May 15, 2001

Dear Friends,

Welcome to our Happ-E-Newsletter for May 15, 2001.

This is a bimonthly newsletter whose purpose is to remind you to be happy. It will also let you know about meetings, happiness information, and a copy of the Be Happy Zone Articles published twice a month in the Fairfield Citizen-News. Read today's article: Can You Imagine? Enjoy it, and pass it on to your friends.

Happ-E-Power: Get rid of unhappiness and any of those negative thoughts. Happiness will put you in the right frame of mind, every time.

Happ-E-News: Harvey Ball, the creator of the Smiley Face passed away on April 12, 2001. He was co-owner of an advertising and public relations firm in Worcester, Mass. In 1963 he designed the Smiley Face to help ease the aftermath following the merger of two insurance companies. A vice president ordered a "friendship campaign" to ease tensions between the bickering workers and hired Mr. Ball to come up with a suitable graphic for a button. Thank you for teaching us all to put a smile on our face. Now there is a man who made a difference.

Happ-E-Book Recommendation: The Four Agreements, A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, Don Miguel Ruiz

Happ-E-Quote: "The last of the human freedoms is to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances."

- Victor Frankl, Survivor of Nazi concentration camp.

Happ-E-Thought: "Feel good -- -- do good!" - Lionel

Happ-E-Meeting: Join us for the next HAPPINESS CLUB MEETING

"Dealing With Difficult People"

Presentation by Lionel Ketchian and Friends

Date: May 17, 2001

Place: Fairfield Public Library

Time: 7:00 - 8:30 P.M.

In the: Rotary Room

Address: 1080 Old Post Road, Fairfield, CT 06430

Open to the Public and Admission is Free

Call Lionel Ketchian (203) 258-7777 or E-mail: PrintLRK@aol.com

http://www.happinessclub.com

Directions to the Fairfield Public Library

From New York - I- 95, Exit 21, Mill Plain Road, Right at bottom of ramp. Under railroad overpass. Left at light (Rt. 1), 1/2 mile on right

From New Haven - I- 95, Exit 22, North Benson Road. Left at bottom of ramp. Under railroad overpass. Right at light (Rt. 1), 1/2 mile on left

Be Smart! Stay Happ-E!

Hope to see you at the meeting!

Lionel

P.S. Read the article (Can You Imagine?) below!

BE HAPPY ZONE, By Lionel Ketchian

May 9, 2001, Fairfield Citizen-News

Can You Imagine?

Can you imagine happiness being more important than anything else in your life? Happiness is the end result of everything you do. It is what we all want. So why don't we do it first?

Imagine that happiness is the most important thing in the world to you. Now imagine that happiness is more important than the one you love. Are you having trouble with that one? You might say to me: "how can I do that, what a selfish thing to do!" If you told the person you loved, that your happiness was more important than they were, you might dread them saying; "How selfish! You should not be concerned with your happiness. If you loved me, you should be more concerned with making me happy, after all isn't that what love is?" No, that is not what love is like. That is what addiction looks like. Addiction says, "I need your love and approval to make me happy."

By wanting to be loved, you are allowing your desire to control you. It is by choosing happiness, having and being happy, and by making happiness first, that you will ever be happy. Only when you are happy can you give happiness to another. Let me be clear about this. You can give happiness to another person that does not mean they will take it. Giving it is up to you, taking it is up to them.

Being happy is not selfish. Is it selfish for a baby to learn to walk? Of course not; it is part of the baby's road to maturity. The difference between you and a baby is that a baby tries to do all it can for itself, by relying on the help of others. Like the baby you are relying on outside sources to make you happy, and that will not work any more. Mature individuals are responsible for their own thinking, feelings, needs, and actions. Being unhappy is acting with immaturity and uncertainty. Your ability to learn to be happy will determine your level of maturity.

When you are unhappy, you are spending your time being self-involved. You are allowing what you want to determine how you feel about yourself and other people. Unhappiness is selfishness because it is all about what you want. It is only when you are being happy that you can involve yourself with other people in a positive manner.

OK, now imagine being happy and making happiness job # 1 in your life. With happiness at you side it will be your pleasure to make your loved one happy. Most importantly you would not want to make them unhappy or hurt them in any way. That is because happiness allows you to take responsibility for yourself. This way you are able to respond better to other people. Being happy allows you to experience real freedom. You do this by not letting other people control you. This freedom allows you to be happy, feel happy, and give happiness away to others. Remember that you can't give away what you do not have. It is only with freedom that you can give. If it were not for your freedom, you would not be giving happiness to others, they would be taking it from you.

When you get to the point that happiness is the most important thing to you then you are at the juncture of experiencing love. Most people are unhappy because they are looking for love by looking for someone to love them. They are looking for love because they are certain they need it. What you really need is happiness. Once you use happiness as your strategy for living, you come face to face with love. When you are being happy you connect with love. Love springs from happiness. Peace and freedom are the effects of happiness, and that is where love originates. It is only when you tap into the happiness within you that you experience real love.

This is the love you can give the people in your life. This is love with no conditions, love without wanting to control, or change the other person. When you come from this kind of love, others will know you are being real. What the world needs now is for you to show your love. You need to give your love in order to experience your happiness. It does not matter what others do. The important attitude for you will be to give your love and happiness to others.

Happiness allows you to work through selfishness and come to a place very few people have experienced, a loving, peaceful aspect of freedom and happiness called bliss. A description of bliss might be defined as a permanent state of happiness. In this state no one has control over you to make you happy or unhappy, because you have taken control of yourself.

Our next meeting is Thursday, May 17, 2001, from 7:00-8:30 p.m. The topic is "Dealing With Difficult People," it will be held in the Rotary Room, at the Fairfield Public Library, located at 1080 Old Post Road. There is no charge for the meeting.

Do not betray your true nature to be happy. Do not deceive yourself with unhappiness. Happiness is right here… within you. Reach in and touch!

Lionel Ketchian is the founder of the Happiness Club, a Happiness Coach, and can be reached at PrintLRK@aol.com. The Web site is www.HappinessClub.com