amy

“We’re afraid to be turned down, so we don’t ask. We’re afraid someone won’t like our song, so we don’t play it. We’re afraid to be thought foolish, so we don’t ask questions. We’re afraid we’ll be bad at explaining it, so we don’t stand up and try. Well, here’s a different idea: Let’s show fear what we’re made of and give ourselves a chance to see what we can do. Because facing a fear brings reward no matter what. You’ll be rewarded with success, or you”ll be rewarded with pride that you tried. Either way, you win.”

—from the upcoming Bright Side Up: 100 Ways to Be Happier Right Now. (out Feb. 7, 2012!)

Be inspired. Get happy. Order yours today!

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Make Your Someday Happen!

Big love,

Picture yourself taking a time out on this bench. Ahhh, just chillin'. (Image: Hungtington Gardens, 2011, by Amy Spencer)

Here’s the deal: Aura Cacia, a maker of natural and organic essential oils, has identified today — January 23rd — as one of the most stressful days of the year, because our New Year’s resolutions are starting to slide, our credit card bills are in from the holidays, and the snowy, rainy days aren’t yet giving it a rest.

So here’s what they suggest: Today, at 12 noon, on whatever coast or whatever country you’re in, step away from your computer and take 15 minutes to chill out. I’m going to do it and I want you to join me! You know why? Because it’s time we took a moment to appreciate all of our own hard work, and sat back to enjoy what we’ve acccomplished — even just for a few minutes. That’s what happiness is all about! So set your iPhone alarm or your kitchen timer for 12 noon today. When it goes off, chill.

• Take some deep breaths.
• Stretch your arms up over your head, and bend over and stretch out your back and legs.
• Go for a short walk. Buy yourself a hot herbal tea or a flower to put on your desk.
• Or sit down in the park or lie down on a couch.

Whatever you do, do it away from your laptop.

Rest. Relax. Get happy.

Big love,

First, check out the February 2012 issue of O Magazine and you’ll see that Bright Side Up made #3 on Oprah’s list of “10 Titles to Pick Up Now.” Ahem, I think you should take her advice, don’t you? You can order the book here.

And second, check out the February 2012 issue of Self Magazine. They say, if you want to love your month, pick up Bright Side Up to help you do it!

Pre-order a copy of Bright Side Up on Amazon.com, or find one on bookshelves near you beginning February 7th.

Happy reading!

Big love,

My friend Brandon, who works in the music industry, blasted this song for me over a year ago. I have now Shazam-ed it three times on my iPhone in my car. Three times. The third time was today, at which point I turned it up super loud, opened the windows, smiled, and danced in my front seat all the way home. So if you don’t already know this song “Young Blood” by The Naked and the Famous, it’s time you did.

Are you ready? Plug in your headphones. Turn up the volume. Press play. Then let the happy flow. The lyrics? No idea. And I’m too happy singing, “Yeah yeah yeah yeah…” to take a break long enough to look them up.

Here’s to music putting us on the fast-track to feeling good!

P.S. If you don’t know Shazam, holy cow! It’s an app that you can hold up to any song, and it will tell you the name of it in about ten seconds. Run, don’t walk, to the app store!

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No More Drama!

Big love,

I got such a burst of happy in that moment that I wanted to recommend it to you.

Stop. Smell. Resume walking. (Image: Venice canal roses by Amy Spencer)

Of course, it doesn’t need to be roses. But stopping to sniff, study or touch a flower, a plant or a tree on a walk reminds us of what a vibrant, bursting, interesting planet we live on. Yes, we’ve got problems—on the personal, national and universal levels. But in any given minute on any afternoon, there’s a world full of alive out there that goes beyond us. Give that world a second of your time. Those boring old bushes at your company’s front door? Look at them. Those flowers on your neighbors fence? Sniff ‘em. That thick old tree that you can’t image not being on your block? Study it.

Stop for a few seconds to smell the roses and it will feel like you’re adding ten times that to your day. And if you can find a rose, for goodness’ sake, friend, stop and smell it!

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Lean on Faith

Big love,

Poke around, read some free excerpts straight from the book before the book is on shelves. And if you’re not signed up to get the happiest email you’ll get all week, my Vitamin Optimism, git yerself on the list!

I can’t wait to tell you more about Bright Side Up, and I can’t wait for you to be able to actually read it. You can pre-order the book now on Amazon.com or BarnesandNoble.com. And then, come February 7, you just might find yourself living a superbly happier life without having to make a major change to your life at all.

Thanks for your awesome love and support. Here’s to a big, bright week!

Big love,

Coming soon: Bright Side Up!

Those of you who receive my happy weekly Vitamin Optimism email have already gotten a sneak peek of this, but for those of you who haven’t seen it yet, I could not be more thrilled to say that my brand new book comes out in just three weeks!

The book is called BRIGHT SIDE UP: 100 Ways to Be Happier Right Now (Perigee, out Feb. 7), and it takes my concept of dating optimism to an even bigger place, to life optimism.

The way I see it, happiness isn’t about what happens to us, it’s about how we see and feel about what happens to us. So if you can see your home, job, relationship or single life from a brighter perspective, you can feel happier about your life right now.

Here’s the one-minute book trailer for Bright Side Up to give you a taste of what it’s all about:

You can pre-order the book on Amazon.com right now. And if you liked the video, please share it! Inspire your friends and family to be happier today.

Big love,