Bibi Baskin: Helping people find their happy place
Bibi Baskin, who has just launched her second book of inspirational quotes. Picture: Jim Coughlan
AFTER many adventures — including a 5,000 mile trip to India when she was 50, opening a hotel there — Bibi Baskin is in a happy place.
Her path brought her home again to Ireland — this time settling in Crosshaven where she is enjoying life, albeit in lockdown.
“I’ve loved lockdown!” says Bibi. “There, I’ve said it!”
Why does she love the isolation of lockdown? After all, Bibi Baskin is a people-person who was a well-known TV personality, is a motivational speaker and a successful business woman.
“I’m a stay-at-home gal at heart,” says Bibi who likes nothing better than meditating in the early dawn in her peaceful garden with chirpy bird-song accompanying her.
“I grew up alone, so it is no bother to me,” says Bibi.
“I like to hang around the house in my PJs.”
But wasn’t she always the life and soul of the party?
“It might appear so on the surface and I might be perceived to miss my freedoms, but I really don’t.”
She seems to have found her niche in her happy place.
“Everyone is in the pursuit of happiness,” says Bibi.
What makes her happy?
“I read and study virtually every single day. There’s stuff to be done in the garden and new Indian recipes to be tested.”
She can also share her vast experience about wellness.
“I love quotes and little inspirational messages that are gentle, useful reminders to side-step occasionally and change the mindset. I’ve spent decades collecting meaningful quotes and I created some of my own.”
This resulted in Bibi’s Wellness Wisdom, a pocket book which, especially in these testing times, was received gratefully by people who were in need of some cheering up and some inspiration.
Lockdown provided Bibi with time and contemplation to put together her second pocket book, The Happy Book Vol 2; a pocket book of quotes around the theme of creating greater happiness.
“The Happy Book made me think about creating a Happy Place online where would have access to teachings from the masters through me and pay a monthly subscription for that access.”
Being led in meditation by Bibi on a private Facebook group has its own advantages.
“I listened to people around me, who, bless them, found my voice soothing and calming and who frankly said they didn’t want to hear any more American accents in meditations!”
Bibi’s Happy Place will facilitate Mindful Monday, Wellness Wednesday and Fab Friday.
“ will have exclusive access to Meditations led by me, Sleep Stories read by me, and guidance on how to live a more mindful life,” says Bibi.
“Wellness techniques and a plethora of stuff which, eventually, will be decided more by and their needs than by me.”
Bibi discovered a long time ago that we don’t need a plethora of materialistic stuff to make us happy.
“When I was packing up to leave for India, I discovered that I owned 40 pairs of ‘TV’ shoes!” says Bibi laughing.
“In India, I noticed that the staff coming to work wore the same pair of shoes every day. It is like owning two houses. You can only park your ass in one of them at a time!
What else did she discover in the pursuit of happiness?
“In Mother India, nobody rushes around,” says Bibi.
“Everyone appears calm and there is no air of constant busyness. I was once that person; that eejit, always being super-busy. Mother India had other plans for me.”
Now Bibi has other plans for us, endeavouring to offer us useful nuggets of wisdom and her life-experience, prompting us to reach a happier place in our lives.
How are we robbed of happiness?
“You are continually rushing. You eat on the run. You re-run your mind about past hurts, you struggle to forgive others and yourself, you sometimes lose your cool.”
Most of us are guilty on all, or a number of those counts aren’t we?
“Yes, but in Bibi’s Happy Place we can help you with these issues.”
Happiness won’t magically happen overnight.
“It will take time and practice from you,” says Bibi.
“You will be in a safe haven in this private group with us all ing each other.”
Is lasting happiness a realistic goal?
“We cannot hope to experience happiness every day,” say Bibi.
“Anyway, it might be exhausting! It is a gradual awakening.
A sense of belonging makes us feel happier.
“You will be part of a community, a tribe, a clan. We will practice and explore living life with greater awareness, sharing wellness tips to enhance your mind, body, and soul.”
Gratitude makes us happy.
“On Fab Fridays we will share the fabulous events of the past week and practice gratitude. Acceptance is another element we’ll explore. In these testing times, we must realise we can’t control lots of things, but we can control our attitude to the virus and to the challenging restrictions it brought about.”
Bibi wants to bring about happiness to people everywhere.
“My aim is to contribute a complimentary copy of The Happy Book to all nursing home residents in Ireland,” says Bibi.
“There are 400 nursing homes and I’m hoping a sponsor in the community that may be associated with a nursing home will come forward and make the generous gesture to provide a copy of the book to all nursing home residents in their community. It would give the residents a boost. That would make me happy; offering someone some little piece of happiness is a nice thought.”
For more about Bibi’s Happy Place see
Monthly hip is €20. Three months hip, €50 every three months.
Material things spike our happiness briefly, but we can’t rely on material things long-term for enduring happiness. Here in the Western world, we often do.
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