So Much BRIGHT SIDE UP Love!

February 6th, 2012

Well, my book Bright Side Up: 100 Ways to Be Happier Right Now will be on bookshelves tomorrow. Which means that today is the last day to be officially cool and pre-order the book on Amazon!

Buy BRIGHT SIDE UP!

The good news is, for the people who already have the book in hand, they’re loving it…

O, The Oprah Magazine recommends it this month, as one of “10 Titles to Pick Up Now” in the magazine, and online, one of “17 Books to Watch For in February.”

Also, Self magazine recommends it, saying you can spread a little sunshine with the “get-happy” tips.

Judy Dutton gave a rave review of the book on her blog Brain Candy on PsychologyToday.com , saying the “warm, engaging tone will make you feel like you’ve got a new best friend in your corner, cheering you on.”

And most recently in magazines, Shape magazine featured my book, saying you should “place this engaging new book on your reading list”:

And there was this wacky one: my face (literally) in the pages of Star magazine giving celebrities advice on seeing bright side up:

There’s been big love from the blog world, and I want to thank you for that. Rachel Wilkerson wrote the wonderful review “Reading Into It: Bright Side Up“:

Nicole Argento Gonzales wrote the post “Bright Side Up” on Truth + Fairytales:

Today, Stephanie Dolgoff, who’s hilarious book My Formerly Hot Life was on The New York Times’ Extended Bestseller list, allowed me to guest post on her with her “Help Finding the Bright Side” post on FormerlyHotLife.com:

And The Student’s Life recommends the book this month, too:

So pre-order your copy of the book today, or get it on bookshelves tomorrow!

Oh, and if you have a blog and you’d like to review the book, contact me! (Click “Email Amy” over on the right there, or find my info on the “About Me” tab on the site.) If you want me to do a Q&A about the book for your site or you want to use Bright Side Up for your book club and have me Skype-join you for a meeting, I might be able to do that, too!

Either way, I hope you get a chance to read the book. And I wish you a big happy day and a positive future.

Big love,

Posted in Optimisms

We Should Purr, Too!

February 4th, 2012

I was reading in bed this morning with my little kitty Guinness fast asleep on my belly. This, if you don’t know her, is Guinness:

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,

Posted in Optimisms

One of Oprah’s 17 Books to Watch For in February…

January 31st, 2012

Oprah.com just released their list of books to grab this month. And you can find Bright Side Up at the lucky seven spot. Thanks Oprah.com!

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,

Posted in It is written

Pre-Order Bright Side Up!

January 24th, 2012

Drum roll please…

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

Posted in It is written

Be Brave

January 23rd, 2012

“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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