HIRA'S NEW CHAPTER DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF'

The busy Auckland electrician has created a uniquely Kiwi gratitude journal

- Linda Herrick

Hira Nathan's busy job working as an electrician and project engineer in Auckland involves a lot of driving and sometimes loads of stress. But instead of getting mad, Hira has mellowed, searching for the good things in life each day and writing them down in his diary - the best-selling bilingual "gratitude journal" he has made for us all, Whakawhetai/Gratitude.

His journal, which began quietly as a one-off in 2020 as Hira's way of dealing positively with the COVID lockdowns, became so in-demand with friends and family, he started getting copies printed. His first print run was 200, then over the next couple of years, he sold more than 4000 copies under his own steam.

Now Whakawhetai has blossomed into a new form a professionally designed and published illustrated journal that is selling like hot cakes and shot to the top of the best-seller list as soon as it was released.

Hira, 42, had never heard of a "gratitude journal" until a friend gave him one a few years ago.