Dear Happy Friends:),

Welcome to our Happ-E-Newsletter for August 1, 2001.
CELEBRATE ADMIT YOU'RE HAPPY MONTH
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: Are You Happy? Enjoy it, and send it on to your friends.

Happ-E-Web Site:) Click here: The Secret Society of Happy People
Join us in celebrating Admit You're Happy Month in August. Check out The Secret Society of Happy People. CELEBRATE ADMIT YOU'RE HAPPY MONTH

In 1999, the Society declared August 8 as National Admit You're Happy and we asked the governors in all 50 states for a proclamation. Governor John G. Rowland in
Connecticut declared August 8 as National Admit You're Happy.

The Secret Society of Happy People was formed in August 1998 to encourage the expression of happiness and discourage parade raining. (Parade-rainers are those people who don't want to hear your happy news.) Somewhere between The Ed Sullivan Show and The Jerry Springer Show talking about being happy became politically incorrect.

We're more comfortable airing our dirty laundry than telling people we've had a happy moment. The Society believes happiness is contagious and that when more people talk about happy events and moments, it will be chic for everyone to do it.

Happ-E-Quote:) "I believe that the very purpose of our life is to seek happiness. That is clear. Whether one believes in religion or not, whether one believes in this religion or that religion, we are all seeking something better in life. So, I think, the very motion of our life is towards happiness." The Art Of happiness, by His Holiness The Dalai Lama, and Howard C. Cutler, M.D.

Happ-E-Book Recommendation:) The Art Of happiness, by His holiness The Dalai Lama, and Howard C. Cutler, M.D.

Happ-E-Book Quote:) "Happiness is determined more by one's state of mind than by external events." The Art Of happiness, by His Holiness The Dalai Lama, and Howard C. Cutler, M.D.

Happ-E-Gram:) This is an e-mail we can thank Charles Miller in CT for sending us. It is called:
More inspiration

Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is bliss, taste it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it.
---Mother Theresa

Happ-E-Mail Response:) Lionel I thought you would find this interesting. It's from the book I am reading, A Path With a Heart by Jack Kornfield. Love, Tam.

A Buddhist writer I know began his practice with a well-known Tibetan teacher many years ago. The writer didn't know much about meditation, but after some preliminary instruction he decided that enlightenment was for him. He went off to a hut in the mountains of Vermont and brought a few books on meditation and enough food for six months. He figured six months would perhaps give him a taste of enlightenment.

As he began his retreat he enjoyed the forest and the solitude, but in just a few days he began to feel crazy because he sat all day in meditation his mind would not stop. Not only did it think, plan and remember constantly, but worse, it kept singing songs.

This man had chosen a beautiful spot for his "enlightenment." The hut was right on the edge of a bubbling stream. The sound of the stream seemed nice on the first day, but after a while it changed. Every time he sat down and closed his eyes, he would hear the noise of the stream and immediately in tune with it, his mind would begin to play marching band songs like "Stars and Stripes Forever" and "The Star-Spangled Banner." At one point the sounds in the stream got so bad he actually stopped meditating, walked down to the stream, and started moving the rocks around to see if he could get it to play a different tune.

What we do in our own lives is often not different. When difficulties arise, we project our frustration onto them as if it were the rain, the children, the world outside that was the source of our discomfort. We imagine that we can change the world and then be happy. But it is not by moving the rocks that we find happiness and awakening, buy by transforming our relationship to them.

Happ-E-University:) Don't miss the course "Be Happy No Matter What!" I will be doing at Sacred Heart University's Fairfield Campus. If your not happy all the time, you need to be here. It is a four week course by Lionel Ketchian and will be held every Tuesday beginning 10/09-10/30 from 7:00-9:00 P.M. Call Gloria at SHU 365-7587 for registration.

Happ-E-Power:) "Once your basic needs are met, the message is clear; we don't need more money, we don't need greater success or fame, we don't need the perfect body or even the perfect mate -- right now, at this very moment, we have a mind, which is all the basic equipment we need to achieve complete happiness." The Art Of happiness, by His Holiness The Dalai Lama, and Howard C. Cutler, M.D.

Happ-E-Coaching:) Nothing should be in the way of your "Being Happy." If there is, then maybe coaching is an answer for you. I'm available for private coaching sessions. If you're interested, please send an e-mail to coachpower@aol.com

Happ-E-News:) Our next meeting "Being Happy" will be Thursday, September 13, 2001. Come on down and meet some happy people.

Happ-E-Thought:) I am too blessed to be stressed! -Anonymous

Click here: www.happinessclub.com

See you all at our next meeting Thursday, September 13, 2001.
Read the article below: Are You Happy?

Be Cool! Rock On!!! Stay Happ-E!
Lionel

BE HAPPY ZONE, By Lionel Ketchian
July 18, 2001, Fairfield Citizen-News

Are You Happy?

Are you a member of the Happiness Club? If you are tired of being unhappy, or if you want to be happy, you can join. You probably are wondering what it costs to join the club. Well, I'll tell you, it will cost you plenty. It will cost you a lot of your unhappiness, and that's a lot to give up. But if you want to be happy and join the club you will have to give up as much unhappiness as you can dispose.

The Happiness Club was started January 2000 right here in Fairfield, CT. We have had monthly meetings in town since then. The reason I started the Happiness Club was because it is time to be happy. Now is the time for all of us, young and old, rich or poor. Has anyone ever told you that you need to lighten up and be happy? I will tell you because I am your friend. That's what friends do for one another.

Since I have started the Happiness Club I have meet many new people that have become friends. The monthly meetings have brought people together. At our last meeting in June we had thirty-eight people present. Of course a lot of people are from the area. We had many people that traveled more than an hour to get there. This has given all of us the opportunity to meet old friends and new ones.

One of the great things about the Happiness Club is it costs absolutely nothing to go to a meeting. Of course it means spending time at the meeting instead of watching TV or doing something you routinely do. We do not seem to have time for ourselves. We do not talk anymore. We do not meet new people and share new ideas.

The Happiness Club gives you a reason to do something for yourself. This is one of the really important benefits of our meetings. And that is if you treat yourself right and learn to be happy you will make a difference to your loved ones, family, friends and people you work with. Happiness can change your life.

The biggest problem I see with happiness is that it sounds so easy, but it's not, because people do not even know what happiness is. They don't know how to find happiness, or better yet have it work for them. There have been many books written on happiness in the past ten years. It has become the new wave of psychology. This is because everyone wants to be happy. It is among the most basic wants we have as human beings. The trouble is in how we go about getting it, and what we think happiness really is.

These are the types of questions that are presented and clarified at our meetings. If you do not think happiness is important to you than think again. Trying to find happiness is the reason you do anything you even think about doing. Happiness is the bottom-line my friend. It is the one of the most important things you can do for yourself.

The reason we do anything should be for ourselves first. Let's face it, we are all selfish beings. There is nothing wrong with that if you realize what I am really telling you. Everything you do is to get something out of it that means something to you. So be selfish and that is OK. Now that you are taking care of yourself and being happy, you have enough of yourself left over to help someone else be happy.

People are wonderful when you give them a chance to experience happiness. It is so natural for us to be happy; it is no wonder that we are so stressed out when we are unhappy. I have found that meeting people, talking to them, and reading e-mail sent to me has gotten me close to people that are just magnificent.

I know many people that have problems. Some of these people have extremely serious situations and illnesses. In spite of this people have been open to learning to be happy. And you know the best part? The more open they are to learning about happiness and being happy the better they make out with the situations they are dealing with.

I have said many times that "life is not fair." With that being said, you have to make up for it by being fair to yourself. Be happy and you change your world. In fact if you become happy you are changing the world for the person next to you as well. So you can see how happiness can benefit not only you, but everyone else in your life as well.

I think the smartest thing you can do is being happy. The book Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman, Ph.D., proves that our emotions are a part of our intelligence. If you are a reader take a look at the HappinessClub.com web site to see the books that are listed for happiness. Another thing you can do is get the free e-mail newsletter called the Happ-E-Newsletter. You can subscribe to it on the web site as well. It's a bimonthly newsletter that also profiles books and the insights of the authors, meeting notices, happy thoughts, and many other items on happiness as well.

The Happiness Club is about all of us learning to live within ourselves peacefully. Now that's the first step to learning to live with one another. The truth is it is hard to live with ourselves. You must learn to become your own best friend. If you life long enough, you will be spending a lot of time with yourself. It is better to learn how to be happy early so you can lighten your load for the rest of your trip through life.

Twice a year I teach a course called, "Be Happy No Matter What!" at Sacred Heart University's Fairfield Campus. It will be a 4 week course and will be held every Tuesday beginning 10/09-10/30 from 7:00-9:00 P.M. Call Gloria at SHU 365-7587 for registration.

The reason we have the Happiness Club is because happiness is important. Happiness is the reason you do everything that you do. Plus I think happiness looks good on you. I think women look magnificent with a smile. I think men look fantastic with a smile. You already know what children look like with a smile on their face. I think your smile can change your world. Some people have told me that I have changed their life. The truth is that they did it. They learned all they could about happiness, and used it to make their life the best it could be.

The important thing is to become aware of happiness. The choice you do not know is the choice you can never make. Make the happiness choice. Join the Happiness Club in your heart. Smile and pass on your power of happiness to others. Change the world for the better. You can do it, if not you-who? I hope you join the Happiness Club and it costs you all the unhappiness you have. So today, join the Proud, the Few, the Happy! Happiness is contagious … SMILE.

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 Click here: www.happinessclub.com