Hands down the best book I read in 2020

The Book of Joy is by far the best book I read in 2020.

Actually, let’s be real - it’s one of the best books I've ever read in my life. And I plan to read it again. And again.

If you follow my blog, you know I go nuts over productivity systems, mindsets, etc. - so what makes a book about “joy” so great?

Don’t get me wrong, I still love my productivity systems, but this book provides an elevating perspective on happiness and joy being beyond your connection to success and achievement. It zooms out to look at who you’re BEING and the impact that makes on your life, other’s lives, and the world around you. This perspective shift has been at the forefront of my mind this past year and, to be honest, rocked my boat quite a bit. (in a good way!)

This New York Times bestseller gives the reader a chance to eavesdrop on conversations with the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu in a week spent together sharing their stories, insights, experiences, and practices with everything joy related - what prevents it, what creates it, and what stifles it.

The lightness they create in their conversations is part of the magic of this book, as it is not a heavy read. The joy they both possess, even in spite of the challenges they have each endured, is radiant and their concepts and stories are relatable, accessible, and exude possibility.

So you’d like to know some specific concepts that make it so good, right?

Well, I hate to let you down, but, truth be told, there are truly too many takeaways to even attempt to summarize in this blog post. And I’d be doing the experience of reading this book a disservice if I tried to.

My goal is to truly urge you to read this book.

What I will say, is that this book offers valuable insights around the true obstacles of joy - fear, sadness, grief, stress, anxiety, frustration, and many more. And offers actionable and tactile practices for creating more joy. The beauty of how the book is written is that they are not trying to convince you of anything. The focus is on showing possibility so you can take away what speaks to you.

And although published 4 years ago, the concepts are incredibly relevant to our current times. This past year, our world has been fraught with loss, grief, turmoil, and division. The conversations in this book are a necessary reminder that as humans, although we may have our differences, we are all in this together. And there is such immense power in keeping that viewpoint in sight.

So, I hope I’ve been successful and left you with bated breath, as you are running (not walking!), to get The Book of Joy in your hands or delivered to your doorstep. You won’t regret it, I promise.