Q & A with The Happy Rabbit!
And The Happy Rabbit Says...
What's the big news?
The Happy Rabbit is coming back!
When is the big day?
Tomorrow, Friday the 19th of April. We will start with message 1 of 365 and go on all the way for one year to message 365 of 365. Every day, a new message will be delivered straight to your mailbox.
How did that come about?
For many years I've been thinking about ways to bring the series back as many long-time subscribers kept asking me ever since I stopped publishing them. But I’m also a bit of a procrastinator, and usually rather preoccupied with researching and writing.
What changed your mind now?
Upon publishing my latest piece (Happy Stuff, Episode 2), I received a greatly encouraging note accompanied by a financial pledge from Dr. Dan Callahan and I felt very touched and compelled to act.
“Bring back the happy rabbit! I loved it!
Dan Callahan”
So the credit to bring The Happy Rabbit back belongs to him, check out his awesome profile too; he is a truly pioneering and hands-on addiction and recovery expert, and the author of several books.
Tell us more about the And The Happy Rabbit Says... series. How did it come about?
The story starts with my first book in 1999 – Yes I Am Happy Now! – which I turned into an online workshop on The-Happy-Side. Over the following years, I wrote a total of 365 one-liners to serve as daily reminders of the insights we made in the book and to make some very specific, practical suggestions. In 2005, I started to send them out to free subscribers from around the world.
Why did you stop?
In 2015, all my professional and personal websites including The-Happy-Side got hacked, cracked and destroyed. That included all backups in the online archives as well as the ones on my computers. I also lost my entire mailing list.
That must have been awful...
Yeah, it was terrible to lose it all, but the worst part was having to disappoint so many Happy Rabbit fans who really loved to receive their daily mail year after year, many over the whole ten years. My wife was also disappointed as she loved starting the day with the cute little rabbit's messages, and while that may sound a little bit strange, I actually missed reading them too!
This time, will there be a subscription fee?
Yes, it is going to be for paid subscriptions to my Substack only; $8 dollars per month or $80 per year. It was free for ten years, but now I think it's actually better when people also have some skin in the game and make a commitment too.
Why did you use a pseudonym?
The daily suggestions are very short and therefore have to be very direct... many are also rather personal and it just felt a bit weird to publish them under my name, so I wanted to create some space.
And why did you choose a rabbit?
In old mythologies the rabbit is regarded as the dispenser of sage advice and eternal words of wisdom. It is said that on a full moon night, you can see the moon hare preparing the elixir of immortality. There is a little bit of a personal connection too as I was actually born in the lunar year of the rabbit. :-)
Who will benefit from receiving The Happy Rabbit messages?
Anyone who cherishes being happy, or wants to become a bit happier, every day, more and more until it's simply normal once again.
So is it all just about being positive?
No, it is not about simply seeing life through rose-colored glasses or having to work hard to become happy. It is about once again realizing and actually accessing one's core happiness, the one that is inherent to who we really are. My books go into the details, while The Happy Rabbit gives us very specific, practical advice in a fun kind of way helping us to easily login to our natural happy energy and live it in the here and now.
Can I read some sample messages somewhere?
Yes, there are quite a few you can read here in Happy Stuff, Episode 1 and Happy Stuff, Episode 2.
Did you create the amazing art work too?
No, that would be way beyond my abilities. I've commissioned a great Australian artist, Bruce Davies. He's very intuitive and quickly understood the brief to create a cheerful, cheeky and cute rabbit, fun-loving and funny, lovely and loving, lighthearted, colorful and uplifting... He did a really fantastic job and I'm very happy with the result!
Will there be additional features coming for paid subscriptions?
Yes, provided there is sufficient demand. One idea is to activate The Happy Cafe again, an instant and informal chat feature we had at The-Happy-Side. There are other ideas and I sure welcome suggestions too, but for now let's see how we go with the relaunch of The Happy Rabbit series!
Anything you'd like to add?
Actually, yes: since I can't invite my previous subscribers anymore, I'd be very grateful if my Substack readers would share the 'big' news and some of the Happy Rabbit messages with their friends and family, hopefully helping them to have happier days too!
Could you share some of the feedback you have received over the ten years of sending out millions of Happy Rabbit messages?
Yes, sure. Here are a few that are not overly personal, and without including their names. Receiving mail from dear readers is a huge highlight of my work; I'm always very happy to learn how it helped someone in their life. Sometimes it takes very little to remind someone of something very important.
“Thanks happy rabbit guy! They are worth reading each day and I am sending you light and love to continue on your journey in a healthy and happy way.”
“Love this one, Did it way more than 3x because it feels so wonderful!
Thanks for all the Happy Rabbit tips.”
“I just have to tell you from time to time that these little messages say just the right thing at the right time for me, this one just really just lit up for me after a rather difficult quandary. Thanks for sharing these as you do.”
“Just wanted to wish you a Happy 2011 & say Thank You for these awesome little reminders, they help allot”
INDEED ! Sage Advice :)
“Hey arne
Love your quotes and advice every day. Keep up the great work!
Blessings”
“I’m a big fan of the Happy Rabbit, and would love to see more in the future. Always happy follow your work, in whatever form it takes! Looking forward to your new books.”
Thank you for reading. And let me know what you think!