“10% happier” by Dan Harris

The author 🖋

Dan Harris is a New York Times bestselling author, well-known journalist and news anchor for "Nightline" and "Good Morning America".

His journey through struggles with anxiety and stress that culminated in a panic attack on live national TV led him to explore a different life and share it with the world in the form of a book.

Key takeaways 🎓

1. Manage your ego, manage your life

The ego is a significant obstacle to achieving happiness and fulfillment.

It constantly wants more - bigger, faster, more expensive. It makes us dwell on past events or dreams of the future.

Harris believes everyone needs to learn how to manage their ego in order to live a happier life.

2. Embrace living in the now

Instead of always focusing on the past or future, we should practice being present and incorporate mindfulness into our everyday life.

Dan shares simple strategies to help readers become more present, aware and happier without drastically changing their lifestyles.

3. Celebrate the small wins

Progress is often incremental and big changes almost never happen overnight.

It is essential to embrace minimal improvements and celebrate small victories along the way.

While being 1% happier each day or 10% happier each month might feel insignificant, it results in a beautiful life.

Closing thoughts 🧠

The book is a memoir that shares Dan’s personal journey to find happiness.

It’s extremely interesting to follow along how he overcame his initial skepticism about mindfulness and spirituality, how he eventually integrated meditation and other practices into his life and how in small steps it led him to a much much happier life.