Dear Charlotte: A Life of Self-Improvement

Chapter Excerpt: The Pursuit of Happiness

I just finished editing probably the largest, and most important chapter of my book. This chapter, "The Pursuit of Happiness" is 80% composed of failed attempts at trying different happiness techniques, and 20% of successful ones. The successful ones are toward the end:

March 1, 2004
What If You Devoted Three Months To Improving One Aspect Of Your Personality?

March 11, 2007
How To Stop Thinking About Thinking About Thinking About Thinking

March 27, 2007
Confronting Stereotypes About Psychiatrists

December 19, 2008
My "Harajuku Moment" About Becoming Neurotypical

December 23, 2008
A Totally Legal, All-Natural, Over-the-Counter Hallucinogen (recommended)

February 25, 2009
Can Radio Stop You From Over-Thinking?

April 14, 2009
Example Of My Dogged Determination To Become Happy

May 10, 2009
My First Knock-Out Punch In the Pursuit Of Happiness (recommended)

November 23, 2010
Can Eclectic Music Stop You From Over-Thinking?

December 27, 2010
Can Cognitive Therapy Stop You From Over-Thinking?

February 20, 2011
Eight Changes To My Life After Just Four Weeks of Meditation (recommended)

March 11, 2011
My Second Knock-Out Punch In the Pursuit Of Happiness

January 25, 2012
How I Kept Up With Meditation For An Entire Year (recommended)

Chapter Excerpt: How to Deal with Others at Work

Here are excerpts from my upcoming book Dear Charlotte, which tells the story of my life through lessons on self-improvement. This chapter shows how I adapted to social conditions in the office.

Dealing with Others at Work

March 18, 1997
The worst programmer in the world

Mar 25, 1997
How to motivate a stubborn programmer (recommended)

August 19, 1998
How to control your social behavior at work

January 18, 1999
How to maneuver office politics (recommended)

July 27, 2000
How to get along with your co-workers

About this Book

Dear Charlotte is a collection of imagined letters written to my friend Charlotte over the past 15 years. When I was 14, she gave me Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People, which kicked off a life-long habit of self-improvement. While I didn't write the letters at the time, the events re-told are very real, and tell a winding story of the triumph and the folly of forever trying to better yourself.

About the Author


(Credit: Keller Holmes)

Phil Dhingra lives in Austin, TX and makes iPhone apps, including the text editor Nebulous Notes and the best-selling Tarot app. Phil also blogs at Philosophistry.com. Read more about him here.

Contact phil@dearcharlottebook.com

Connect & Support

Subscribe to Feed