Positive route to happiness

Manika Ahuja

So, you know the ins and outs of dyslexia from Aamir Khan and Darsheel Safary-starrer Taare Zameen Par (TZP). In case you have seen the latest box-office release Raman Raghav 2.0, you are, perhaps, by now also crowned with the new-found knowledge of alter egos and other inner workings of the mind.

“But hang on, TZP and Raman Raghav 2.0 delved into nuances of clinical psychology. It is a favourable change to see filmmakers picking up subjects that relate to psychology, but then there are branches of psychology that not many are aware of. We seek to delve into one such unexplored branch — positive psychology, for it is imperative for one to be heart smart not just book smart,” say debut authors from Chandigarh, Bani Narula and Nidhi Chadha.

Shift in paradigm

Though the first-time authors-cum-friends chose different topics, they are united in their belief that masses need to be made aware of how, “Psychology is not limited to the dark alleys of suicidal tendencies. We wish to make a paradigm shift from clinical psychology to positive psychology. The latter deals with ways to attain happiness, contentment and mental well-being,” shares Bani, as she points towards her book —Happiness Quotient, while Nidhi flips through pages of her book — Facets of Organizational Psychology.

Count your blessings

With an aim of catering to a cross-section of people, the duo claim to have presented all their findings in a lucid form with simple to-do exercises. Bani, who is lecturer of psychology with Chandigarh’s D.A.V. College, elaborates, “In my book, I have highlighted the pressing need to imbibe feelings of gratitude and forgiveness. I have enlisted easy exercises to make it easier for readers. One of them is maintaining a journal to jot down your blessings, instead of burdens. It teaches one to be thankful.”

And the predominant subject of Nidhi’s book is developing emotional intelligence. “Man cannot function in vacuum. No matter what set up it is, be it corporate sector, at his home or a social gathering, inter-personal relationships and ergo, soft skills come into play,” shares the lecturer of psychology with the Post Graduate Government College.