The latest segment of “Author’s Corner” in America Tonight with Kate Delaney features Dr. Robert Knapick, author of the independently published happiness guide “Choose to Be Happy”: “And I Choose Happiness Over Sadness!” (2020).
What the book is all about
Dr. Knapick wrote Choose to Be Happy to help people deal with life’s difficulties: stress, unhealthy relationships, unrealistic expectations, negative self-esteem, and life’s pressure of life.
“The book is designed to give people tools to deal with life and deal with problems. What I’ve done is turn my master’s degree in behavioral science… I also did a master’s degree in metaphysical science, and that helped me understand how to motivate people to be happy, get power out of the embrace with other people, and become positive.
“The book (writing) progressed because I did programs in hospitals to help people deal with problems. I have over a hundred of letters from people who told me I saved their lives just by talking to them about ways of being happy and being a positive person as opposed to (being a) negative (person). That motivated me to say ‘Look, I need to go ahead and move forward,’ so I wrote the book.”
Dr. Knapickprovides techniques and practices to turn negativity into happiness, as well as personal experiences and testimonials by individuals who have used these techniques.
Sensing depression from the patients
Dr. Knapick shared to Kate Delaney what he saw from and how he felt working with kids who have depression. “I work in emergency room, and I primarily work with children. I see anywhere from 6 to 10 kids a day. They’re trying to kill themselves. It’s very depressing, the kids are overwhelmed with distress. There’s so much pressure, and there’s no coping skills or coping mechanisms, but they have to get used to deal with it, so it’s a really sad case right now.
Learning from experience, finding faith
“I grew up in a low-class family in Texas,” said Dr. Knapick. “When I was 17-years-old, my father had a heart attack, and I gave him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, but he passed away, which was not too good. I was just getting close to him.
“The following year, my mother came and said, ‘Hey, I’m getting married, so you need to find a place to live.’ She gave me two suitcases for Christmas and that was it. It was kind of a rough, rough life there.”
He became a teenage alcoholic and then gave up drinking when he realized it wasn’t good. He became an atheist. At the encouragement of his friend urging him to look into Christianity, he attended a Fellowship of Christian Athletes meeting.
“I met some awesome guys, got lots of support, and next thing you knew, I had my first Bible (the New Testament) in my life and read the whole thing that night. That was a big life-changing moment, so I chose Christianity. So I went from a guy who was beating people up and being negative to being helpful. My whole life changed, and I started focusing on doing good, trying to become a good person, and helping other people.”
Happiness from helping others
Dr. Knapick finds helping people fulfilling, his goal sparking of happiness. “I chose to be happy by helping other people. My focus in life was just to help other people. I put other people first.
“I work really hard right now. I’m on call 24 hours, seven days a week. I see a lot of kids. My goal is to see a smile on their face at the end of a session so that hopefully they get some glimmer of peace and hope in their life just by meeting with me.”
Make sure to listen to the whole interview.
Choose happiness over sadness, positivity over negativity today. Order Dr. Robert Knapick’s “Choose to Be Happy”: “And I Choose Happiness Over Sadness!” on https://www.amazon.com/Choose-Be-Happy-Happiness-Sadness/dp/B084DFR1GJ/