Weekly: You’re never done
On Monday, I announced that my first book, New Happy: Getting Happiness Right in a World That's Got It Wrong, is now available for preorder. And I was so nervous. I felt sick with nerves. I didn't sleep at all the night before.
But you all embraced this book so enthusiastically that it has kept me all in a near-constant state of joyful tears ever since.
You made New Happy a #1 new release. You put it in the top 500 books on all of Amazon for 2 days straight (what?!) And, most meaningfully, you sent me the kindest messages, sharing your excitement about the book.
If you have already preordered the book, I want you to know what a huge difference it makes. If you have found my work helpful in the past, it is the single most helpful thing that you can do to support this book. By preordering, you are telling my publisher and the industry that you’re excited about this book; you are helping us to make sure we have enough copies printed for you; and you are helping to send a message to the world that you want to live in a new way — you want to create a society where everyone gets to be happy.
If you haven’t had a chance to preorder it yet, it would mean so much to me if you considered doing so, for yourself or for a loved one (it would make a great graduation gift!)
I have been working on this book for ten years. To finally have the chance to share it with our beloved community is a feeling unlike any I’ve ever experienced. I’m out of words—something that I didn’t think was possible! All I have left are the two most important ones: thank you.
Now, back to regular business: in today's newsletter, we're covering how to embrace your ever-changing self.
With love,
Stephanie Harrison, founder of The New Happy
This Week
Old Happy: "This is how I'll always be."
New Happy: "I am always evolving."
When I was a teenager, someone told me that every cell in your body replaced itself every seven years.
This filled me with awe. There was something so compelling to me about the idea that you were always changing into a new, different version of you.
I later found out that this fact is a major oversimplification. Yes, every cell in your body does replace itself over the course of your lifetime — but not every seven years and not at the same rate for every cell. Your skin cells replace every few weeks; your fat cells last for about ten years.
Recently, many scientists have focused on researching the telomere, which are a part of your chromosome. As you age, your telomeres become shorter, increasing the likelihood of developing diseases like cancer, dementia, and diabetes. What you do in your daily life influences how quickly your telomeres shorten. For example, studies have found that certain choices like what you eat and how you move can increase the length of your telomeres.
And these changes are not limited to our physical selves, either. Some researchers argue that our personalities are not at all set in stone, but a constant and flexible thing that is ever-shifting; big life events like having a child or losing a job can change your personality; and intervention studies find we can consciously shift parts of our personality.
In short: we are always changing.
This was the reason that I, as a teenager, found the idea of 'born anew every 7 years' to be compelling. It offered a lot of hope. It wasn't just that you could change, but that you were already changing. There was no need to be stuck in the past, and there was the possibility to utterly transform in the future. Perhaps you could even have a hand in that change, cultivating the best parts of you and discovering new parts that you didn't know were within.
The next time you say to yourself, "I'm just not that kind of person..." or "I'm never able to change..." remember just how untrue that really is. You're never done.
Tips and Tools
1. Introducing New Happy! — A sneak animated preview of the book.
2. It will happen soon — Don't give up now.
3. When you're stressed, try this — Five minutes of care.
4. Ask this question instead — One word can change a whole sentence.
More from TNH
Podcast — Get a daily morning pep talk — in five minutes or less
Speaking — Book us to speak to your team about well-being, resilience, and productivity.
Articles — Read more articles on our website.
Community
What's a small win you've had recently?
"Making sure I schedule in time for peace. Ex: Each day I pick some peaceful to do like listening to calming music."
"Learning how to crochet a granny square."
"I learned how to manage my tasks."
"Finished a 32x26 painting I've been working on for weeks."
"My post-op recovery is going well."
"I started reading again."
Inspiration
1. Elmo asked how everyone is feeling (Washington Post) — A reminder that we need to keep checking in on one another.
2. The woman who spent 500 days living in a cave (New Yorker) — “You know you’re going to die—today, tomorrow, within fifty years,” Flamini told herself. “What is it that you want to do with your life before that happens?” The immediate answer, she remembers, was to “grab my knapsack and go and live in the mountains.”
3. 'I didn’t realise I was so loved’: the people hosting their own ‘living funerals' (Guardian) — A moving ritual that might need to go more mainstream.
Before You Go
No spam, just joy.
