After a few hectic – but wonderful – years, I woke up in a hospital close to my hometown in Sweden. What had happened? Only yesterday, I felt like a champion. Maybe it was my eagerness to explore the world around me that had put me here. Or maybe it was my fear of missing out on some potentially rewarding experience. Maybe I had been just a little bit too eager trying to make my dreams come true, or could my brush with death simply be a case of bad luck?
There was a severe inflammation in my brain, which at times made it hard for me even to recognize my loved ones. To me, questions like 2 + 2 seemed more fitting for a rocket scientist. The doctors were deeply concerned and told me that my prognosis was very uncertain. Things certainly looked bleak, but surviving this whole ordeal was still in the cards. At the time, it made more sense to me to simply see my situation as a case of bad luck. Nonetheless, six months later and completely recovered, I realized that this was the result of something completely different. My love for life and my desire to experience as much as possible had blocked my inner signals. It was like an inner voice telling me to "Relax. Don’t try to do everything at once. Stop and smell the roses." Unfortunately, I ignored this worried voice that was trying to look out for me.
As I took my first stumbling steps leaving the hospital, I can still clearly remember how alert my senses truly were. Children’s laughter made me feel all warm inside. The simple beauty of the sky shifting color made me stop all of a sudden in awe. Smelling the first spring flowers gave me goose bumps. The taste of fresh air being sucked into my lungs made me feel deeply relaxed and the sensation of once again experiencing life made me somewhat euphoric. I was completely present in the moment and my senses were shaper than ever before.
This was the beginning of a new journey for me. I started to examine exactly what is needed to create the best possible conditions for feeling good and how we are to create the best possible lives for ourselves. Eight years later, I have now compiled my research and theories in this book.
My research has led me to conclude that it is possible for each and every one of us to feel good, every day, throughout our whole lives.