A New Happiness Club!

October 25, 2006
BE HAPPY ZONE
By Lionel Ketchian

We have a new Happiness Club called the Madison Connecticut Happiness Club in Madison, CT. Let me introduce you to the outstanding woman who will facilitate the meetings. Her name is Tina N. Garrity. Tina lives in Madison, Connecticut with husband, Kevin and five daughters.

Tina is a Connecticut certified teacher who has a Master's degree in Education. Tina is also a board member of The Children's Center, in Hamden, CT. as well as being on the Madison's Selectmen's Council on Youth Substance Abuse. Tina volunteers her time at Yale-New Haven Hospital for the "Circle of Care," a group that provides respite care for pediatric oncology patients. In addition to this demanding schedule, Tina also does volunteer work at St. Raphael's Hospital for the program: "Read to Grow," which involves Tina reading to children in the pediatric outpatient clinic. Tina has organized and conducts a knitting group at The Hearth at Tuxis Pond in Madison, CT. knitting caps for chemotherapy patients.

A volunteer like Tina Garrity cannot help but be happy. When you are as busy as Tina is, spreading happiness by doing public service work, you can't help but find happiness for yourself. Thank you Tina for making this a much better world because you choose to make a difference.

One of Tina's future goals was to run a Happiness Club in Madison, CT. Tina just accomplished that goal today. Tina's future objectives are to eventually do workshops on happiness with Middle school and High school students.

In this regard we have just completed a meeting to start a Teen Happiness Club in Stamford, CT. It all started with two wonderful moms, Rosalie Stone and Cathy Glass, getting in touch with me about the possibility of a happiness club for their teenagers. After a number of meetings, we decided that the group facilitator for this fortunate group of teens will be Dr. Cynthia Barnett. The Teen Happiness Club will begin in January 2007.

Dr. Cynthia Barnett is a "re-fired" educator who has reinvented her life. She has been a teacher, a guidance counselor, and an assistant principle, moving from the schoolhouse to an entrepreneurial venue. Dr. Barnett is the author of "Stop Singing the Blues: 10 Powerful Strategies for Hitting the High Notes in Your Life" and RE-FIRE, Don't Retire: 7 Secrets of Highly Successful Retirees. She has been featured in Time magazine for their article about women in mid-life who have reinvented themselves.

Dr. Barnett is a graduate of the Authentic Happiness Coaching Program facilitated by Martin E.P Seligman, Ph.D. Dr. Seligman is a professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, a leading motivational expert and an authority on the happiness factor and learned helplessness.

Dr. Barnett is a Certified Facilitator of the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. Jack Canfield, the best selling co-author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books, has also certified Dr. Barnett as a Self-Esteem Facilitator. Dr. Barnett is also an Adjunct Professor at University of Bridgeport in Connecticut and teaches a graduate course for teachers called The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teachers.

People like Tina Garrity and Dr. Cynthia Barnett are making a real difference for all of us. It is no great surprise that they are happy people because they are busy making other people happy as well. Maybe it is time for you to find time for others. It just may be a way to find happiness for yourself. Give happiness to others and you will find it in yourself. What you do always makes a difference, so make a positive difference with what you do!

The Madison Connecticut Happiness Club meeting will be a presentation called: "How To Find Happiness!" by Lionel Ketchian. Find out what happiness is and what it takes to achieve it! Three wonderful books will be won as door prizes. Join us tonight, Wednesday, October 25, from 7:00 - 9:00 P.M. at the E.C. Scranton Memorial Library, 801 Boston Post Road, Madison, CT. 06443. Tina Garrity is the group facilitator. Meet some wonderful people using happiness in their lives. Future meetings will be held on the last Wednesday of each month except for December 20, 2006. Admission is free; everyone is welcome. For further information call Lionel Ketchian at 203 258-7777.