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The Way I See It: A Psychologist’s Guide to a Happier Life
The path to happiness isn’t what you think.
It’s not about achieving more success, getting everything you want, or fixing what’s wrong. It’s not about changing your circumstances—it’s about learning to thrive despite them.
The problem? Your mind wasn’t designed for happiness. It’s wired for survival. It overthinks, clings to fear, and keeps happiness just out of reach. It will hold you back and keep you playing small—if you let it.
Psychologist Dr. Ashley Smith knows this firsthand. Born with a rare degenerative retinal disease that makes her legally and increasingly blind, she’s spent years studying how our minds work—both professionally and in her own life. She knows what it takes to build real happiness—not the kind that depends on everything going right, but the kind that lasts even when life gets hard.
Blending psychology and brain science with personal storytelling, she offers short, insightful chapters full of practical wisdom and immediately actionable tools to help you bring more joy, confidence, and meaning into your life. This book is your roadmap to a bold, happy life.
Inside, you’ll learn how to:
->Recognize the hidden patterns shaping your thoughts, emotions, and actions
->Manage difficult thoughts and emotions without letting them take over
->Navigate challenges with resilience instead of getting overwhelmed
->Live as the truest, most vibrant version of yourself
->Create a life that actually feels good to live—not just one that looks good on paper
You don’t have to wait for the perfect conditions to be happy. You don’t have to silence every doubt or eliminate every struggle. Real happiness isn’t something you chase—it’s the side effect of how you live.
The Way I See It will change the way you see life, yourself, and what’s possible.
Dr. Ashley Smith is a licensed clinical psychologist, professional speaker, and author. She is the co-founder of Peak Mind: The Center for Psychological Strength and a self-proclaimed happiness quester.
It’s not about achieving more success, getting everything you want, or fixing what’s wrong. It’s not about changing your circumstances—it’s about learning to thrive despite them.
The problem? Your mind wasn’t designed for happiness. It’s wired for survival. It overthinks, clings to fear, and keeps happiness just out of reach. It will hold you back and keep you playing small—if you let it.
Psychologist Dr. Ashley Smith knows this firsthand. Born with a rare degenerative retinal disease that makes her legally and increasingly blind, she’s spent years studying how our minds work—both professionally and in her own life. She knows what it takes to build real happiness—not the kind that depends on everything going right, but the kind that lasts even when life gets hard.
Blending psychology and brain science with personal storytelling, she offers short, insightful chapters full of practical wisdom and immediately actionable tools to help you bring more joy, confidence, and meaning into your life. This book is your roadmap to a bold, happy life.
Inside, you’ll learn how to:
->Recognize the hidden patterns shaping your thoughts, emotions, and actions
->Manage difficult thoughts and emotions without letting them take over
->Navigate challenges with resilience instead of getting overwhelmed
->Live as the truest, most vibrant version of yourself
->Create a life that actually feels good to live—not just one that looks good on paper
You don’t have to wait for the perfect conditions to be happy. You don’t have to silence every doubt or eliminate every struggle. Real happiness isn’t something you chase—it’s the side effect of how you live.
The Way I See It will change the way you see life, yourself, and what’s possible.
Dr. Ashley Smith is a licensed clinical psychologist, professional speaker, and author. She is the co-founder of Peak Mind: The Center for Psychological Strength and a self-proclaimed happiness quester.
- GenresPsychology
318 pages, Paperback
Published May 13, 2024
3 people are currently reading
19 people want to read
About the author
Ashley Smith
1 bookDr. Ashley Smith is an award-winning licensed psychologist, professional speaker, author, and co-founder of Peak Mind: The Center for Psychological Strength. Since earning her PhD in 2007, she has become a sought-after specialist in the treatment of anxiety disorders. In addition to direct patient care, she has published a book (The Way I See It: A Psychologist’s Guide to a Happier Life) and numerous other scholarly and popular writings. She regularly speaks to a variety of audiences and organizations ranging in size from small start-ups to Fortune 5.
Dr. Ashley is also open about living – and learning to thrive – with a rare visual impairment. The combination of her professional expertise and personal experiences put her in a unique position to educate and inspire. She is passionate about using psychology and applied neuroscience to help others live bold, happy lives while performing at their peak.
Dr. Ashley is also open about living – and learning to thrive – with a rare visual impairment. The combination of her professional expertise and personal experiences put her in a unique position to educate and inspire. She is passionate about using psychology and applied neuroscience to help others live bold, happy lives while performing at their peak.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 7, 2024
It's rare to call a self-help book a page turner, but that's what this book is! With a conversational storytelling style, Ashley shares her own struggles with becoming legally blind and how she discovered that it was not her situation, but how she was thinking about her situation, that would determine her future. In each short chapter she offers gold nuggets of wisdom that you can apply immediately to understand how your mind might be leading you astray and what you can do to get back on track. Enlightening and engaging, this book will help you look at the world with a new perspective, one that opens you up to greater happiness and fulfillment.
August 2, 2024
My childhood best friend, knows the author, and I saw her post a picture at a book signing. The book looked interesting to me, so I bought a copy, and I loved it. I typically love to pass my books along to someone in my family or a friend, but I think I'll be keeping this one to reference back to it for various areas of my life that I have work to do, but she touched on.
The book is engaging, and written in a way that the average reader can understand the material, plus her stories throughout helped! I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking to change their mindset for growth and happiness.
A job well done, Dr. Smith.
The book is engaging, and written in a way that the average reader can understand the material, plus her stories throughout helped! I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking to change their mindset for growth and happiness.
A job well done, Dr. Smith.
September 12, 2025
Just finished The Way I See It and it truly struck me as one of those rare reads that delivers both insight and comfort at the same time. What I especially appreciated was how conversational and relatable your writing feels , you step away from clinical jargon and instead speak with warmth, clarity, and empathy. That makes even the more complex ideas easy to grasp and immediately actionable.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews