10% Happier

Book Review: 3/5 Impact On Me (Book By Dan Harris)

Read more about the book here

The start of the book feels like an autobiography. The author was a journalist at ABC News and had covered war stories and religious stories. I found his anecdotes interesting.

I especially liked the parts about religion—Christianity and Catholicism in America. That world plays a big role in global and American politics, but I knew very little about it before.

I’ve read Eckhart Tolle’s book before and didn’t enjoy it. It was too focused on Christianity. The author, though, seemed to like that book.

It was also interesting to hear his thoughts on Deepak Chopra and a New York-based doctor who spoke about Buddhism.

The author said that every time we come across a thought or item, we either want it, reject it, or zone out. For example, you want an ice cream. You reject a mosquito. You zone out during flight safety instructions. Mindfulness is a fourth way to respond. One simple way to practice it is by not scratching an itch. Instead, focus your mind on the sensation.

He started practicing mindfulness by focusing on the breath for five minutes. Each time his mind wandered, he brought it back to the breath. That act—bringing it back—is what you practice and learn.

I appreciated how the author discussed his dessert cravings. I related to that (https://www.harshal-patil.com/post/quit-dessert-6-months-feasting-foodie). He would often overeat desserts whenever he started.

I found it clever that the author came up with the number "10% happier" just to sell the idea to his skeptical friend. He said the number was made up, but it was useful.

His experience at a 10-day meditation retreat reminded me of my own self-created meditation retreat. We both had to overcome initial discomfort. But once we settled in, we felt like we could go around the world with a magnifying glass and see things more clearly.

He read books by Jon Kabat-Zinn, a professor at MIT (https://www.harshal-patil.com/post/falling-awake). He saw mindfulness being taught at businesses like General Mills. He read research papers and saw the military using them, too.

The author spent three years exploring this question: Is it possible to balance the price of security with the wisdom of insecurity? Stress, worry, and scheming helped with security. Mindfulness, compassion, and letting go can lead to insecurity, but maybe wisdom.

He uses a mindfulness framework called RAIN.

He also said that you can focus on the inputs of a project—writing a book, working with publicists—but you can't control the outputs, like whether it becomes a bestseller. So you learn to let go of attachment to outcomes.

The price of security is insecurity. Monetary security. Mindful insecurity.

I rate the impact of this book on me a 3 out of 5. Most of the mindfulness ideas in this book were familiar to me. But the story style made a difference. It highlighted the pitfalls of certain thoughts and showed the inner voice that hesitates before trying something new. That helped me see the gap between where I am now in my mindfulness journey and how I can grow.

Some personal learnings and habits I took from the book:

1. Practice up to 30 minutes of mindfulness each day by focusing on the breath and letting thoughts go.

2. With time, be okay with letting your attention go wherever it wants, then gently bringing it back.

3. Walking meditation—focus on each step.

4. Practice compassion meditation for yourself and others.

5. Eat mindfully. Put your spoon or fork down between bites.