I’ve never been one to have an all-time favourite book – especially considering I own an entire bookshop; there’s just too many to choose from – but The Art of Happiness comes really close. It’s one of those books where you can flip through to any page and find some beautiful pearls of wisdom to guide you on this journey through life. The book takes the form of a series of questions and answers, posed by renowned psychiatrist Howard C. Cutler to the Dalai Lama. Through this combined wisdom of psychology and spirituality, we learn about the true purpose of our life – to seek happiness – and that this happiness is determined more by our state of mind than by anything external. The messages conveyed are powerful and uplifting, and I could read this book over and over again. I’ll leave you with one of my favourite quotes from the book – and a life lesson to live by.

“If you want others to be happy, practise compassion. If you want to be happy, practise compassion.”