Five Minutes to Happiness

by Maxwell Maltz

The greatest adventure in our lives is to learn the art of being happy. Happiness, like worry, is a habit, just as tying a shoelace or brushing our teeth becomes a habit. And, as you'll learn in this book, it only takes five minute a day to install happiness as a lifelong habit. Once the happiness habit is developed then it becomes a permanent part of your personality--requiring little or no effort on your partYou'll learn that tensions are at a minimum when we are happy. We cannot eliminate tensions altogether, yet wherever possible we must stand up to these tensions and stresses to develop our mental and spiritual muscles, just as in a game an athlete shows his abilities best under stress.In this book, you'll learn that we have a "built-in" success mechanism, also a "built-in" failure mechanism, and it is up to us to utilize the success mechanism in order to maximize happiness.And you'll learn that to be happy we must learn that we have another image besides the external one we see in the mirror. We have an inner self image that is the result of what we are and what we think we are...and this image we ourselves create depending on what aspects of the success or failure mechanisms we use. This in turn gives clothing to our personality.Getting the happiness habit means that we can use our imagination properly. Getting the happiness habit means that we become our own plastic surgeon and without the use of a magic scalpel perform magic on our self image, constructing a self image we can live with by removing the scar on it through understanding-an inner scar we put there with our own mental and spiritual bands, because we didn't understand.In Five Minutes to Happiness, you'll spend five minutes each day to reinforce these key ideas, and to pave the way to a joyous life adventure.

Genres: Audiobook

Paperback

Published January 1, 1962

About the author

Maxwell Maltz was an American cosmetic surgeon and author of Psycho-Cybernetics, which was a system of ideas that he claimed could improve one's self-image leading to a more successful and fulfilling life.

Reviews

[Nancy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't make me happy for even 5 minutes.

[Zdenek Sykora · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Five Minutes to Happiness" by Maxwell Maltz presents practical techniques to cultivate happiness and mental well-being in just five minutes a day. Maltz emphasizes the power of self-image and mental conditioning, drawing from his expertise in psychology and personal development. The book outlines simple exercises and affirmations designed to reshape negative thought patterns and foster a positive mindset. Maltz advocates for daily practices that promote self-acceptance, gratitude, and optimism, asserting that these habits can lead to lasting happiness and personal fulfillment.

Main Points of the Book

1. Self-Image Psychology: Understanding the role of self-image in shaping thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
2. Five-Minute Exercises: Practical techniques to cultivate happiness and mental well-being daily.
3. Affirmations: Using positive affirmations to reprogram subconscious beliefs and foster a positive mindset.
4. Gratitude Practice: The importance of gratitude in enhancing overall happiness and life satisfaction.
5. Visualization Techniques: Harnessing the power of visualization to achieve personal goals and aspirations.
6. Mindfulness: Techniques to cultivate mindfulness and live in the present moment.
7. Personal Responsibility: Taking ownership of one's thoughts and actions to create positive change.

Why It Is Not Outdated and Still Relevant

Maxwell Maltz's "Five Minutes to Happiness" remains relevant and impactful today for several reasons:

1. Timeless Principles: The book focuses on timeless psychological principles such as self-image psychology, gratitude, and mindfulness, which are as relevant now as they were when the book was first published. These concepts form the foundation of positive psychology and are widely recognized for their effectiveness in promoting well-being.
2. Practical Application: Maltz provides practical exercises and techniques that are easy to implement in daily life. The five-minute exercises are designed to fit into busy schedules, making it accessible for modern readers who face time constraints but seek personal development.
3. Scientific Backing: Many of the techniques advocated by Maltz, such as positive affirmations and visualization, have been supported by modern psychological research. Studies continue to demonstrate their efficacy in improving mood, reducing stress, and enhancing overall mental health.
4. Relevance to Contemporary Issues: In today's fast-paced and often stressful world, the need for tools to enhance happiness and well-being is more pressing than ever. Maltz's emphasis on cultivating a positive mindset and taking personal responsibility resonates with individuals seeking to improve their quality of life amidst challenges.
5. Holistic Approach: The holistic approach advocated by Maltz, which integrates mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being, aligns with current trends in wellness and personal growth. It encourages readers to adopt a balanced lifestyle that nurtures both inner happiness and outer success.

In conclusion, "Five Minutes to Happiness" by Maxwell Maltz continues to be a valuable resource for anyone seeking practical strategies to cultivate happiness and mental well-being. Its timeless principles, practical exercises, and relevance to contemporary issues ensure that it remains a relevant and impactful guide to personal development and happiness. This book is highly recommended for individuals looking to enhance their quality of life and achieve lasting happiness through simple daily practices. I recommend to read also very successful book of the author: Psycho-Cybernetics: A New Way to Get More Living Out of Life.

[Seemy · Rating 3 out of 5]

If your familiar with the authors work - it’s not groundbreaking as his classic “Psycho Cybernetics” which was a masterpiece of a book -but this book is still a good reminder worth considering again even if somewhat rehashed content if his - about our inner constant dialogue about oneself and self perception - and how to use it to contribute to better happiness

To Our Continued Success!
Seemy
Waseem.tv/Blog

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[Marianne · Rating 1 out of 5]

1 star is generous.
Boring, unhelpful, and sanctimonious.
There are some truly wonderful self-help, positive affirmation based books out there, no need to waste time on this one.
Only read it because I was stuck in an airport and to be honest I found myself skipping large chunks because the pace was so slow and the author wasn’t offering any advice beyond “just be happy!”… smdh

[Btursell · Rating 1 out of 5]

I listen to this book and the reader almost put me to sleep. Not much to learn from this book.

[Amanda Zaccaro · Rating 1 out of 5]

Skip this book. Not helpful. Outdated.

[Awbrey Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a bit sporadic, but overall the message is to be mindful, meditate, then get over your insecurities and don't let them keep you from enjoying life.

[Tim Sønderby · Rating 2 out of 5]

long and points week

Too long with little value to be extracted. Therefore I cannot recommend this book.
Hope others find it more useful than me

[Melanie · Rating 1 out of 5]

5 Minutes to Happiness can suck my balls!

ok, but seriously, I'm not at all familiar with "self help" books and only read this to check off the box on the 2016 reading challenge I am doing. That being said my opinion on this is SUPER low, idk if other books are like this but this author came across as so damn bragadocious and the "secret" to happiness is being a successfully rich plastic surgeon, that's 3 hours I'll never get back and I'm pretty upset about that.

[Barbara · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'll save you some time... this book comes down to two helpful tips:
1) Smile... it will help you feel happier even when you're not
2) The "spend 5 minutes in a mental room" tip is basically meditating, right? When you let your mind relax and work through your thoughts and feelings. Just meditate every day... you'll get more out of that than what this book recommends.

[Angela Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book, but was disappointed. It was confusing and just seemed overall lacking in exactly how to achieve the 5 minutes of happiness.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good recap of psycho-cybernetics.