Happ-E-Newsletter for November 15, 2001

Dear Happy Friends:),

Welcome to our Happ-E-Newsletter.

I want to start by saying hello friends. That includes some of you that I have never met. Some of you I have spent time with. Some of you I have worked with. Some of you I have grown up with. I consider you all friends that I share happiness, and it's benefits with you.

Friends want the best for one another, and as your friend I want the best for you. I know you can make the best happen for yourself by Being Happy and learning to make the Happiness Decision once and for all. Then choosing Being Happy over and over again, making it first over anything that may get in your way or threaten to take happiness from you.

I can't give you happiness! I am doing the next best thing, and that is bringing you the decision to find happiness within yourself, with this newsletter as a reminder to you.

Enjoy it, and send it on to the friends you care about. Please feel free to forward this or any of the Happ-E-Newsletter to anyone you so desire.
When you forward this Newsletter to others please include the credits because they have copyrights and the author(s) are due credit.

This is a biweekly newsletter whose purpose is to remind you to make the "Happiness Decision." You will also find our meetings dates, happiness information, and a copy of the Be Happy Zone Articles published twice a month in the Fairfield Citizen-News.
Read today's article called: GRATITUDE.

Happ-E-Quotes:)
"It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that they are difficult." - Seneca

"The chief danger in life is that you may take too many precautions." - Alfred Adler

Happ-E-Friend:) On Tuesday, November 6, 2001, I just met a wonderful person. His name is Nathan and he is seven years old. I am going to quote exactly what he told me word for word, because I wrote them down as he spoke.

He said: "What is the point of life? The point of life is happiness. It is to have joy."

I asked him why he felt that way, and this is what he said: "What is the point of life if everyday you wake up and you said, Oh Boy, I'm going to have another depressing day."

Don't forget Nathan is seven years old. I asked him how he discovered this fact. He said he was talking to a friend of his in the Cub Scouts and they were asking each other what was the point of life, and that is how they figured out it was about being happy.

I asked Nathan how he got so smart. He said that 1) He reads books, and 2) He has been reading books since he is three years old.

So there you have it folks, words of wisdom from a happiness expert.

Happ-E-Cookie:) Just got this Fortune Cookie that I want to share with you that said: Everywhere you choose to go, friendly faces will greet you.

Happ-E-Mail:) This e-mail is from my sister Sonia who sends us this e-mail from Ft Lee, NJ.

If you can start the day without caffeine or pep pills,
If you can be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,
If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,
If you can eat the same food everyday and be grateful for it,
If you can understand when loved ones are too busy to give you time,
If you can overlook when people take things out on you when, through no
fault of yours, something goes wrong,
If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,
If you can face the world without lies and deceit,
If you can conquer tension without medical help,
If you can relax without liquor,
If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,

THEN YOU ARE PROBABLY THE FAMILY DOG................

Happ-E-Thanksgiving:) Thanksgiving Basket Brigade
Thanksgiving is almost here. Are you happy? If you really want to get yourself in the holiday mood, and who doesn't these days, come to the Basket Brigade this month? We have information in this newsletter about it. Hope I see you there this Sunday!

If you want to get into the Holiday Spirit of Giving, have fun and be the happiest person in the world then show up and help out on this project.

Every year, on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, November 18, this year, nearly 50 people meet at IMS in Milford, CT for a Thanksgiving Basket Brigade. Our mission is to deliver Thanksgiving dinners directly to needy families in the New Haven area. Each year we work to provide 150 families with a Thanksgiving they will always remember.

The people who take part in the Basket Brigade volunteer their time, their energies, and their dollars in putting together these baskets. Baskets include a turkey, bread, potatoes, cranberry relish, vegetables and pies, as well as additional foodstuffs, books, and other practical items.

We invite you to participate in our 2001 Thanksgiving Basket Brigade.
To help you can:
- Volunteer Your Time to prepare and deliver the baskets on Sunday, November 18, 2000.
- Contribute Financially so that we can buy the Thanksgiving turkeys and food!
- Arrange for Your Company to donate Personal Care Products

For more information concerning the 2001 Basket Brigade, please contact: Kerry Hotchkiss
Innovative Measurement Solutions (IMS) Inc.
282 Quarry Road
Milford, CT 06460-8508
(203) 874-2655

khotchkiss@ims-usa.com (Kerry Hotchkiss)

Thanksgiving Donations:
Giving and sharing is a large part of happiness. You can share in the gift of being happy this Thanksgiving, by sending a 100% tax-deductible check to Coordinating Council for Children in Crisis. In the memo section of your check write "Thanksgiving," or "Basket Brigade," so the donation will go toward food for the needy. Send your check to CCCC, 131 Dwight Street, New Haven, CT 06511. The phone # is (203) 624-2600.

CCCC helps children and single moms move from a shelter to their own place. Many of these families do not have enough money for the traditional thanksgiving dinner. Sometimes the families we help include children of HIV+ parents, or it could be someone who has lost a job.

Thanksgiving Basket Brigade Driving Directions

Directions from New Haven Traveling South on I95
Take I-95 South - Exit 40, Woodmont Road. Take a left at bottom of ramp onto Woodmont Road. Proceed to traffic light at intersection of Old Gate Lane and Woodmont Road. Go thru traffic light on Woodmont Road. (You'll see a Shell gas station and Dunkin' Donuts on your left.) Continue on Woodmont Road thru the next traffic light (at Research Drive), to the top of the hill (just before the RR overpass). Take a left onto Quarry Road. Take a right into Quarry Road Business Park. There are two buildings in the park; IMS is located in the building on your right. Take a right and then a left. IMS is located at the 3rd red column. Welcome to IMS!

Directions from New York Traveling North on the I-95
Take I-95 North - Exit 40, Old Gate Lane/Woodmont Road. Take a left at bottom of the ramp onto Old Gate Lane. Proceed to traffic light at intersection of Old Gate Lane and Woodmont Road. Go right at traffic light onto Woodmont Road. (You'll see a Shell gas station and Dunkin' Donuts on your left.) Continue on Woodmont Road thru one traffic light (at Research Drive), to the top of the hill (just before the RR overpass). Take a left onto Quarry Road. Take a right into Quarry Road Business Park. There are two buildings in the park; IMS is located in the building on your right. Take a right and then a left. IMS is located at the 3rd red column. Welcome to IMS!

Directions from New Haven Traveling South on Merritt Parkway - Rt. 15
Take the Merritt Parkway (Route 15) South through Orange, Connecticut. Take (Exit 54) onto the I-95 Connector toward Milford. Go approximately one mile on the connector and take I-95 North (second exit). Go north on I-95 to - Exit 40, Old Gate Lane/Woodmont Road. Take a left at bottom of ramp onto Woodmont Road. Proceed to traffic light at intersection of Old Gate Lane and Woodmont Road. Go right at traffic light onto Woodmont Road. (You'll see a Shell gas station and Dunkin' Donuts on your left.) Continue on Woodmont Road thru one traffic light (at Research Drive), to the top of the hill (just before the RR overpass). Take a left onto Quarry Road. Take a right into Quarry Road Business Park. There are two buildings in the park; IMS is located in the building on your right. Take a right and then a left. IMS is located at the 3rd red column. Welcome to IMS!

Directions from New York Traveling North on the Merritt Parkway
Take the Merritt Parkway (Route 15) North through Stratford, Connecticut over the Igor Sikorsky Bridge (steel grid bridge). Take the first exit, Exit 54, onto the I-95 Connector toward Milford. Go approximately one mile on the connector and take I-95 North. Go north on I-95 to Exit 40, Old Gate Lane/Woodmont Road. Take a left at bottom of the ramp onto Old Gate Lane. Proceed to traffic light at intersection of Old Gate Lane and Woodmont Road. Go right at traffic light onto Woodmont Road. (You'll see a Shell gas station and Dunkin' Donuts on your left.) Continue on Woodmont Road thru one traffic light (at Research Drive), to the top of the hill (just before the RR overpass). Take a left onto Quarry Road. Take a right into Quarry Road Business Park. There are two buildings in the park; IMS is located in the building on your right. Take a right and then a left. IMS is located at the 3rd red column. Welcome to IMS!

Happ-E-Mail:) Thanks to each and every one of you for sharing your caring words and thoughts. Please let us hear from you, spread your happiness, that is the surest way of Being Happy!

Happ-E-Meeting:) Join us for our next meeting of the HAPPINESS CLUB will present: "HAPPY RESOLUTIONS" by Lionel Ketchian.
Don't miss this valuable meeting and meet wonderful people using the benefits of happiness in their lives.

Topic:) "HAPPY RESOLUTIONS"
Date:) December 13, 2001
Time:) 7:00 - 8:30 P.M.
Place:) Fairfield Public Library
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 make a left at light (Post Rd.), 1/2 mile on right at the corner.
From New Haven - I- 95, Exit 22, North Benson Road. Left at bottom of ramp. Under railroad overpass make a left at light (Post Rd.), 1/2 mile on right at the corner.

BE HAPPY ZONE
Fairfield Citizen-News
November 7, 2001

GRATITUDE
By Lionel Ketchian

Thanksgiving will be upon us in a couple of weeks. People will be getting together with family and friends to share a great meal and hopefully share some good times. The meaning of Thanksgiving is in giving thanks for what we have. We are talking about gratitude. Gratitude is an attitude of happiness. Gratitude will enable you to experience the best things in your life. It is one of the basic things we need to experience in order to feel happy. Gratitude is the trailblazer to happiness. Do you want to be happy? ... Be grateful. If you are grateful, then you will not be unhappy.

Unless you are grateful for what you have got, you really can't enjoy it. By being grateful you actually are able to enjoy those common things you take for granted. Benjamin Franklin wisely stated, "To the discontented man no chair is easy." Unless you appreciate something you do not really enjoy it or even make the best use of it. Being thankful puts you in a better relationship with existence.

How do you access that attitude of gratitude? You can do it by finding something to be grateful for, it could be anything. It could be a loved one or something about your health such as the fact that you can see, or anything else that comes to mind. Think about how fortunate you are to have all this in your life. You can also be grateful for the many negative things you do not have. Which may include a life of poverty, illness and so many unfortunate life events. You automatically start to feel better than you did before you thought about it. This positive change of attitude is the result of your gratitude.

Gratitude is your calculator, and you become your own accountant. When you count on gratitude you happiness lies in the balance. It allows you to take stock of what you do have. You can now see how things have moved out of the minus column and into the plus column. You feel wealthier when you can account for what you have, instead of always thinking about what you don't have. Being grateful ads value in your life because you become aware and take inventory of what you do have.

When I need something or would like something in my life, I respond with gratitude and act as though I already have it. Gratitude acts like a magnet in attracting those things to me. It's not always you job to make things happen. You can just let things happen. I don't have expectations, just a preference for what I want. I ask for it without expecting it and act with faith that I have it. If it does not happen, I change something or learn to be patient. If it still does not happen, then it may not be meant for me right now or realize I may be better off without it.

You have an opportunity to get yourself into a happier state of mind. If you want to feel good and make a difference, then get into the Holiday Spirit of Giving, by being part of the Thanksgiving Basket Brigade. Every year, on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, more than 50 people meet in Milford, CT, and put together baskets of food for families in need. These people take part by volunteering their time, their energies, and their dollars.

On Sunday, November 18th, at 9:00 A.M. our mission will be to put together and deliver complete Thanksgiving dinners directly to the families in the New Haven area. Each year we work to provide 150 families with a Thanksgiving they will always remember. The baskets include a turkey, and a complete family dinner, with other practical items.

Would you like to help? You can volunteer your time on Sunday, morning November 18, to prepare and deliver the baskets. You can contribute so we can buy the Thanksgiving turkeys and food. You can also arrange for your company to donate products. If you have any questions or would like additional information concerning the Basket Brigade, please contact Kerry Hotchkiss at Innovative Measurement Solutions (IMS) Inc. The company is located at 282 Quarry Road in Milford, CT. They can be reached at 203 874-2655, or e-mail: khotchkiss@ims-usa.com. You will get information, time, directions, etc.

Giving and sharing is a large part of happiness. You can share in the gift of being happy this Thanksgiving, by sending a 100% tax-deductible check to Coordinating Council for Children in Crisis. In the memo section of your check please write "Thanksgiving," or "Basket Brigade," so the donation will go toward food for the needy. Every dollar you donate will go to buying food on November 18th. Send your check to CCCC, 131 Dwight Street, New Haven, CT 06511. The phone # is (203) 624-2600.

The CCCC helps children and single moms move from a shelter to their own place. Many of these families do not have enough money for the traditional thanksgiving dinner. Sometimes the families we help include children of HIV+ parents or someone who has lost a job.

If you are looking for happiness, this may be a good place to start. If you bring happiness to others, you can also find it. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "You cannot pour happiness on others without getting a few drops on yourself." If you are happy to begin with that's great, now you can share it with others and it will intensify within you.

I would like to thank each one of you in advance for sending in a donation or volunteering your time, or doing both. I have been participating in this event for years, and it makes me feel great for the rest of the year. Do something for yourself by doing something good for someone else. It has been said that giving is receiving. If you want happiness, give happiness to someone, and you will have it.

Our next meeting is on November 8, from 7:00-8:30 p.m. The topic is "Happy Attitudes" and 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.

I trust you will elevate yourself to a higher altitude and profit from gratitude. If you want to get into the Holiday Spirit of Giving and join the fun, then you will be the happiest person in the world by participating in our Thanksgiving Basket Brigade this year. I wish you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving.

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

Put on your happy face and share a smile -- just forward this Newsletter to all your pals. They'll thank you for it! It's FREE, and easy to subscribe. All you need to do is send an e-mail to subscribe at: Happinessclub@aol.com, or online at: http://www.HappinessClub.com

Happ-E-Words:) "People get so in the habit of worry that if you save them from drowning and put them on a bank to dry in the sun with hot chocolate and muffins, they wonder whether they are catching cold." - John Jay Chapman

Don't give your power away -- Happiness is power! Stand strong, be strong, be happy -- it's our freedom!

Keep America Beautiful - Be happy:)
Lionel

Our mailing list and your name is never sold, traded, or given to anyone outside of our organization. So you can be happy about that!

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