On Blog Tour: Meet Bryan Cohen, author of The Post-College Guide to Happiness

Today I have a guest on my blog. Bryan Cohen is doing a blog tour to introduce readers to his latest book The Post-College Guide to Happiness.  I needed this book about twenty years ago but I hope many of you out there will benefit.  Without further ado, welcome Bryan Cohen!

Bryan Cohen here, guest poster and author, promoting my new book http://www.amazon.com/Post-College-Guide-Happiness-Bryan-Cohen/dp/1466434139http://www.amazon.com/Post-College-Guide-Happiness-Bryan-Cohen/dp/1466434139">The Post-College Guide to Happiness for The Happiness Blog Tour. I'm giving away free digital review copies of the book and doing a giveaway for paperback copies, audio copies and even a Kindle Fire! Read on and check out the info below the post.

"Happiness is like a butterfly; the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder."

- Henry David Thoreau

What to Chase

This quote by Thoreau is a particularly famous one when it comes to happiness. It's amazing in its imagery and its simplicity. There's only one problem. It isn't exactly clear about what other things you should turn your attention toward. Many think that money will bring them happiness. Others think it's an awesome social life or having the most youthful, attractive body. A great deal of folks who turn their attention toward those pursuits, end up less with a butterfly of happiness and more with a monkey of regret and disappointment.

Here are some things that you should focus your attention on if you want to be happier. Gratitude is a big one. Be happy for the things you have instead of being upset about the things you don't have. People worry that by focusing only on what they have, they will be doomed to stay at the same level the rest of their lives. That's why you pair up gratitude with goals. Come up with some daily, weekly and monthly goals that are geared toward reaching a higher purpose. I found that my higher purpose was connected to inspiration and writing. Yours might be to help people with cancer or to become a professional dancer. Push toward a worthy goal and happiness will be much more likely to knock on your door.

In your relationships, focus more on "loving" than "being loved." Be appreciative and helpful of your partner and don't expect things to be immediately given back in return. We live in a world in which entitlement has gone a little bit crazy. People used to have to work 60 hour work weeks on average and those who didn't work didn't have the convenience of many of the things we have to do. This entitlement has worked its way into relationships. If we don't get what we think we need right away, we label that as our partner not loving us anymore. Put your energy into actively loving the person you're with instead of expecting something in return for everything you do. Love isn't a game, it takes work and if done right, can lead to some major happiness.

Lastly, take time for silence and meditation. Concentrate on getting away from all the gadgets and gizmos that this world has to offer and allow yourself to think. How will you know what will truly make you happy unless you get away from the media and Facebook and your phone? The best time to get an answer to the question, "What will fulfill me?" is when you are in complete silence.

Be grateful. Create goals. Choose a purpose. Actively love your partner. Cherish silence. These five aspects of life to concentrate on will help that butterfly of happiness to be your companion always.

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Bryan Cohen is giving away 61 paperback and audio copies of The Post-College Guide to Happiness and a Kindle Fire between now and May 7th, 2012 on The Happiness Blog Tour. All entrants receive a free digital review copy of The Post-College Guide to Happiness. Bryan hopes to give away at least 1,000 copies during the blog tour. To enter, post a comment with your e-mail address or send an e-mail to postcollegehappiness (at) gmail.com. Bryan will draw the names at the end of the tour. Entries will be counted through Sunday, May 6th.

Bryan Cohen is a writer, actor and comedian from Dresher, Pennsylvania. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2005 with degrees in English and Dramatic Art and a minor in Creative Writing. He has written nine books including http://www.amazon.com/000-Creative-Writing-Prompts-ebook/dp/B0044DEL7C">1,000 Creative Writing Prompts: Ideas for Blogs, Scripts, Stories and More, http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004SOYV4K">500Writing Prompts for Kids: First Grade through Fifth Grade, 
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004VWPONQ">Writer on the Side: How to Write Your Book Around Your 9 to 5 Job and his new book, 


Chttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B007BIFYNC">1,000 Character Writing Prompts: Villains, Heroes and Hams for Scripts, Stories and More. His website http://www.build-creative-writing-ideas.comhttp://www.build-creative-writing-ideas.com">Build Creative Writing Ideas helps over 25,000 visitors a month to push past writer's block and stay motivated.

Feel free to follow along with the tour at http://www.build-creative-writing-ideas.comhttp://www.build-creative-writing-ideas.com/happiness-blog-tour.html">The Happiness Blog Tour Hub Page or on the book's http://www.facebook.com/ThePostCollegeGuideToHappinesshttp://www.facebook.com/ThePostCollegeGuideToHappiness">Facebook Page.

Kindle

Kindle