Amy Spencer Wants You to See the 'Bright Side Up' of Things

In her book, published by Penguin Group imprint Perigee Books, she lists ways in which people can take various bad situations -- or what may initially seem like bad situations -- and find the good in them.

The goal is to "really give people tools to do just that, to learn how to flip their perspective in the everyday moments," she said.

Her previous book, "Meeting Your Half-Orange," looked at optimism from a dating perspective. The feedback was so good, she said, that she decided to write another book that talked about life happiness.

One piece of advice she gives in "Bright Side Up" is "Ask your one-hundred-year-old self."

"Your one-hundred-year-old self will tell you if you're wasting your time on busywork or with phony people instead of spending quality time with people who matter, and if you're overanalyzing emails in your relationship or fighting when you should be fixing," Spencer wrote. "So if you're feeling down on your life, stuck in a rut, or worried about pursuing your dreams, imagine your older self rocking on your front porch, a lifetime of experiences and great loves behind you. When that person looks back at you, what advice might they give you now?"

Spencer believes this older self would be nice and encouraging.

"That's the version of you that will be gentle and kind and caring but will also be the voice of conviction," she said.

Another bit of advice Spencer gives is "Take the microphone." She wrote about a tiff she had with a mattress salesman who tried to swindle her out of what was supposed to be a refundable cash deposit. Spencer didn't want to be taken advantage of, and the thought that he might cheat someone else didn't make her happy.

"It really set something off inside of me," she said.