Suits & Sneakers presents: "Happiness Isn't What You Think" Book Launch with Mark Sham (Cape Town Edition)

Join Mark Sham at The Tryst Woodstock on Tuesday, 10 November for the launch of his first ever book Happiness Isn’t What You Think. The evening is free to attend and will include a 45-minute keynote followed by an open Q&A with the audience.

WHAT IS THIS EVENT ALL ABOUT?

Happiness is a word we use all the time, but it can mean completely different things to different people. For some, it sounds like a feeling we should be able to hold onto. For others, it sounds like something waiting on the other side of the next achievement, relationship or change in circumstances. You reach something you’ve wanted for years and, for a while, it feels wonderful. Then it becomes part of your ordinary life, a new problem needs your attention, and you find yourself waiting for the next thing.

Meanwhile, life keeps asking things of us that no achievement can settle once and for all. We have to make decisions without knowing how they will turn out, adapt when the world changes, and find our way through experiences we were never taught how to handle. If we are going to spend so much of our lives trying to be happy, it seems worth asking what we mean by it in the first place.

Mark began speaking about happiness at the end of 2019, when his own life had taken an unexpected turn. He found himself talking about parts of life we’re often left to figure out for ourselves. For years, he had wondered: Why are we here? Writing this book led him towards a question he could do something with: What can we do to influence the experience we have while we are here?

Happiness Isn’t What You Think is Mark’s attempt to make sense of what it takes to live well in a world that is complicated, uncertain and constantly changing. He had tried to write the book for years, but becoming a father gave him a deeper reason to finish it. He wanted to share what he had figured out so far with his daughter, Norah, while leaving her free to question every word and find her own way.

In a 45-minute keynote, Mark will explore why our usual ideas about happiness can leave us unprepared for real life, and what writing the book changed for him. Afterwards, he’ll open the floor for an extended Q&A with the audience.

MORE ABOUT MARK SHAM

Mark Sham has been speaking professionally since 2010 on topics ranging from marketing and future thinking to, more recently, happiness. Kicked out of school at seventeen, he followed his curiosity down internet rabbit holes and learnt by trying things in the real world. Some attempts became businesses. Others became expensive lessons. Along the way, he founded Suits & Sneakers and The Tryst.

These days, he is building a community across South Africa where small business owners can find people who understand what they’re going through, learn from one another and help each other grow. ChatGPT can make mistakes. Check important info.

SPONSORS & PARTNERS

This Suits & Sneakers event is proudly brought to you by the many small business owners that are Suits & Sneakers members. Together, we have created a support structure for small business owners and our collective goal is to grow the economy, while lowering unemployment. More about that on the night.