The Happiness Equation: Want Nothing + Do Anything = Have Everything

Acknowledgements

Thank you.

Life is just a series of conversations, and that was one of the best conversations of my life. We’ve shared ideas, had lots of laughs, and grown together. I am so grateful to everyone who helped get us to this place.

To all the incredible people at G. P. Putnam’s Sons and Penguin Books, we are playing a team game. And you are my team. Special thanks to Ivan Held for your vision for this book and your belief in me. We’re on an exciting road.

To my editor, Kerri Kolen, where did you come from? You made me believe in fate. Thank you for your strength, conviction, and passion. You are top class, world class, and all class. I love working with you.

To my agent, Erin Malone, thank you for your fire and energy. We’re on such a wild ride together. Thank you for the ticket.

To the teams at Speaker’s Spotlight, Washington Speakers Bureau, The Lavin Agency, and Hi-Cue, thank you for spreading happiness around the world.

I am constantly inspired by great writers and artists whose passion broadens me and keeps me pushing. Thank you to Steve Toltz, Mohsin Hamid, David Mitchell, Alice Munro, Charlie Kaufman, Spike Jonze, Tim Ferriss, Nicole Katsuras, Rainn Wilson, Bill Waterson, Stephen Malkmus, Wayne Coyne, and Matt Berninger.

Thank you to the many friends who supported and guided me while writing this book. Special thanks to Brian Shaw, Francesco Cefalu, Scott Broad, Rita Stuart, Gale Blank, Bob Hakeem, Chris West, Plezzie Benitez, Agostino Mazzarelli, Gary Johnston, Mike Jones, and Fred Thate.

To Chad Upton, thank you for your energy.

To Frank Warren, thank you for your wisdom.

To Kevin Groh, thank you for being the ideas man.

Thank you to everyone who gave me permission to use their cartoons, poems, drawings, essays, lyrics, and ideas in this book. Your work inspires me.

Thank you to books for their wisdom and power. Thank you to the invisible worldwide team who creates them for us all—from sunshine to trees to loggers to mills to authors to publishers to printers to drivers to sellers. I love books so much. Thank you for making them.

To Heather Reisman, thank you for your steadfast belief in happiness.

To Dave Cheesewright, so many ideas in this book came from our long conversations. You are the greatest leader I know.

To Amy Einhorn, thank you so much for believing in me. You made me a better writer.

To my growing extended family, I am so grateful for your love and support. Thank you to Bob, Joan, Donna, An, Mark, Mar, and Jenny.

To the world’s most passionate teachers, thank you for everything you are doing. I am the son of a teacher and the husband of a teacher and I see how hard you work to change lives. Thank you to the many teachers who helped me along the way, especially Stella Dorsman, Jim Olson, Shera Eales, Chris Howes, John Plinuissen, Ajay Agrawal, Michael Wheeler, and André Perold.

Thank you to luck and chance for great parents, great teachers, and a great country. We are so lucky. I am so lucky.

To my family, you energize, support, and believe in everything I do. I love you Mom, I love you Dad, I love you Nina, Dee, and Lexi.

Thank you to Leslie, my confidant, inspiration, and best friend. All the arguments, ideas, and scribbles in this book came from our endless conversations. You are woven into every page. You are anything. You are everything. You are priceless. I love you.

Finally, thank you to you. Thank you for a great conversation about finding happiness in the middle of this wild and wonderful world. I am so grateful for you, for this, and for everything.

Take care. And talk to you soon.