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Searching for Happiness: How Generosity, Faith, and Other Spiritual Habits Can Lead to a Full Life
The key to happiness is being rich, successful, and beautiful right? Martin Thielen, best-selling author of "What's the Least I Can Believe and Still Be a Christian?," insists that this is far from the truth. Happiness, Thielen argues, does not come from external factors like getting a job promotion or finally reaching your goal weight. Rather, happiness is an "inside" job.
In brief, easy-to-read chapters, Thielen offers ten traits of happy and fulfilled people. Using psychological research, personal anecdotes, and Scripture, Thielen begins the path to contentment by showing how life circumstances including income, health, physical appearance, and marital status only account for about 10 percent of a person's overall life satisfaction. From there, he offers alternatives to the frequent methods we use to make ourselves happy. Instead of aiming to make more money, Thielen contends that expressing gratitude and cultivating optimism are surer paths to joy. Rather than focusing on constant advancement in our careers, let's practice our ability to forgive, to be generous, and to use trials as growth opportunities. These lessons, and much more, help readers who may be dissatisfied in their lives see that authentic contentment is closer than they ever imagined.
The book features a guide for group or individual study, which includes questions for reflection and a challenge for each individual to reflect on during the week."
In brief, easy-to-read chapters, Thielen offers ten traits of happy and fulfilled people. Using psychological research, personal anecdotes, and Scripture, Thielen begins the path to contentment by showing how life circumstances including income, health, physical appearance, and marital status only account for about 10 percent of a person's overall life satisfaction. From there, he offers alternatives to the frequent methods we use to make ourselves happy. Instead of aiming to make more money, Thielen contends that expressing gratitude and cultivating optimism are surer paths to joy. Rather than focusing on constant advancement in our careers, let's practice our ability to forgive, to be generous, and to use trials as growth opportunities. These lessons, and much more, help readers who may be dissatisfied in their lives see that authentic contentment is closer than they ever imagined.
The book features a guide for group or individual study, which includes questions for reflection and a challenge for each individual to reflect on during the week."
180 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2016
8 people are currently reading
486 people want to read
About the author
Martin Thielen
12 books23 followersMartin Thielen is the author of the best-selling What’s the Least I Can Believe and Still Be a Christian? and The Answer to Bad Religion Is Not No Religion. He writes columns for Ministry Matters.com, Circuit Rider, and Net Results and is Senior Pastor of Cookeville United Methodist Church in Cookeville, Tennessee.
Before coming to Cookeville, Martin served three other Middle Tennessee churches, including First United Methodist Church of Lebanon, Tennessee. During his decade-long tenure at Lebanon, the church experienced significant revitalization and growth.
Before transferring to the United Methodist Church, Martin served as a pastor and denominational worker for the Southern Baptist Convention. He worked for four years as a national worship and preaching consultant and editor of Proclaim for the SBC. He has led more than one hundred church leadership workshops for ministers across the country. He also served as an adjunct professor of worship and preaching at a seminary.
Martin has a bachelor of arts, a master of divinity, and a doctor of ministry degree, along with a year of PhD coursework at Vanderbilt University. Writing for publication has long been an important part of Martin's ministry. He has written five books, four of them on the subject of worship and preaching, and more than one hundred articles. His doctor of ministry project was "Ministering to Ministers through Writing." You can visit Martin's preaching and worship Web site at www.GettingReadyForSunday.com.
Martin and his wife Paula are the parents of two adult children and the proud grandparents a new granddaughter.
Before coming to Cookeville, Martin served three other Middle Tennessee churches, including First United Methodist Church of Lebanon, Tennessee. During his decade-long tenure at Lebanon, the church experienced significant revitalization and growth.
Before transferring to the United Methodist Church, Martin served as a pastor and denominational worker for the Southern Baptist Convention. He worked for four years as a national worship and preaching consultant and editor of Proclaim for the SBC. He has led more than one hundred church leadership workshops for ministers across the country. He also served as an adjunct professor of worship and preaching at a seminary.
Martin has a bachelor of arts, a master of divinity, and a doctor of ministry degree, along with a year of PhD coursework at Vanderbilt University. Writing for publication has long been an important part of Martin's ministry. He has written five books, four of them on the subject of worship and preaching, and more than one hundred articles. His doctor of ministry project was "Ministering to Ministers through Writing." You can visit Martin's preaching and worship Web site at www.GettingReadyForSunday.com.
Martin and his wife Paula are the parents of two adult children and the proud grandparents a new granddaughter.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
March 2, 2021
Thielen is a wonderful author. I have read his two previous books from Westminster John Knox Press and found a kindred soul. Searching for Happiness continues his outstanding ability to bring the Bible to bear on our lives.
As a depressed person, I found his book most helpful. It reached me in a way few other books about life’s meaning have. Blending scripture, science, and personal experience, Thielen suggests a way to be happy that is more than positive thinking or psychobabble.
As a depressed person, I found his book most helpful. It reached me in a way few other books about life’s meaning have. Blending scripture, science, and personal experience, Thielen suggests a way to be happy that is more than positive thinking or psychobabble.
April 1, 2016
This book was alright, had some good points and things. It just wasn't for me.
January 2, 2018
Absolutes & The Importance of Debates
Rocks are hard. Sun gives warmth. Crocodiles are evil. These statements are but a few of what I believe. Of course, you will have a hard time convincing me they aren't true. But that doesn't mean you can't try.
As much as we always want to be right, we aren't always right. The act of exchanging or questioning ideas serves a useful function in our lives - it helps eliminate or weaken bad beliefs and upholds good ones. Also, there is nothing as boring and life-sucking as being in a place where the same obvious ideas are repeated over and over. Humans grow best when even the most established of doctrines and facts are examined and debated to test their solidity. Hence, even though convincing me of the cuddliness of crocs might be a hard task, the discussion itself is a useful thing to have... just in case my belief is a cover up for crocodyliphobia.
"Searching For Happiness by Martin Thielen" is a book that treads a well-beaten path, but does little to add to the body of knowledge already out there. There is nothing jumping out of the pages to catch you by surprise. There are no controversies or attempts to poke holes into existing mainstream arguments about happiness. "Searching for Happiness" plays it safe, and as a result falls short of its potential.
Searching For Happiness
"Searching For Happiness" is a book that aims to teach us where and how to find happiness. Central to its message is fact that happiness is "an inside job". It tells us that no matter how rich you are, how successful, charismatic or beautiful, your happiness level will still be low, because external factors only contributes to a small level of our overall happiness. It says:
"Many people think, If I can just get rich, I'll be happy. But that's not true. Extensive research has proven that after our basic needs are met, additional money has minimal impact on our happiness. In his book Flourish, Martin Seligman, a psychologist and an expert in happiness studies, cites amazing research. Pennsylvania Amish, Inuit people in northern Greenland, and African Msai - people who have minimal income and few material assets - have virtually the same levels of life satisfaction as Forbes magazine's richest Americans. In spite of beliefs to the contrary, after our core necessities are met, money does not make people happy."
The book then goes on to tell us alternative ways to improve our inner happiness as well as remaining happy irregardless of our outer circumstances. It says when it comes to happiness, the happiest people practice optimism, forgiveness, generosity, gratitude, cultivate optimism, nurture relationships, care for their bodies and soul, focus on the present, and use trials as growth opportunities. The author expands on these lists, telling us how to practice each of them and giving real life examples of people's actions in the quest for happiness.
Simple Language & Uncomplicated Tone
"Searching For Happiness" is easy to read and its approach is down-to-earth. Though the author references science, theology, psychology and real life situations, the writing style he uses is simple and strong enough to convey his points. "Searching For Happiness" does not bore you with jargons or long sentences, neither does it pretend to be highbrow and talk down to readers.
Pandering & Inadequacies
Apart from the sin of the repeating the obvious, one of the letdowns of this book is that it feels overloaded with quotes and anedotes from "experts". The book regularly quotes scientists and experts for validation in a way that makes me feel the author is insecure in relying on the strength of his own observations and the Bible (I included the latter since the author intended the book to be in a Christian category).
In a bid to be balanced as well as lend its arguments some validity, "Searching for Happiness" panders to philosophy and science. Because the writer isn't owning his statements, I found it difficult to take him seriously. This subsequently led to boredom as I struggled to finish the book.
Conclusion
Make no mistake though, "Searching For Happiness" is a good book that reiterates obvious points on a subject that is in demand. Though I believe the author is a little bit guilty of accommodationism, this is still a good book and has some basic things to remind us about happiness and how to find it.
Many thanks to Westminster John Knox Press for review copy.
Rocks are hard. Sun gives warmth. Crocodiles are evil. These statements are but a few of what I believe. Of course, you will have a hard time convincing me they aren't true. But that doesn't mean you can't try.
As much as we always want to be right, we aren't always right. The act of exchanging or questioning ideas serves a useful function in our lives - it helps eliminate or weaken bad beliefs and upholds good ones. Also, there is nothing as boring and life-sucking as being in a place where the same obvious ideas are repeated over and over. Humans grow best when even the most established of doctrines and facts are examined and debated to test their solidity. Hence, even though convincing me of the cuddliness of crocs might be a hard task, the discussion itself is a useful thing to have... just in case my belief is a cover up for crocodyliphobia.
"Searching For Happiness by Martin Thielen" is a book that treads a well-beaten path, but does little to add to the body of knowledge already out there. There is nothing jumping out of the pages to catch you by surprise. There are no controversies or attempts to poke holes into existing mainstream arguments about happiness. "Searching for Happiness" plays it safe, and as a result falls short of its potential.
Searching For Happiness
"Searching For Happiness" is a book that aims to teach us where and how to find happiness. Central to its message is fact that happiness is "an inside job". It tells us that no matter how rich you are, how successful, charismatic or beautiful, your happiness level will still be low, because external factors only contributes to a small level of our overall happiness. It says:
"Many people think, If I can just get rich, I'll be happy. But that's not true. Extensive research has proven that after our basic needs are met, additional money has minimal impact on our happiness. In his book Flourish, Martin Seligman, a psychologist and an expert in happiness studies, cites amazing research. Pennsylvania Amish, Inuit people in northern Greenland, and African Msai - people who have minimal income and few material assets - have virtually the same levels of life satisfaction as Forbes magazine's richest Americans. In spite of beliefs to the contrary, after our core necessities are met, money does not make people happy."
The book then goes on to tell us alternative ways to improve our inner happiness as well as remaining happy irregardless of our outer circumstances. It says when it comes to happiness, the happiest people practice optimism, forgiveness, generosity, gratitude, cultivate optimism, nurture relationships, care for their bodies and soul, focus on the present, and use trials as growth opportunities. The author expands on these lists, telling us how to practice each of them and giving real life examples of people's actions in the quest for happiness.
Simple Language & Uncomplicated Tone
"Searching For Happiness" is easy to read and its approach is down-to-earth. Though the author references science, theology, psychology and real life situations, the writing style he uses is simple and strong enough to convey his points. "Searching For Happiness" does not bore you with jargons or long sentences, neither does it pretend to be highbrow and talk down to readers.
Pandering & Inadequacies
Apart from the sin of the repeating the obvious, one of the letdowns of this book is that it feels overloaded with quotes and anedotes from "experts". The book regularly quotes scientists and experts for validation in a way that makes me feel the author is insecure in relying on the strength of his own observations and the Bible (I included the latter since the author intended the book to be in a Christian category).
In a bid to be balanced as well as lend its arguments some validity, "Searching for Happiness" panders to philosophy and science. Because the writer isn't owning his statements, I found it difficult to take him seriously. This subsequently led to boredom as I struggled to finish the book.
Conclusion
Make no mistake though, "Searching For Happiness" is a good book that reiterates obvious points on a subject that is in demand. Though I believe the author is a little bit guilty of accommodationism, this is still a good book and has some basic things to remind us about happiness and how to find it.
Many thanks to Westminster John Knox Press for review copy.
June 9, 2019
The book is divided into 10 chapters. Each one tackling a tenant of happiness. Additionally, there are discussion questions for each chapter at the end of the book.
Reading it independently was slightly frustrating. I was not doing it as a part of a group or even a private study. I was just reading it as a book. I would not suggest it be read that way. I think that this would be much better as a study - read it in small chunks and give each one some thought.
I did take some interesting take aways from the book, but would have gotten so much more had I read it more as it was intended.
Reading it independently was slightly frustrating. I was not doing it as a part of a group or even a private study. I was just reading it as a book. I would not suggest it be read that way. I think that this would be much better as a study - read it in small chunks and give each one some thought.
I did take some interesting take aways from the book, but would have gotten so much more had I read it more as it was intended.
November 26, 2020
Sadly this book was archived before I could download to read it. It has been added to my TBR and I’ll keep an eye out for it again in the future or at my local library.
September 27, 2021
As a self help book this gives some easy to follow tips and hints. If you have read others in this genre you might find it a little repetitive but its a good first book.
January 25, 2023
I read this book with a group of women. Has some good talking/thinking points, overall, but couldn't keep my interest enough to finish it completely. I skimmed through the last few chapters enough to follow along and discuss.
March 6, 2016
We all want to be happy. The question is -- how do we get there? What is the secret of happiness? It's a question that I wrestle with as a person and as a pastor. Martin Thielen has some ideas about what it takes to be happy. In fact, he offers ten practices that he believes can lead to contentment, and contentment is, in his opinion, the key to happiness.
Thielen is a former Southern Baptist pastor turned United Methodist pastor. He has written several other books including What's the Least I Can Believe and Still Be a Christian?: A Guide to What Matters Most and The Answer to Bad Religion Is Not No Religion: A Guide to Good Religion for Seekers, Skeptics, and Believers. He writes with grace and humor, offering a readable/accessible look at life from a Christian perspective. The book is written for a lay audience and includes a study guide at the end making it quite usable for group use.
In offering this vision of a path to happiness, Thielen notes that he has attempted to bring his reading of the Bible (especially Ecclesiastes) into conversation with science (especially the field of positive pshychology), along with his own personal experience. The latter includes Thielen's experiences as pastor, and thus the book has a sort of sermonic tone. The key to his message is the reminder that happiness is rooted in internal dimensions, not externals.
That theme of internal over external is developed from the very beginning. In fact, the first practice is a reminder that "contented people know that external circumstances don't determine happiness." Scientific studies have shown that there is no correlation between life satisfaction (used here interchangeably with happiness) and wealth, fame, success, etc. He notes that the least satisfying ministry he ever had was when he served as pastor of a megachurch. He had reached the pinnacle of success and was miserable.
With this as the foundation, he lays out nine more practices that lead to contentment. These include using "trials as growth opportunities," cultivating optimism, focusing on the present, practicing forgiveness, generosity, nurturing relationships, expressing gratitude, taking care of one's body, and finally taking care of one's soul (that is, the life of faith). For each of these practices he offers a word about the message of scripture, along with the perspective of positive psychology, along with a strong dose of his own personal experience. It is the latter that allows the book to move along. He's a pretty good story teller.
There isn't anything here that is earthshattering new. Much of it is commonsense wisdom, but we can all use a bit of such wisdom in our lives. This is especially in the current moment when people seem overly stressed and society at large continues to push external success and material goods as the foundation of happiness. He warns us against thinking that if we can just get a more expensive car, a better paying job, and look good then all will be well.
Better to be content! That doesn't mean settling or being complacent. It means that we're not driven by the moment! Key is, in his estimation, the life of faith. This involves remembering our creator!
Thielen is a former Southern Baptist pastor turned United Methodist pastor. He has written several other books including What's the Least I Can Believe and Still Be a Christian?: A Guide to What Matters Most and The Answer to Bad Religion Is Not No Religion: A Guide to Good Religion for Seekers, Skeptics, and Believers. He writes with grace and humor, offering a readable/accessible look at life from a Christian perspective. The book is written for a lay audience and includes a study guide at the end making it quite usable for group use.
In offering this vision of a path to happiness, Thielen notes that he has attempted to bring his reading of the Bible (especially Ecclesiastes) into conversation with science (especially the field of positive pshychology), along with his own personal experience. The latter includes Thielen's experiences as pastor, and thus the book has a sort of sermonic tone. The key to his message is the reminder that happiness is rooted in internal dimensions, not externals.
That theme of internal over external is developed from the very beginning. In fact, the first practice is a reminder that "contented people know that external circumstances don't determine happiness." Scientific studies have shown that there is no correlation between life satisfaction (used here interchangeably with happiness) and wealth, fame, success, etc. He notes that the least satisfying ministry he ever had was when he served as pastor of a megachurch. He had reached the pinnacle of success and was miserable.
With this as the foundation, he lays out nine more practices that lead to contentment. These include using "trials as growth opportunities," cultivating optimism, focusing on the present, practicing forgiveness, generosity, nurturing relationships, expressing gratitude, taking care of one's body, and finally taking care of one's soul (that is, the life of faith). For each of these practices he offers a word about the message of scripture, along with the perspective of positive psychology, along with a strong dose of his own personal experience. It is the latter that allows the book to move along. He's a pretty good story teller.
There isn't anything here that is earthshattering new. Much of it is commonsense wisdom, but we can all use a bit of such wisdom in our lives. This is especially in the current moment when people seem overly stressed and society at large continues to push external success and material goods as the foundation of happiness. He warns us against thinking that if we can just get a more expensive car, a better paying job, and look good then all will be well.
Better to be content! That doesn't mean settling or being complacent. It means that we're not driven by the moment! Key is, in his estimation, the life of faith. This involves remembering our creator!
December 14, 2015
I really enjoyed this book, half of it has been carefully highlighted whilst reading.
At first I was attracted by the cover; bright orange, the compass on top and of course the word "happiness",
which quest seems to engage us quite deeply.
Well apparently, human beings are looking for happiness in all the wrong places. If you are one of those people who believe that happiness comes with money, success and physical appearance you are dead wrong.
In "Searching for Happiness" Martin Thielen used psychological research, personal anecdotes and words from the Bible to demonstrate how little external circumstances impact life satisfaction; in fact, life circumstances account for only about 10 percent of a person's overall life satisfaction.
Research has shown that 50 percent of our overall happiness should be considered as "genetic", meaning that every person has a genetic "set point" that doesn't change regardless of circumstances.
The remaining 40 percent is what we have to work with; our attitude, because happiness is an "inside job".
The author suggests 9 attitudes and behaviours that really make people content: use trial as growth opportunities, cultivate optimism, practice generosity and express gratitude is what it takes to achieve real happiness.
Written with intelligence and humour this will be a nice reading; informative and inspiring.
*This book was kindly sent to me via NetGalley by Westminster John Knox Press*
At first I was attracted by the cover; bright orange, the compass on top and of course the word "happiness",
which quest seems to engage us quite deeply.
Well apparently, human beings are looking for happiness in all the wrong places. If you are one of those people who believe that happiness comes with money, success and physical appearance you are dead wrong.
In "Searching for Happiness" Martin Thielen used psychological research, personal anecdotes and words from the Bible to demonstrate how little external circumstances impact life satisfaction; in fact, life circumstances account for only about 10 percent of a person's overall life satisfaction.
Research has shown that 50 percent of our overall happiness should be considered as "genetic", meaning that every person has a genetic "set point" that doesn't change regardless of circumstances.
The remaining 40 percent is what we have to work with; our attitude, because happiness is an "inside job".
The author suggests 9 attitudes and behaviours that really make people content: use trial as growth opportunities, cultivate optimism, practice generosity and express gratitude is what it takes to achieve real happiness.
Written with intelligence and humour this will be a nice reading; informative and inspiring.
*This book was kindly sent to me via NetGalley by Westminster John Knox Press*
February 9, 2016
Searching for Happiness by Martin Thielen is an easily understandable mixture of philosophy, scriptural references and anecdotal stories that explain what it takes to be happy and why. Per Thielen, a Christian minister, scientific research has shown that our circumstances (physical, financial, health, etc.) account for 10% of our overall contentment, genetics an additional 50% and the remaining 40% is the direct result of our attitudes and behaviors which are under our control. He further states that contented people display the following nine attitudes and behaviors:
1) use trials as growth opportunities
2) cultivate optimism
3) focus on the present
4) practice forgiveness
5) practice generosity
6) nurture relationships
7) express gratitude
8) care for their bodies
9) care for their souls
He presents his material well, and it is thought-provoking. I admit to highlighting several passages for later revisiting.
Thanks to NetGalley and Westminster John Knox Press for allowing me to read an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.
1) use trials as growth opportunities
2) cultivate optimism
3) focus on the present
4) practice forgiveness
5) practice generosity
6) nurture relationships
7) express gratitude
8) care for their bodies
9) care for their souls
He presents his material well, and it is thought-provoking. I admit to highlighting several passages for later revisiting.
Thanks to NetGalley and Westminster John Knox Press for allowing me to read an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.
February 6, 2017
Thank you to NetGalley and Westminster John Knox Press for this free readers edition. In exchange I am providing an honest review.
Contented people: know external circumstances don't determine happiness, use trials as growth opportunities, cultivate optimism, focus on the present, practice forgiveness, practice generosity, nurture relationships, express gratitude, care for their bodies, care for their souls. Thielen's short but succinct book about the source of happiness - contentment - is an easy to read book about the work of contentment and where that work occurs. It's an inside job. Thielen takes scripture, science, and experience - personal and otherwise - to make the case for contentment. And it's a compelling case.
Contented people: know external circumstances don't determine happiness, use trials as growth opportunities, cultivate optimism, focus on the present, practice forgiveness, practice generosity, nurture relationships, express gratitude, care for their bodies, care for their souls. Thielen's short but succinct book about the source of happiness - contentment - is an easy to read book about the work of contentment and where that work occurs. It's an inside job. Thielen takes scripture, science, and experience - personal and otherwise - to make the case for contentment. And it's a compelling case.
December 31, 2015
First I would like to state that I received this book through the Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank the author for giving me this opportunity and honor in being able to read this book. When I received this book I began reading it at once. This book is a rather easy and interesting read. I love books, and this is one everyone can read and learn from. This book was
written with intelligence and humor which makes nice reading. It is very informative and inspiring.
written with intelligence and humor which makes nice reading. It is very informative and inspiring.
Read
January 20, 2016I'm not a happiness person (I have joy... complex joy...), but I know there is work going on to study especially clergy happiness, so I gave this a read to learn more about it. I can see that this would qualify as a self-help book, but it is also a very honest accounting of the importance of contentment and cultivating contentment through things like doing the hard work of forgiveness over time. The writer is genuine and easy to read. I don't buy all of it, because it's me, but this is very well done for the beginner who also likes a theological twist.
March 18, 2016
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book is a good reminder of the things that make us happy. The points are all things that we know can make us happy, but sometimes forget along the way. The author also talks about the things in life that do not make us happier people. There are plenty of examples and references to scripture. I enjoyed the relevant stories that he tells pertinent to the topic. I also like the guide for study and reflection in the back. The questions really get you thinking.
April 23, 2016
I received a copy of this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book is filled with interesting stories, scientific studies, scriptural references, and practical advice on what makes people happy. It's well written, and definitely a good read for anyone who wants to improve their long term well-being. I recommend this for its readability and concrete ideas and thoughtful discussion questions!
This book is filled with interesting stories, scientific studies, scriptural references, and practical advice on what makes people happy. It's well written, and definitely a good read for anyone who wants to improve their long term well-being. I recommend this for its readability and concrete ideas and thoughtful discussion questions!
July 28, 2020
I really liked this book. An unusually good companion to your spirituality as an elder. Inspired by this book, I have also written a blog on Spiritual Habits. You must also read my blog, it is very interesting Visit Here
March 4, 2016
Uplifting! Great positive psychology.
a very enjoyable read!!!!
a very enjoyable read!!!!
March 27, 2016
Very insightful. He uses different methods to prove that happiness can be had for all.
March 28, 2017
Writing is simple to powerful messages
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews