Happy, Joyous, and Free: Love your life, no matter what by Melanie Yates is a non-fiction self-help book intent on teaching readers how to reach a level of peace that may seem out of reach as we surround ourselves with the issues of the day, but is actually attainable and as fulfilling as we would all hope it to be. Yates opens with her own testimony of a life that left her feeling miserable, and how “the gift of desperation” was what was needed for her to start making changes. The book is broken down into four distinct parts: Obstacles, Love For Your Self, Love for Others, and Choices. Within each part, Yates gives us examples of where we may be struggling, whether it is through laziness or finding “worth-grabs” for self-esteem boosts, or by surrounding ourselves with physical clutter that clutters the rest of our lives.
 

Melanie Yates provides some sound pieces of advice in Happy, Joyous, and Free. I appreciated her incorporation of personal experience, which allowed me to connect on a level that I haven't been able to with other similar books. I am reminded of something my mother used to say, “You are alive for more than to pay bills and lose weight.” Perhaps it was the channeling of the tough love only someone who really cares for you can give you, which is where Yates comes in. It's clear that she cares about the reader even though she doesn't know them. She's been there, and she wants to help you be the best, happiest version of yourself. One part, in particular, has an activity where you select the five people you care most about to be most central to you on a corkboard, still maintaining connections with others outside the five, but centering your energy onto your five. This is one of many excellent morsels in the book and I think there are many who will find it empowering

Everyone at some time or another has faced trauma, problems, or obstacles that seem impossible to overcome. Pain and problems are part and parcel of life - these experiences help us learn and grow as individuals. From the author's personal experiences, mentors, and her own clients, discover how we can face our problems positively, change how we interpret them, and use the negative experience in an empowering way. The principles outlined in Happy, Joyous, and Free by Melanie Yates have been tried and tested and will bring clarity to your own thought processes and behaviors that could be working against you. Explore how your brain has been programmed to deceive and misinterpret situations; then learn the techniques to question your thoughts and actions so you empower yourself. Discover why success, happiness, and love may have been eluding you and how you can fix it. Love plus choices equal peace; it is time to end the inner war within ourselves and decide to make life work for and not against you.

The content in Happy, Joyous, and Free by Melanie Yates is some of the most thought-provoking and life-changing I have ever come across. In fact, I laughed out loud through many of the chapters because the author absolutely nailed how negatively we talk to ourselves. I admired her brutal honesty as she spoke of her own personal journey and her destructive emotions of blame, criticism, and judgment of others. The wall analogies which cover your mindset when trying to reach a goal were visually powerful and I imagine many readers will recognize themselves in one of the examples. The line that we often create dramas around problems we have no control over will stay with me forever; this was such a simple but powerful statement.

I’ve found the program to be of real benefit to me.The a.m./p.m. exercises have helped me to organize my days with purpose,focus,and confidence,and to develop a greater balance in all areas of my being and to live life at my best.Coaching sessions with Melanie leave me energized,challenged,feeling competent and even inspired to work on myself and to develop a greater vision for my life.She’s had a very positive influence on me.

I’ve found the program to be of real benefit to me.The a.m./p.m. exercises have helped me to organize my days with purpose,focus,and confidence,and to develop a greater balance in all areas of my being and to live life at my best.Coaching sessions with Melanie leave me energized,challenged,feeling competent and even inspired to work on myself and to develop a greater vision for my life.She’s had a very positive influence on me.

I’ve found the program to be of real benefit to me.The a.m./p.m. exercises have helped me to organize my days with purpose,focus,and confidence,and to develop a greater balance in all areas of my being and to live life at my best.Coaching sessions with Melanie leave me energized,challenged,feeling competent and even inspired to work on myself and to develop a greater vision for my life.She’s had a very positive influence on me.