Take a Shot at Happiness

Take a Shot at Happiness is more than a book. It is more than a change in perspective. It is a consciously chosen way of life, making you its true writer, producer, and director.

On a steamy jungle island in the middle of the South China Sea, the most popular television show is about to come to its shocking conclusion. A small television stage lit by tiki torches illuminates a show host, a jury of seven contestants sitting on tree stumps, and the final two runners-up for a million dollars. It was season one of CBS' competition show, Survivor, one of the longest-running unscripted series. Maria Baltazzi was one of the original supervising producers.

Those Survivor contestants were stripped of everything except their wits and each other to survive on a beach while trying to win a life-changing cash prize. Only then could they witness their true selves and the potential of others--good or bad--something that always stuck with Maria. So, taking a page from that experience, Maria realized she could only see her true self if she took the time to strip off the negativity, pay closer attention to her actions, and ask some tough questions about what she wanted. This book is Maria's insights about being happy learned from her time in the entertainment industry, observing people and events, traveling, and studying wellbeing. Within these pages is a practical guide for a creative path to happiness through taking photographs with your camera phone, journaling about things that matter, and being part of a supportive community.

You can create a healthier state of being and have fun doing it. Even when your world turns upside down, you can still be the writer, producer, and director of the life you desire.
About the Author: Maria Baltazzi, PhD, MFA is an Emmy Award-winning television producer, international traveler, and wellbeing teacher. She has developed and produced shows on all seven continents and was one of the original producers of Survivor for CBS--a role she continued through its first ten seasons. She then did another lap around the world as a distance walker, entering marathons on all seven continents to raise money for charity. To date, Maria has walked more than seven thousand miles and is still going.

Maria is a member of the Producers Guild of America, the Directors Guild of America, and a Fellow of the Explorers Club. Her degrees include an MFA in film from the Art Center College of Design and a PhD in Conscious-Centered Living from the University of Sedona. Maria's educational focus over the past decade on happiness and mindfulness. Her certifications include Mindfulness Meditation Teaching Training with Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach, Primordial Sound Meditation Teacher Training from The Chopra Center, Spiritual Psychology with Drs. Ron and Mary Hulnick at the University of Santa Monica, Happiness Studies with Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar, Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, the Science of Happiness from the University of Berkley, and Inner MBA from MindfulNYU.