Beth Romero is the author of the new book Happy AF: Simple Strategies to Get Unstuck, Bounce Back, and Live Your Best Life. She has a psychology background and has worked in the sales and branding field. She lives in Philadelphia.
Q: What inspired you to write Happy AF?
A: My own personal journey. 2020 leveled me. Think Old Testament-like devastation. I always say that I didn't set out to write a book, but rather the book set out to right me.
Not digging rock bottom, I embraced a proactive approach to regaining happiness. Simple strategies, all backed by clinical research. I wanted to repurpose the pain.
Q: How would you define happiness--for yourself, and in general?
A: Happiness is being present, in the now. There is no happiness destination. The journey is the destination. There is no happy when or happy because, or happy if.
The Deferred Happiness Plan sucks. Its compounding interest annihilates happiness in the now. Obliterates it, actually. Don't wait on something, someone, or some event to be happy. Just be happy. Now. Being fully immersed in the present is integral to happiness. Happiness is a choice, not a result.
Moreover, cultivating happiness is a constant practice. Your daily life, ergo your state of mind, is dictated by your daily choices. Day in, day out. Small, consistent steps are the foot soldiers that win this crusade for hope and champion a "happiness" happening. You gotta be in it to win it.
This means living with intention and not just operating on autopilot; creating a life based on choices, not habits; and practicing the sort of person you want to be each day.
Q: The author Laurie Buchanan said of the book, “Happy AF is a reliable companion that meets readers where they are, gently shepherding perspective and experience from ordinary to extraordinary in a beautiful, honest, and witty way.” What do you think of that description?
A: I thought it was so beautifully put, which is not surprising given the style and elegance inherent to Laurie's prose. And I like to think it is an accurate portrayal.
As the title attests, Happy AF is a roadmap for happiness. This book bridges the gap between academic research, vulnerability, and cheeky insight with a unique voice that draws upon the power and strength of each for a compelling, compulsively readable, research-driven narrative.
It's fresh. It's relatable. I liken it to your best friend giving it to you straight---with love---over cocktails.
Q: How was the book’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?
A: I wanted to write a self-help book grounded in empirical research but with a fresh voice that speaks plainly and frankly with a touch of irreverent humor and a lot of heart.
A self-help book that is chockful of clinically proven data yet reads as breezily as a good summer beach read. Cheeky, irreverent, sprinkled with some salty language to punctuate the message and pierce the consciousness; think Chelsea Handler meets the Dali Lama.
I, therefore, wanted a title that embodies those principles. To show that you can marry irreverent wit to clinical data…accessible language to scientific principles…breezy delivery to academic findings...for the ultimate one-two punch.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I've started research on my next project. I'm writing a book on love, dating, and relationships. I have enough backstory to create a series!
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: After reading the book, I want the reader to be encouraged, motivated, empowered, and optimistic. Rock bottom can actually be a springboard for something even better. To remember that being knocked down doesn't define you. It's our bounce that defines us.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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