So, you and I are having coffee in a little cafe off the main street in town. The conversation meanders as it always does between friends. We talk about our kids and our jobs and our husbands. And somewhere in one of those lulls of companionable silence, I spill a secret that I have kept hidden for the longest time. I have been unhappy my whole life, I tell you. You stop, and I can feel your discomfort. I can see you don't know what to say. Don't worry, I shrug. I've seen this reaction before. It wasn't the worst thing in the world, I explain. It's not like I lived a life of complete misery. Nothing so dramatic. I have had plenty of happy moments. But fundamentally, beneath the surface, in the core where I live, I was... lost, unsure, insecure... in a word, unhappy. I see surprise on your face. No way, you say. I don't believe you. You seem so happy now. So together. And then I smile. Yes, I am happy. Now. But it took me fifty years to figure it out. And now, it's the funniest thing. For years, no matter how hard I tried I couldn't be happy. Now, it's just the opposite. Now, I can't seem to be unhappy, even when bad things happen in my life. You shake your head as if you are not sure you can believe me. But then, you think back and see that I do seem to always be in sync, to roll with the challenges that I encounter and stay balanced. What happened, you finally ask. What changed? Everything, I say. It turns out I have been learning about happiness my whole life. I sit back and sip my coffee. Happiness, I tell you, was an elusive little sucker....

When you read the title of this you will think "Isn't this just like Bridget Jones?" The answer is yes, but with one large and may I add crucial difference.... This is real. None of the characters are fictitious and all events and names are not purely coincidental. A witty, amusing and heart warming diary written by Jenny Riley, a self confessed 33 year old spinster who discovers she has Bipolar 1. It follows 12 months of her life from December 2007 to November 2008, through her hilarious trails and tribulations; a heart wrenching diagnosis and the enlightening way forward. Including anecdotes such as the Italian Job, The Samson and the most potent Crisis Point. Jenny strongly believes that you can survive bipolar and with inner strength and sheer determination live a normal life.... The Life of Riley.