And Joy - Instant Happy Journal - 365 Days of Inspiration

Sometimes just looking at something cute can make us happier. This book is cute – flipping through the pages, reading the myriad of happy ques – you can’t help but feel a little inspired, get ready for some introspection, and highlight the high points of you and your day. I like it – happy, happy, happy.
Karen Salmansohn is a woman after my own heart – human need directed, purposeful, creative spaces to think and write. A few minutes a day spent thinking positively and documenting it can lead to years of happiness. Each day I am going to choose a page I want to complete – out of order (crazy, huh?) – and write what comes to mind. Each page has at the top a short blurb telling you what to write/think about – some are pointed and many are vague. It’s your happiness – make it yours, write it down, be purposeful. I love this – thanks Karen Salmansohn & Blogging for Books for another great, free book to review.

What if someone told you, "choose to be a choosier choice chooser"? Or what if you were encouraged, "Don't let bad people turn you antisocial. Just become antijerks. Vow to get out and about, instead of sitting home to pout! Plan (and write it in the journal) a fun activity." These and 363 more motivational quotes or thought provoking questions are packed into Karen Salmansohn's small instant HAPPY journal published by Ten Speed Press.

I'm not sure that I agree with every quip or thought presented in this 'happy journal' but do agree that we spend way too many moments on negative thoughts and many times do not choose to look on the bright side.

I recommend this little Happy journal as an exercise in retraining our thought process into a more positive and productive life or as a gift for a friend that seems to always see the glass 1/2 empty and needs some encouragement, or maybe as a gift for that Scrooge on your list.

When I first saw this book, I was instantly attracted to its compact size, and cheerful design. As I held it in my hands, I enjoyed the not quite hard-, yet not quite soft-cover.
At 365 pages, instant Happy journal (365 days of inspiration, gratitude, and joy, by Karen Salmansohn, has the potential to be a wonderful little book.
What will make it wonderful, you ask? Well, the answer is: You.
At the top of each page is a space for the date. Beneath it is an inspirational quote, an affirmative suggestion, or a thought-provoking passage. This is followed by about a dozen short, blank lines to be filled up by you. It doesn't ask a tremendous amount from you, just a few lines to start the day (or maybe end the day) with a focus on joy and gratitude.
It is an easy book to carry around with you, if you want to wait for just the right moment to write your passage. Take it to the park with you, or to your favorite little coffee shop. Writing a new paragraph, or reading over previous ones, will surely bring a smile to your face.
At the end of a year (maybe more, maybe less. How you utilize the book is up to you) you will have a little treasure of your own personal Happy.
I received this book from Blogging for Books , for this review.

Karen Salmansohn’s Instant Happy Journal is a fun uplifting little book to help inspire and bring positive thoughts. The journal has 365 pages, one for each day of the year but not dated so you can journal in more than once per day if you wish. The pages have thought provoking prompts, inspiring quotes and entries that stimulate your inner self. This journal brings out a lot of ideas and self-awareness that makes you take a closer look into your thoughts about yourself.
This is journal book is very entertaining and fun. Every page has creative entries that are interesting to write about each day. I look forward to each post, even though I write in more than once page per day. The book gives plenty of writing space and has a book binder type of format. The journal look like a book with a fun cover.
*I received this book in exchange for an honest review. All my thoughts and opinions are my own and have not been influenced in any way.

I loved this book, I think it was definitely worth having! This journal is filled with 365 pages of color, inspiration, and writing prompts to get you journaling towards happiness. Each page captures your eye. The book is small enough to fit in a medium sized purse or a small backpack. This is definitely not your mother's journal filled with endless pages or wide-ruled paper. I recommend Journaling as a coping technique all the time and often times many people give the responses such as "I don't have the time," or "I'm not interested in that," or "I don't know what to write about." This book takes the mystery out of all of that and makes journal fun and easy to enjoy.

Pros: The book is so colorful its uplifting. The color captures my eye, pulls me in, and begs me to write freely on it's pages. Once I got past all of the color, the writing prompts got me writing. Most of the prompts caused me to think and reflect on my day without feeling pressure to journal everyday. The prompts are also easy to follow as well as simple. The best part is that the book is small and easy to carry around as needed. I also enjoy the built in bookmark.

Cons: The biggest drawback about this book for me is how heavy it is. I'm not sure if it's for security purposes or to serve as an extra paperweight but, this bad boy is pretty heavy. In a way, this may be good because you'll know if it's missing from your purse. On the other hand, I don't want to carry it anywhere with me because it feels like extra weight. Another thing is the pages are small and the lines are large. This leaves little space to pour your heart out. Also a very small amount of the prompts leave me a bit perplexed about what the author was trying to achieve or trying to get me to say.

Overall I think this book was amazing. I would recommend it to friends, family, and to those who are interested in journals but not quiet sure how to get started. I believe the prompts are a good way to reflect and find moments of happiness during the day. Writing is a great way to get out pent up feelings that you have difficulty releasing and this is no exception. For me the best part of the Instant Happy Journal is what it lacks, pressure. There is no pressure to journal everyday, however when you do, you get instances of happiness. This book is so helpful in finding the good instances as well as build happiness and joy.

Karen Salmansohn is a great writer, a great coach, a great artist and an amazing inspirational guide .

What she is, even more importantly, is real. You can feel that truth and up-front honesty in every word she writes.

And that is what Karen teaches us -- how to be real, how to find real, how to choose real, and how to stay the heck away from any and everything that is not real, 'coz all-that-is-not-real only leads to heartache, lost time, and pain.

You'd think this would be something we'd all have learned as kids -- how to find what's real -- but actually, what we've learned is how to buy bulls***. And it's that acceptance of all-that-is-insincere that's had us doubting even ourselves to the point of second-guessing every choice we make. And in fact, it's that uncertainty about what is real and who is sincere that's had a lot of us making choices that have, frankly, screwed up portions of our lives, like our love life, our self-image, and even our relationship to simple things like food.

Well, Karen's not havin' that. She's not havin' it in romance, at work, in friendships and at core: she's not havin' it with the most important thing of all -- our relationship with ourselves.

You will immediately see this insistence on facts-up honesty in everything Karen writes and teaches. But you also see the fierce and loyal love that drives it all. And that's also what Karen teaches us: how to tell what's real and true and good, and how to love ourselves (and respect ourselves) so much that we say, "yes, please, I'll have all that good stuff" to whatever's wonderful, and "Oh, NO way!" to whatever is not.

And, Karen is fun! She and her works are bright and witty. Sometimes, they are outright hilarious. And you know what? We need this. We need the serious, we need the funny, and most of all we need the real and the true and friends, Ms. Karen brings it all.

So that is all I have to say. Karen has benefited me and my life by her works and her generous spirit and example (she walks her talk, folks -- everything she preaches, she has practiced on herself and her own life). I think she, and her work, is great.

And here's why all this matters: you are going to be influenced by, and absorb, whatever and whomever you hang out with and listen to all day long -- and you know that this is true. So it is crucially important that you surround yourself with all that is good and true and real if that is the kind of life you want to have. It's the company you keep, people, that either supports you in finding your way, or distracts you off your path (or worse, encourages you to feel sorry for yourself and eat another pint of ice cream while you weep into your laptop).

My life and my spirit are merrier, happier, and doing better all because of Karen's "company".

I highly recommend you sample Karen's works, and see what great company they, and she, provide.

This has to be my favorite journal prompt book that I had so far. As the book description says, it does have thought provoking prompters. I completed one week, so I don't expect to see much difference now, but going through the book I can see myself becoming a much more positive person than I am now. Some of the prompts are like write a letter to yourself or to someone who did so-and-so to you, stuff like that.

The only problem that I had with this is how short the physical book is, I wish it was a longer, because with the letter prompts, you can't really write that much down. It would of been nice to have those prompts have a few blank pages between the next prompt.

Overall I can't wait to write more in it, so when I look back to the day I started, I wouldn't be able to believe how I was back then.

I just recieved my book today, I also bought the book instant happy. I am a recovering drug addict, today makes 79 days clean and these books, I feel like are gonna help me get thru my hard and toughest days, It might sound silly lol but these books are gonna be amazing in my road to recovery :)

Great product, pricing and shipping.
Thank you! It’s an excellent record of pockets I should be grateful for
-for pockets of friends and family appreciated correctly on paper
(in practice too when it's convenient),
between the pages I tucked thank you notes I wrote
for pockets turned out every morning,
I’m always grateful no one's forgotten me, sleeping #blessed in their pockets, among crumbs
and loose change, under blankets of bold, sans serif letters overlaid on photos of sunsets because
I am easy, grateful for anything

but most of all for hands inside of pockets enmeshed in the soft underbellies of glaciers running off course, for old gum in my pockets that resonates reminders
of how much is possible to stomach
and still taste gladness.

Sometimes the ink bleeds onto the next page just like my date's nose all over
both of us just when it got good, if you know what I mean, right onto the page
where I was glad for Morgan, where the lines swelled and skewed
at the accidental, unreasonable privilege of holding her
hair while she threw up her brother's ribs
that had been counted with eyes for years,
into the toilet bowl where she watched her grandfather cut down the trees in their yard-
she still harbors the stumps, hides them in her freckles, I tried to turn
when I handed her a quote full of water but not turn so far
as to empty the burlap pocket we share full of dried mud that
smells good like beets because my pockets too are
bone deep with
boorish, belly-born, mouth-breathing beliefs,
not worn like bangles that clink over coffee or are murmured into phone calls like the call where
my mom yell at me for pockets, snapped me out of it
the summer someone died –
into my pockets I didn’t cry once but in dreams he still carries
spring in his hands tucked in his pockets full of things I did not expect to have that are better than what I knew to ask for that fell into open pockets like the boy on that date
-he smiled for pockets, didn’t even blush
He tried to buy me a new pillowcase
but I could hardly make myself
dust his blood off the old one-
I'm always the one to ruin sheets, it’s about time someone else took the task
off my hands- signed for what I'll say is red wine on the sheets of this book.
My pockets aren’t perforated like these pages so
to be grateful: I get on my knees, elbow deep in pockets, like a Gardner pulling weeds, hands full of fresh dirt and twigs tangled in my sweaty, sticky hair.
Overall, I'd give this product a 4/5. I wish there were a pocket sized version.
Sent from my iPhone

I think this is a nice little journal to help you keep your happiness going throughout the year. I like how the author uses different prompts to get you started with your journaling. One day you may make a list and the other day you may journal about your feelings. This is a good journal for both adults and young adults to use. This journal is the perfect size that you can carry it with you that way you can do your daily journaling whenever the mood hits you. I recommend this book to those who would like to get started in journaling but don't know where to start.

This book came along at just the right time. I was looking for something that would encourage me to begin a journal and this is it.

As I entered the book and I saw some of the inspirations, I could begin writing immediately. Some include "What do you say to yourself when you're feeling really confident." "Aim yourself forward, not backwards." and "What is your intuition trying to wake you up to?"

With one of these inspirations facing you everyday it is easy to begin, or end the day on a positive foot.

I love this and I would recommend it to anyone.

I was given this book by Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest opinion.

‘Brighten your day with this colorful journal’ they could have said it any better! This journal is colorful which makes it fun. There’s one question for each day of the year! So you don’t have to wonder ‘what day will I have to get a new journal this year?’. Each page has a questions from a time you felt proud, time you wanted to give up or something like that. From telling a story or answer a question. We as people sometime focus on the non-positive things in or lives or that day but this book helps you learn to look at the positive things even when it seems at first it isn’t. I enjoyed reading through this book and can’t wait tell the end of the first year to and go back and see what I’ve written throughout the year.

If anyone needs to be happier I'd say it is me. I'm a dour and pessimistic person with a lot of emotional struggles in life. The weight on my shoulders gets too hard to bear at times, bringing my whole day down. I've tried to start a gratitude journal before, but was quickly sidetracked without order.
When I saw Instant Happy Journal, by Karen Salmansohn, I knew that I just had to give it a try. It was smaller than I expected, much the size of the little desk calendar that you can tear the days off. Inside, on each page is prompt, philosophical quote, or scientific study to move the reader. The very first prompt asks the reader to write small, everyday miracles. I wrote seven, which if you asked me to tell you a small miracle I'd have said I didn't have any. The next prompt urges the reader to turn a failure into wisdom.
For 365 days the reader has a voice reminding them to seek out the joy and happiness in each day. Salmansohn calls her readers "Awesome Seekers".
I have to say that I'm excited to see where this book will lead me. I have a feeling that I won't magically change into an optimist over night, but I will have a better handle on my life because I'm reminded to think about things in a better light. Perhaps more of us could give this a try. I know I'd like to get one for my husband and my best friend already.

I love the inspirational quotes that Karen has on social media - they have made my day and make me smile and enjoy life all the more. Often they help me reflect on a problem and understand a new way of looking at it so I can cope with the day's challenges. I can always identify - it is so nice to know I am not alone in my thoughts and that there is always hope!

Journaling is not my forte' though I have been told many times it would help me in so many ways. Well here comes Karen to the rescue, adding not only words of wisdom and encouragement but ones that will make me think of what to write and how to respond to life when it blooms about me - and how to enjoy the weeds as much as the roses at that!!! I cant wait to get a hold of this journal and have it help me live in Happy every day!!!

Karen Salmansohn's gorgeous mix of enchanting graphics and from-your-bestie's-soul notes & reminders have helped me innumerable times, especially as a TBI survivor & on recently completing my Masters. To have a journal of encouragement & the connectedness Karen has with each of her readers is a giant plus--I'm planning to use mine for a focus on gratitude & What's Making Me Happy as I dip my toes back into full-time, onsite work & single motherhood. I start each day with an email from Karen, knowing it'll be a great way to get my bearings for the day thanks to her thought-provoking & gentle humor, affection, & motivation! Looking forward to more in print! Thanks for your help, Karen, & much success with this great tool!

What an adorable little book! Perfect size, perfect design--yep--I'm in love with this little gem! There isn't a whole lot of writing space, but this isn't a regular journal. There is a page for each day with either an inspirational saying, a question, a writing prompt and more, and space to record your thoughts. There is a yellow silk ribbon marker, adding to the charm of the journal. This little book is a perfect gift, for a friend or for yourself!
5 out of 5 stars from me. Get one, or more! :)

Recent research CONFIRMS journaling for just a few moments each day increases happiness. Karen Salmansohn states in her INSTANT HAPPY JOURNAL that her mission is to "help you to live your happiest life." Each page offers inspiration for you to reflect upon which, if done with pencil or pen in hand, will provide a positve REFRAME and CHANGE YOUR OUTLOOK on LIFE! Sooo inspired was I by this wonderful compendium of wisdom that I purchased a copy for each of my daughers as a stocking stuffer gift?! Be sure to check out this artist's work online as well. I am BLESSED by her daily email and past works which have positively impacted my journey this past year; I am a stronger, healthier woman today. Thank you most kindly Karen!

I was so thrilled to request/receive this book. I have spent the better part of 2015 working on my happiness and really pinpointing the things I want in my life. This book is the perfect way to keep that energy going in 2016. I plan to start this book on January 1st but to warm up I did read through the prompts and thumbed through the daily affirmations. If you're looking to find a little me-time, reflection, or just a way to find the happiness in your life, this book is it!

Love the use of this book. With the small pages, it makes writing in the book daily easier, than if you tried to fill up a bigger page. However, it does also limit what you say immensely as well, which can be frustrating at certain times. Topics are great though. Some seem a bit repetitive, but overall, love the idea of this book, enjoy the prompts, and have already purchased one for a friend.

I love this book! Even the cover puts you in a great mood instantly. It has a ton of great inspirational quotes to reflect on and lots of space to write each day.If you like writing or want to record your thoughts and or activites, then I highly recommend this book. It is the perfect size to take anywhere. A great gift for anyone. I was given this book by blogging for books in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I have just recently found Karn Salmansohn and WHAT a gift from the universe it was. In just the past few months I have, ended a VERY long term (somewhat abusive) relationship, Lost my job of 9 years when the company closed down. Lost my roommate. Moved in a new roommate, had my
last 'chick' leave my 'nest'.... and the list goes on....I don't want to dwell on the negative or, god forbid, try to make anyone feel sorry for me. I know enough now in my life that all things that "Happen to me" are for my own good. I'm (we're all) just spiritual beings having a human experience and
we all have to have life lessons to elevate our souls. That's just my take. I know my beliefs are not for everyone. But with that being said, I'm still very human and I can get sad. I can get defeated and THAT my friends is where Karen comes in. Her lovely quotes in my daily emails along with her book just keep me going!! Most of them are very inspiring and a lot of them have this great twist of humor that makes it so easy to laugh at some of my situations! Thank you Karen. Thank you for assisting me in one of the roughest times of my life. I know that there is a rainbow out there for me somewhere. However, until I find it (along w/ the pot of gold at the end) I'll keep relying on you and your wonderful gifts of giving to others. You inspire me and you make me smile. Daily! And for that....I can not thank you enough!!!
So...now everyone...run, don't walk, out to get this amazing uplifting book. Even if your life right now is all rainbows and butterflies, I'm sorry to tell you, there will come a time when the rainbow clouds over and the butterflies are still in their cocoons. You'll feel all alone (Don't worry it will be brief) but you'll remember that you have this book on your shelf and it will save your day!!!!!

Karen Salmansohn is one of those special beloved authors who have changed my life in pivotal ways. When I saw this new offering, it went into my cart ASAP. Three years ago, I journeyed through an almost unimaginable challenge when I was diagnosed with a chronic limiting disease and had a traumatic accent with injuries that I continue to heal from. This turning point also reframed my life, health, self love in all new ways.
Karen's Bounce Back book was one I read and grew from while in a hospital bed in my living room.
Karen has that rare ability to inspire, commiserate, bring humor and wisdom. Her writing is simply a warm hug, a go girl when you need one!
Now I plan to utilize her newest work, this journal, as I integrate this new me and my happy life going forward.

Instant Happy Journal
by
Karen Salmansohn

About the Book
Brighten your day with this colorful journal from happiness expert Karen Salmansohn. Jam-packed with 365 “happiness prompters” including motivational quotes, scientific studies, and thought-provoking questions, this journal amps up your ability to notice (and create!) moments of joy and gratitude in your life—one day at a time.

My review

It has just enough to write per day...not too much and not too little...

From a Christian perspective, there are things within this journal which promote a humanistic perspective on life. The focus is heavily on detaching from or disregarding anything or anyone that doesn't please us and chasing after that which we deem fulfilling. One page says, "NC-17" and prompts you to write out "naughty thoughts". Another states"Wrong Thinking: Life does stuff to you. Right Thinking: Live gives you stuff. Translation: Things happen for you, not to you." There's a fair amount of talk about "energies," it's like the word "vibes" has made a come-back with a facelift. Many pages do promote ideas which are consistent with Christianity, encouraging forgiveness and gratitude and promoting love as powerful. There are pages which prompt us not to be overcome by our fears, and some which call out that we won't be happy if we try to control everything or if we say one thing and do another.
So I would not recommend this book to other Christians .

About the Author
Karen Salmansohn [...] is a best selling author and award winning designer - with over 1 million books sold - who is passionate about empowering people to live their happiest, highest potential lives. She's known for creating a new breed of self help - for people who would never be caught dead doing self help - because she merges a range of psychological and philosophical research with humor and stylish graphics.
Some popular titles: HOW TO BE HAPPY DAMMIT, ENOUGH DAMMIT, THE BOUNCE BACK BOOK, PRINCE HARMING SYNDROME, and INSTANT HAPPY.

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for writing this review. All thoughts are my own and are not swayed by receiving a free copy of this book.

I think it is about a year ago, I was introduced to the philosophy and life attitude of Karen Salmansohn. I have read her books and followed her program on relationship advice and I have truly been inspired. Her daily emails and quotes have become a part of my life and lifts for my spirit. I cannot but thank her for the light she brings in my life and others through her books and creative journals. I would recommend her vision of life to anybody who wants to create happiness and love in their lives. Her life wisdom feels truly heartwarming, genuine and is an inspiration for growth in life.

Good choice if you are looking for a quick daily project to lift your spirits! There are a few prompts that make me wonder what the author had in mind, but overall it's great for its purpose. I would purchase another edition if one were to be published, and use it on my friends as well!

I'm a daily reader of Karen's "Happy Dammit Daily" emails, and I have to admit they are oftentimes right on point with I need at that given moment. Just yesterday I received her daily email which was an abundance meditation. I went ahead and printed out and placed on my desk. Her writings and methods are universal, fun, easy to use and learn, and HAPPY! We can all learn to be more mindful of what's happening around us, and Karen is incredible at helping to channel what we already have inside us and project it out to the world, making us more whole and fulfilled.

Instant Happy Journal by Karen Salmansojn is simply just a journal, nothing special. There are 365 journal prompts, which I did not find particularly engaging. I do love to journal but found this journal to be pretty blah and something I probably would not buy on my own. It is also small in size, which I find difficult to write in.

I received this book free from bloggingforbooks in exchange for my honest opinion.

I LOVE this book! I ordered two of them. One for me, and one for a friend. I just got it today, and am already enjoying writing in it. What a wonderful idea for an uplifting, positive, mind-set-boosting book! I already want to buy a bunch more, to give to my closest friends.

I can not say enough of about Karen Salmansohn & her incredible work! I own all of her books & I recently purchased her weight loss program, The Do It Program. If Karen wrote it, created it or vowed for it, I am buying it! She speaks to my soul! She's positive, creative, witty & brilliant. Her work is relevant & it's exactly what I (& you) need to get through this crazy thing called life. Karen, thank you for existing!

This is a small, heavy journal with nice weight to it. It is not hardcover, but the covers are more sturdy and thick than the average paperback. The subtitle "365 days of Inspiration, Gratitude, and Joy," suggests there are 365 pages (I admit I didn't count) of writing prompts with lined space. The lines provided for writing are spaced approximately like that of a standard (not college) notebook and should allow writers with average-sized handwriting to form a healthy paragraph. It does include a ribbon style bookmark, and each page simply says, "Date:" at the top, so one could feel free to write on different pages/prompts out of order as they fit with the reader's daily experience or outlook.

The author has written and compiled a variety of prompts, some which leave more room for freedom regarding the topic you choose to write about, such as a page that simply states, "So, what's on your mind?" Another day has a paragraph encouraging us to be grateful for what we have rather than focusing on what we want, along with a quote from Epicurus and a prompt to express gratitude.
From a general standpoint, there is one concerning aspect of this little journal that looks so tempting to purchase as a gift for that friend or family member who's' been in a slump, maybe struggling with depression. The thought would be kind, but this journal contains numerous writing cues which would be considered "triggers" and could stir up countless negative emotions or anxieties in a very short time frame. Example: addictions, struggling eating habits and body image, requesting you to write a letter to someone who has betrayed you and also to an ex. Some of these topics could bring up very traumatic memories for individuals- the opposite of the goal of the journal.

From a Christian perspective, there are prompts within this journal which promote a humanistic perspective on life. The focus is heavily on detaching from or disregarding anything or anyone that doesn't please us and chasing after that which we deem fulfilling. One page says, "NC-17" and prompts you to write out "naughty thoughts". Another states"Wrong Thinking: Life does stuff to you. Right Thinking: Live gives you stuff. Translation: Things happen for you, not to you." There's a fair amount of talk about "energies," it's like the word "vibes" has made a come-back with a facelift.Many pages do promote ideas which are consistent with Christianity, encouraging forgiveness and gratitude and promoting love as powerful. There are pages which prompt us not to be overcome by our fears, and some which call out that we won't be happy if we try to control everything or if we say one thing and do another.

While I love the idea of the book, the colorful and creative design, and some of the prompts, I am disappointed by the mixed content and the misleading signals this book sends off. I just don't think, "Fall in love with being good to yourself. How might you be good-er to you?" is steering broken, hurting people in the right direction. I think finding meaning and purpose in life is much deeper than seeking our own personal happiness and that a journal to urge us toward positive, pleasant mindsets could have been done with more consideration of the content and perhaps a bit more class.

Because of the triggers contained in this book, I would not feel comfortable giving it as a gift. I may just fill out the pages I enjoy and appreciate and ignore the others, or I may cut some pages out to use in scrapbooks.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review. I was not required to give a positive review, my opinions are my own.

Karen Salmansohn’s insightfulness gives us faith. The two inner walls of my IKEA desk are lined with Karen's quotes. When I’m pondering what to do, a glance upwards gives me motivation, courage and joyfulness to say "onward and upward, I can do it!" Thanks Karen.