Regular readers of Linda’s Book Bag know life has thrown a few challenges my way in the last few years and so it gives me great pleasure to be featuring a book today that I think might just help me out. Paul McGee is staying in with me to tell me more!

Staying in with Paul McGee

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag, Paul and thank you for agreeing to stay in with me.

Hi Linda, thanks for hosting me.

Tell me, which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it?

 I’ve brought along my latest book How to Have a Great Life: 35 Surprisingly Simple Ways to Achieve Success, Fulfilment and Happiness (HTHAGL). I’ve brought this book along because of my eleven books, this is the one I’m most excited about and proud of! Its also the one that’s dedicated to my kids, and the first one of my books I’d like my (future) grandkids to read.

Gosh! That’s a lot of books! I’m intrigued. So, what can we expect from an evening in with How to Have a Great Life: 35 Surprisingly Simple Ways to Achieve Success, Fulfilment and Happiness?

HTHAGL aims to enhance your life, and bring increased success, fulfilment and happiness through bite-sized tips and tools. Its about learning through reflection, expressing gratitude to others and taking responsibility for yourself.

With HTHAGL I ask what it is that we want from life. I believe that when we are faced with challenges and overcome them that we feel most fulfilled. People are like elastic bands, we’re designed to be stretched and thrive in the face of resistance. Seeking fresh challenges—even those seem like a struggle—can be the antidote to a boring and unfulfilling life. Of course, periods of rest and recovery are crucial to feeling rejuvenated but just like that elastic band, we were never designed to have too much slack in our lives.

(Great analogy! I sometimes feel as if my elastic has perished through too much stretching so I’d love to hear more.)

I also want to promote self-acceptance. I want people to recognise and remember that we are enough. That we are OK. We live in a world that fuels our insecurities. We are told we need fixing. That we are falling short. We aren’t perfect. I want my reader to understand that they are okay, that they are enough, and that when it comes to improving ourselves, we should start from a position of self-acceptance rather than self-loathing. I want people to learn, grow and improve, rather than strive for perfection.

(Oh, I absolutely agree Paul. I’m one of those people who sets a goal, achieves it and then makes it harder just to make life difficult for myself. I think as soon as our evening is over I’m going to settle down with HTHAGL as it could be perfect for me.)

What else have you brought along and why? 

A lot of this book was inspired by my local surroundings. I’m lucky to live close to countryside, and I’ve found that taking time out for myself, to go walking, whatever the weather, really helped the writing process. One of the chapters in my book is called ‘Don’t take miracles for granted’ and I literally marvel at how amazing Mother Nature is. It’s easy to take it all for granted and live life on auto pilot but I take time to notice what’s under my nose and literally marvel at what I consider to be the miracles around us.

(Oh yes. I couldn’t agree more. I’m sure I feel so much better if I get out for a walk in nature.)

It’s been an absolute delight hearing about HTHAGL Paul so thank you for staying in to tell me all about it.

How to Have a Great Life

35 ways to success, fulfillment, and happiness.

How to Have a Great Life starts with you–your strengths and amazing potential and how to develop those. It helps you understand how to tap into your ability to grow, while equipping you with insights, inspiration, and practical tools to deal with whatever life throws your way in order to achieve success and live a happy and fulfilled life.

You already have many of the tools you need to succeed–you just need to know which ones to use and how best to use them. With no-frills, funny, and emotionally intelligent advice, Paul McGee will make you think, make you laugh, and make you take action to live your greatest life possible.

• Tap into your ability to grow
• Find insight and practical tools to deal with whatever life throws your way
• Slow down and live a more balanced life
• Re-gain time and brain space
• Improve the quality of your relationships with others

We are living faster and more frantic lives than ever before—and there’s no time like the present to catch your breath and live your best life possible.

How to Have a Great Life is available in all good bookstores and online, including here.

About Paul McGee

Paul McGee is one of the UK’s leading speakers on the subject of change, workplace relationships and motivation. His provocatively titled book SUMO (Shut Up, Move On) became an instant best seller and his book on Self Confidence reached number one in the WHSmith’s business book chart and remained there for a further 24 weeks. He has appeared on BBC Breakfast television and is a regular contributor to Radio 5live.

Building on his background in psychology, Paul’s aim is to deliver a practical, relevant message that can make an immediate impact on people’s professional and personal lives. His approach is considered both inspirational and humorous as he seeks to deliver a memorable experience that equips people with insights and ideas to increase their personal effectiveness and impact. He’s spoken for more than 1,000 organisations in over 40 countries to date, and from Todmorden to Tehran and from Bradford to Brisbane, Paul’s messages have resonated with a global audience.

You can follow Paul on Twitter @TheSumoGuy and visit his website. Paul is on Facebook and there is more with these other bloggers too: