I was hoping this book had some magic bullet that would suddenly unlock the unknown secret to happiness. Unfortunately, it has no magic bullet. It has all the things my mom tried to tell me -- the things I always rolled my eyes at. However, as is often true for some reason, this book's advice is easier to listen to than that of one's mom.

Some things missed the mark for me. I am haunted by the need for perfection, but I am the common, garden variety "Paralyzed Lazy Perfectionist" in contrast to Nataly Kogan's "Can't Stop Won't Stop Perfectionist" so some of her issues weren't quite as relatable to me. Most of the points, though, were right on the mark.

Some highlights of my mom's classic advice, made more palatable from the mouth of a stranger:

• Let go of the idea that perfection is attainable.

• Basking in the joy of little ordinary good things is the foundation of happiness: not the huge, milestone achievements that you think will make you happy.

• Daily, practiced gratefulness for what goes right is the only way to combat the brain's instinctive tendency to predominantly focus on and notice all the bad.

• Choosing to see the good isn't self-delusional. It is exercising your free choice to define whether to write your life story in lines of suffering or happiness.

There is quite a bit more, and several hard-hitting quotes I would include, except it's not politic to include quotes of not-yet-published books. The only point where I regressed to my teenage self and rolled my eyes so hard I could see my own brain was at the "You don't have to. You GET to!" part. I guess I'm just not mature enough to swallow that one yet. Sorry Mom.