Elijah De La Cruz’s How to Be Happy Might Be the Most Honest Book on Joy You’ll Ever Read

A Candid Look at Real Happiness

Happiness might seem straightforward, but many people find themselves feeling something’s missing—even when everything looks good from the outside. Elijah De La Cruz’s upcoming book, How to Be Happy, offers an insightful exploration of happiness that goes beyond the superficial and dives deep into the realities of what it genuinely means to feel fulfilled.

Relationships: More Than Just Company

Central to Elijah’s perspective is the significance of genuine relationships. Drawing attention to examples like the Roseto Effect, he highlights how communities that prioritize relationships often experience greater overall well-being. Elijah emphasizes how important family, friendships, and community bonds are, encouraging readers to truly value and nurture these connections.

Yet, he acknowledges openly that relationships aren’t always easy. They require effort, patience, and a willingness to be vulnerable. Elijah stresses that it’s precisely this depth and authenticity that enriches our lives, reminding readers of the profound joy that comes from genuine connections, even amid complexity.

Passion, Purpose, and Real-Life Balance

Another impactful topic Elijah explores is the relationship between passion, purpose, and financial realities. Many people hope that following their passion will naturally lead to financial security, but Elijah realistically challenges this assumption. He illustrates how purpose-driven living often involves difficult decisions and uncertainty.

Elijah reassures readers that happiness doesn’t solely hinge on achieving an ideal job or perfect circumstances—rather, it’s about pursuing a life aligned with genuine values, despite inevitable imperfections.

Freeing Yourself from Perfection

A notable message Elijah conveys is the importance of letting go of perfectionism. Society frequently sets unrealistic standards, fostering constant dissatisfaction. Elijah thoughtfully argues that true happiness emerges when we embrace vulnerability and accept our imperfections.

He encourages readers to shift their mindset, focusing less on perfection and more on authentic living. By doing so, Elijah suggests that we can experience a deeper sense of contentment and peace, unburdened by unattainable expectations.

Reclaiming Awareness in Everyday Life

Elijah also addresses how modern life subtly encourages autopilot living—moving mechanically through days without genuine presence or awareness. He emphasizes the significance of slowing down, encouraging readers to reconnect with their environment and regain their inherent curiosity and appreciation for life’s smaller moments.

His reflections resonate deeply because they’re grounded in personal experience. Elijah’s openness about his own struggles makes his advice feel comforting and genuine. Readers find solace in his honesty, knowing they’re not alone in their struggles.

An Ongoing Conversation, Not a Quick Solution

What makes How to Be Happy particularly valuable is that it’s not your typical self-help book. Instead of providing quick fixes, Elijah offers reflections designed to provoke deeper contemplation and self-awareness. His intention isn’t to give easy answers but to encourage readers to ask meaningful questions about their lives and values.

Elijah admits candidly that the book’s ideas had been maturing within him for years before he wrote them down quickly. The result is a concise, thoughtful guide that resonates on a profoundly human level, offering clarity and comfort whenever readers need it most.

For those who feel inexplicably incomplete, Elijah De La Cruz provides an understanding and empathetic voice. He reminds us happiness is less about reaching a final goal and more about embracing authenticity, vulnerability, and conscious living every day.

We had the privilege of interviewing the author. Here are excerpts from the interview:

Thank you so much for joining us today! Please introduce yourself and tell us what you do.

Yeah, sure! Hi, I’m Elijah De La Cruz. I’m a teacher now — used to work in management consulting, which feels like a whole other life at this point. That work taught me a lot, especially about structure and people and how we function under pressure… but honestly? Most of what I write comes from stuff I’ve lived. Things I’ve felt too much, or wrestled with in quiet moments when no one was watching.

Umm, I’m 31. I think I’m… happy? Haha. No, I am. Not in the curated Instagram kind of way — more like, actually being content in the day to day, naturally, I’m still figuring things out, but it feels steady. Real. Of course, I still get stuck sometimes. Who doesn’t? I think that’s just… being human. But yeah — I’m here, I’m moving, and writing this book was part of that movement.

Please tell us about your book.

Right — so, the book’s called How to Be Happy… and I guess the first thing I always want to clarify is: it’s not a guidebook. Like, it’s not “here are five steps to change your life.” I wouldn’t trust me with that anyway, haha.

It’s more like a conversation. You know those late-night talks you have with someone who just gets it? It’s that — in book form. It’s a bunch of reflections, reminders, half-answers, and questions. Things I’ve thought about over years of trying to understand happiness — not in some big abstract way, but like, in the real day-to-day mess of it.

I wrote it really quickly — like, two weeks — but only because I’d been carrying the ideas around for years. It just sort of poured out. It’s short, yeah, but I hope it’s the kind of book people come back to. Not because I’ve got everything figured out — I don’t — but because sometimes, just asking the right question at the right time is enough.

Please tell us about your journey.

Ah, okay. So, I’ve always wanted to write. Like, forever. But for a long time I didn’t think I could — not because the ideas weren’t there, but because I just… didn’t think I was allowed? I’d keep thinking, “Who am I to write a book about happiness?” I’m not a therapist or a monk or some kind of expert. I’m just a person who’s tried, failed, tried again — like everyone else.

Eventually, though, that stuck feeling — that quiet restlessness — got too loud. Life felt like it was moving and I wasn’t. So one night I just opened a doc and started writing. I didn’t plan it. I just… began. And once I did, I didn’t stop. I wrote before work, after work, sometimes when I should’ve been working, haha. I think I was scared that if I paused, I’d lose it.

Writing that first draft was messy and kind of electric. Frustrating, too. I definitely hit walls. But there was this strange relief in doing the thing I’d wanted to do for so long. And I kept reading it back, editing, tweaking — and slowly, I started to believe in it. Not because it was perfect. But because it felt honest.

What are the strategies that helped you become successful in your journey?

Honestly? I wouldn’t call it a “strategy,” but — I stopped waiting for the perfect time. That’s probably the biggest shift. There’s never a perfect moment to start something like this. You just… start.

I didn’t worry about publishers or marketing or any of that in the beginning. I wasn’t trying to build a brand. I just needed to get this thing out of my head. My only goal was: write it, even if it sucks. Edit it later. That mindset saved me from spiraling.

Also, I’m a big daydreamer. I’ll space out for half an hour thinking about things that could be, ideas, opportunities, the past, the present, the future. Weirdly, that’s where a lot of the book came from. Just… drifting and reflecting.

And the truth is, not writing felt worse than failing. That’s what kept me going. Even if no one read it, at least I’d know I did it.

Any message for our readers?

Yeah. I guess just… I hope this book helps you feel seen. I didn’t write it to give advice — I wrote it because I needed to hear some of this stuff myself, and I figured maybe someone else did too.

A lot of us aren’t missing anything — we’re just too close to our own lives to see clearly. We forget. We rush. We compare. And I think sometimes we need a quiet reminder that happiness isn’t some big goal. It’s often already here — just buried under everything else.

This book won’t fix you. But maybe it’ll make you pause. Breathe. Look at your life a little differently. And if it does that? That’s more than enough.

Thank you so much, Elijah, for giving us your precious time! We wish you all the best for your journey ahead!