Gina Vild, a coauthor of The Two Most Important Days, will read at Prairie Lights at 3 p.m. Saturday.
By Madison Lotenschtein
Even with life and exemplary people surrounding most, several adults, students, and even children wonder if they are happy or could become happier. If a conscience remains unhappy, how do they become happier? To dive deeper into existential thinking, some wonder, “What is my life’s purpose?”
The Two Most Important Days, written by Sanjiv Chopra and Gina Vild, is a book that gently guides the reader across the harsh roads these questions lie upon. Vild will read from the duo’s book at 3 p.m. Feb. 4 at Prairie Lights, 15 S. Dubuque St.
The book offers the teachings of Buddha, Rumi, and Hafiz, implementing their age-old wisdom and scientific evidence in an entertaining way. Along with storytelling, the authors fused 10 poems into the pages of the book.
But what many people are unaware of is that a scientific formula exists in calculating one’s point in happiness, otherwise known as “the happiness quotient.”
A study by Martin Siegleman indicates that half of our happiness quotient is inherited and ten percent of our happiness quotient is dependent on the satisfaction with our living conditions. That means an astounding 40 percent of happiness quotient is determined by the choices e make, by how we choose to live our life.
Vild was raised in Independence, Ohio, and wanted from the age of 16 a good education, a job in a field she loved, a family, to travel to the corners of the world, and to write a book. In recent years, she had achieved all but one of her dreams, until the publication of the self-help book in December 2017.
“Interestingly, what I learned as we researched this book was that the underpinnings for it were grounded in my upbringing,” said Vild. “Who would have imagined that many of the values and concepts my parents instilled in me would one day be fodder for scientific study. I was raised to be grateful, to forgive, to seek resilience when roadblocks marred my path, to accept adversity, and to give back whenever and however I could.”
As a young girl, Vild’s mother made it known to her to look disappointment in the eye and smile at it. Several years later, research stated in Vild and Chopra’s book presents that people’s levels of cortisol, adrenaline, endorphins, and dopamine are altered in a positive manner when a mind chooses to lift its facial muscles.
Working together at Harvard Medical School, Chopra and Vild realized they both expressed a great interest in happiness and one’s life purpose. Because of their professional careers, the authors worked on the book on the weekends. Writing a book with another is a cultivating experience for the mind, but for now, Vild enjoys watching the book being placed in the hands of the lost, the longing, and the curious.
“The two most important days are the day you were born and the day you find out why,” Vild said. “Recognizing this, our book additionally explores how identifying a sense of purpose can lead to greater fulfillment. and a happier life.”