On the back cover of the book “the power of decision” there is a black and white photograph of author Raymond Charles Barker: sharp convex eyebrows, dark staring eyes and striking cheekbones finishing on a small mouth line with an almost imperceptible smile. I was only half surprised to read below “1911-1988, opened the first church of religious science”. That adding up to the more than suspicious subtitle (“a step-by-step program to overcome indecision and live without failure”) should have been enough to turn on my “watch-out, cult” sensor and let the preacher rest in peace.

But I purchased the book (!). While it is, indeed, one of those “how to get happy forever in 6 steps” with an unmasked sense of superiority, Barker presents an interesting approach to happiness:

Happiness is a state of mind; it is totally depending on the way we see the moment (remember the glass half full or half empty?). So he’s right, it is up to us to be happy with the moment and it is also true that we need some tools to unleash this potential that lies within ourselves. Here are a few of them:

• Consciousness of our mental patterns, of our inner voice. “There is a trap in your mind. When you open it by knowing yourself as I am consciousness, new perceptions enter your arena of thinking”.
• Intuition which Barker defines as “God in man, as man knowing Itself as God, not knowing Itself as Man. Intuition reveals what you always have been.” (read God as universal infinite intelligence).
• Creativity. “Your greatest hunger is for new ideas. Old ideas will not create new conditions. They never have and they never will.”
• Trust. You do your part and let the universe take care of the rest.

“When you decide to be happy, the creative process of Mind moves into instant action upon your decision.”

What if the old man was right in the end? What do you think? Can we just be happy by deciding so?

There are days of course where all seems bright and it’s easy to think Barker’s theory is brilliance in action. But what about the other ones where a veil covers our minds and we feel lost and fogged up?In those days, it’s much more difficult to declare oneself happy and move on. Then, like our Italians friends would say: “lascia stare”, let go. There is not much to do, simply recognize that there is a veil and so is life.

Don’t you think?