Bounce back with Andrew Matthews

Mar 15, 2024Alan Wong

Well-meaning but oft-repeated advice such as "stay positive", "be grateful for what you have" or "happiness (or otherwise) is a state of mind" may sound empty or even asinine when one is facing hard times. But what if it's true? What if all it takes for one's burdens in life to begin to lighten is a change in mindset?

In the face of things one cannot change, knowing the things one CAN and SHOULD start to change may be half the battle won. Know the things that CAN be done and take the first step, and another, and another, and change will eventually happen.

If advice such as those found in the books by Australian author and speaker Andrew Matthews rings hollow to you, perhaps it's because the time when it will resonate and serve you hasn't arrived yet. Sometimes a series of events has to occur and coalesce with gathered experience to trigger an epiphany.

Gratitude, the gateway to happiness?

That's what apparently happened to Matthews when he was young and working as an artist in Victor Harbor, South Australia. According to him, he noticed that many of his friends were happier than him and found that "the happiest people I knew had bigger problems than me."

The realisation then hit: he lacked gratitude. This was "the lightbulb moment" that inspired Matthews to write and illustrate his first book, Being Happy, which was released back in 1988 and went on to become a bestseller, changing the trajectory of his life. More books followed, selling millions of copies worldwide, and he was invited to speak by many corporations and institutions on happiness and resilience.

What makes his books and talks so popular is perhaps the simplicity of his commonsensical philosophies and easy-to-understand examples. Then and now, people prefer simple solutions in simple language. The illustrations help emphasise his points. These days other self-help gurus give similar counsel but back in the day, Matthews' methods seemed revolutionary. Plain advice that set off a mental avalanche leading to exclamations of "So obvious!" and "Why didn't I think of that?"

Considering all that's happened to Matthews since his lightbulb moment, many would be grateful for his foray into writing and speaking. Doubtless, many have benefitted from his sharing over the years.

Resilience, for toughing out tough times

Many things don't appear obvious when one is under duress. And there's plenty to be stressed about right now. The economy. Wage stagnation. Climate crises. Rising costs of living. Can anyone be happy when so many things seem to be going wrong?

Maybe "happy" isn't the goal to achieve right NOW. Maybe what you need is resilience. And that is the heart of Matthews' latest book, Bouncing Back!, which promises to show the way towards rebounding from failure, poverty, illness, loneliness, tragedy and broken hearts.

"Everybody fails and everybody hurts," he says, adding that "No one is born extraordinary. We become extraordinary, resilient, unstoppable by conquering circumstances we didn't choose. Persistence matters more than talent."

In difficult times, this reminder is comforting. Bad times don't last forever, even if they SEEM to. Hence, fortitude is crucial to tide us over during difficult phases in life until the good times come. Until then, we shouldn't give up and despair.

Meet Andrew Matthews

Malaysians will have the chance to meet Andrew Matthews at MPH Nu Sentral on Sunday, 17 March, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., so do drop by to see what he has to say and pick up his book(s).