Review: The Happiness Journal by Viet Hung

Author and entrepreneur Viet Hung offers an engaging collection of astute observations, motivations, and encouragements aimed at promoting a calmer, more enlightened perspective in The Happiness Journal.

As Hung reminds us in his Foreword, throughout our lives, we generally “plan to get one thing done, but then usually something different happens.” To accept the ever-changing array of events requires inner preparedness. Hung believes this can often be achieved through the practice of self-examination and mindfulness. The helpful selections he has chosen were originally composed for himself – mostly short essays or commentaries – divided into three sections: “Sensing Happiness,” “Happiness in the Workplace,” and “Seeking Your Own Truthful Happiness.”

Hung stresses that a positive outlook will take us farther than a negative one. It is easy, for example, to blame others for our misfortunes, but this never helps solve basic problems. He sees lessons in even the smallest of events, continually inviting us to step back and observe our actions, feelings and beliefs in the light of certain inevitable and imponderable truths: we all must die, our lives are small when compared to the totality of the universe, but can still carry great meaning, and we can, with sufficient understanding, avoid small unnecessary conflicts that can grow and leave big scars.

He uses numerous examples and images: a cloud has no legs so it simply moves on, like the storms that sometimes beset our lives, don’t waste time like a puppy chewing on that last bone, appreciate flowers and nature, enjoy the time you have and spend it with loved ones. In two longer sections, Hung takes us step-by-step on a hike up a tall mountain and recounts his own path to career success. His nine-year-old daughter told him on his birthday to “Be happy all the time,” a formula he transmuted as “#beHATT” – a succinct distillation of his book’s central message.

Any of the nearly 200 entries in this inspiring aggregation could serve as a starting point for meditation. He includes a number of photographs that illustrate his points well: vibrant flowers, a group of happy workers, a quiet teapot and teacup, a peaceful seashore, even a pair of menacing wolves. Using both parable and practicality, Hung strongly emphasizes the need to calm our minds, examine our ideas, and find our own true selves to revitalize our experience at any of life’s thorny junctures. The cumulative effect is feeling a sense of peace and hope – if not outright happiness than a real sense of potential for appreciating what life has to offer, and avoiding those things that bring it down, so the book is successful in its intent.

The cover of the book, unfortunately, isn’t a true representation of what can be found inside. Given the ungrammatical subtitle of the book, one might expect a book that is poorly edited and conceived. However, the actual text inside is well-edited and organized, not to mention thorough. That is not to say there aren’t moments of awkward grammar or phrasing, but the book has a lot more to offer than might be expected from its presentation.

Anyone seeking advice and comfort, whether for currently arising challenges or a general sense of longing for a more peaceful path, will benefit from Hung’s well-considered, sensible, and stimulating selections.

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