You Can Feel Good Again: Common-Sense Strategies for Releasing Unhappiness and Changing Your Life

by Richard Carlson

Book Overview

The words "don't sweat the small stuff" became an important part of American culture thanks to Richard Carlson's runaway bestseller, which made publishing history as the #1 book in the United States for two consecutive years. Now, You Can Feel Good Again has one simple message: changing your thinking changes your life. Carlson offers a commonsense method that allows anyone to release unhappiness and negativity related to present circumstances or past events, and return to a natural state of well-being in the present. You Can Feel Good Again is full of humor, wisdom, and thoughtful guidance--a genuine tool to foster the realization that happiness and contentment are truly one thought away.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0452272424
• ISBN13: 9780452272422
• Release Date: September 1994
• Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.42 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.3" x 8.0"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Not just for the depressed, but for anyone who thinks...

This is a life changing book. It shows how our thoughts create our perception of life. Our perception of life is our experience of life. It doesn't go overboard and claim their is no objective reality outside our thoughts, as some new age teachings do. However, it does say that it's not the circumstances of our lives, but our reactions to them. It does repeat it's central ideas several times, but sometimes it takes a while for something to sink in. I really liked the chapter on wisdom. My only problem with this book is the subtitle, because I read this book when I wasn't depressed and still got tons out of it. It could be read by anyone who wants to think optimally and discover happiness in life. I am only writing this review, because I have the hope that someone might read it and get solid info about living a better life. Carlson is influenced in his writing by a school of psychology called Psychology of Mind. Psychology of Mind is based on the concepts originally presented by Sydney Banks. I think this is the most clearly written of the Psychology of Mind books. However, if you read this book and like it I would reccomend any of the books from the Psychology of Mind authors (e.g Wisdom Within by Roger Mills, Divorce Is Not The Answer by George Pransky). Also check out Sydney Banks website and books.

Read this book and keep on re-reading it

Dr Carlson has written many self-help books aimed at helping us to find the stable state of happiness that naturally exists within us all. He has now written this book specifically for those of us who suffer from depression. The book contains practical truths that are so obvious that most of us miss them or at least bypass them in the rush of our everyday lives. If you are suffering from depression this book will help immensely. Richard Carlson will show you how your state of depression is as much perpetuated by your own thinking as it is by any chemical imbalance that may or may not exist. I have read this book at the same time as receiving treatment with an SSRI anti-depressant (Cipralex). While I am unsure if the SSRI has benefited me at all after 6 weeks, I am certain that this book has changed my outlook completely after two weeks and that it continues to do so more and more with each re-reading. If I allow myself to slip back into my old ways of thinking, the severity of my depression rapidly returns. The good news is that it just as rapidly alleviates when I get back on track with my thinking. The book is simple to read and may seem repetitious. However, if you are one of Dr Carlson's target audience of sufferers from depression you should read this book and keep on re-reading it. You will find that on each re-reading something will leap out at you with greater meaning than it did before. I have highlighted many sentences so that I can rapidly re-read them, and have noted down the keywords on the title page. This way I can pull myself back on track quickly. The approach takes some work to put into practice but there is nothing as hard work as being in a depressed state. The hard work, by the way, is only in terms of changing your habitual modes of thinking, it does not involve making lists and analysing things as do many cognitive (i.e. thinking) approaches such as that found in Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy by David Burns. I have found Dr Burns's book to be of some use also, mainly because it has helped me to identify particular types of cognitive distortion that help perpetuate depressive illness. This enables me to more accurately recognise when I should dismiss my thoughts, as Dr Carlson recommends in his approach. If you are depressed, low, angry, resentful, dissatisfied, unfulfilled, stressed, hurried, fearful or just not happy most of the time then read this book and keep re-reading it. I only wish this book had been available when I was aged twenty rather than forty.

A wonderful book about thinking

The only unfortunate thing about this book is the weepy title. - But the tone of the book is not weepy. It is a crystal clear explanation of how we get into self-defeating thought patterns and some practical, non-psychobabble insight on how not to get into these downward spirals. - This book is much, much better than the author's "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff..." series.

A whole new great concept

This book is absolutely excellent. It's nothing like other books. It really makes sense. It doesn't tell you what to do without explaining why. It shows you how your mind works. It shows you the relationship between thoughts and feelings. It gives you a great clear view of your own mind. I'd recommend it to anyone. I don't think you even have to have a problem to love this book. It can improve anyone's life. It gives you 100% control of your life.

Help for those who have tried everything else is here.

This book is easy to read and understand even if your too depressed to read anything. Richards' writing doesn't talk down to you or pretend that your supposed to get "it". He explains in common sense ways how you can change your life by changing your thinking. He also doesn't leave you with hanging questions. He intuitively knows what questions the reader may be asking and answers them. I felt satisfied with his thorough explanation of his proces and it has helped me immensely. I have given this book to many friends and their comments echo mine. This book puts you back in the drivers seat of your mind.