Author: Stephanie Hills

  • The Four Sacred Gifts

    The Four Sacred Gifts: Indigenous Wisdom for Modern Times       by Dr Anita L. Sanchez In this simply written, but deeply meaningful book, Dr Anita Sanchez weaves her personal story with the Native American prophecy of a world where humans from all parts of the Earth can live harmoniously together. To do so, though, we […]

  • Can you have too much happiness?

    George Bernard Shaw wrote: “a lifetime of happiness! No man could bear it: it would be hell on earth.” In contrast, the Dalai Lama said the purpose of life is to be happy. Who is right? I believe both are correct, but they are talking about different kinds of happiness. The simplest kind of happiness is […]

  • How We Got Happy: Stories of health, hope and happiness from 20 young Kiwis who beat depression

    How we got Happy: Stories of health, hope and happiness from 20 young Kiwis who beat depression. By Jonathan Nabbs & Eve Macfarlane. Photography: Mark Hamilton. This beautifully presented, almost magazine-style book features interviews with young people about the practices they use to maintain their happiness. The focus is on the positive, with little mention […]

  • Unexpected gift from a stranger

    This gem came in from Bryonie: I was the recipient of a random act of kindness the other day. My Fitbit strap broke on Friday night and as I need the watch part for work and I like to know my step count each day, I decided I would have to go and buy a […]

  • The role of goodwill in communication

    Some people seem to have no trouble making new acquaintances, whereas others find it difficult to navigate ‘small talk’ and getting to know people. Research has shown that people who have more social connections are happier than those with few, and people with a habit of chatting to strangers tend to attract more positive opportunities […]

  • Harmonise Your Team

    Do you wish your work team could function more effectively? Would you love to see the team culture bringing out the best in each person? Synergy is where working together becomes so much greater than the sum of individual contributions. Happy Nation can gently smooth out the wrinkles in your workplace relationships and inspire a […]

  • Ideal job

    “That’s a great place to work!” shouted my 16-year-old brother after coming home from the first day at his first job. “I get two weeks’ paid holiday.”“I’m so glad,” said my mother.“Yeah,” added John. “I can’t wait to find out where they send me!”

  • Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We’re in Without Going Crazy

    Active Hope: How to Face the Mess we’re in Without Going Crazy by Joanna R Macy and Chris Johnstone Climate change and other problems faced by the world need to be addressed urgently, yet our most common responses – either panic, or trying not to think about it – are unhelpful. This book gives practical […]

  • Is Happiness a Choice?

    Decades ago, researchers discovered that individuals appear to have a ‘set point’ of happiness. For example, if someone scores 6 out of 10 for happiness, that score may slightly increase or decrease according to life’s ups and downs, but they’re likely to keep returning to a 6 over their lifetime. A year after a big […]

  • Doctor’s diagnosis

    I went to the doctor. He said, “I see you have an iron deficiency.”I said, “How can you tell?”He said, “Your shirt’s really creased.”