Happ-E-Newsletter for January 15, 2004

A Very Warm Welcome Dear Friend,

Dr. Bernie S. Siegel said it perfectly: "It is the experience of living that is important, not searching for meaning. We bring meaning by how we love the world." Are you ready to believe in yourself, as well as your fellow human being? Than it is time to start your own Happiness Club. You can hold your own meetings on Happiness. Read all about how to do it in the article, Start A Happiness Club. Let me know if you want to start one, and I will help you. You only need one other person to have your own Happiness Club Meeting. Aymee Branch is having her first meeting in San Francisco, California this Sunday on the West coast. We will be celebrating the beginning of our fourth year at our meeting in Fairfield, CT. Thursday, January 15th on the East coast.

Remember what Ralph Waldo Emerson said: "Happiness is a perfume which you cannot pour on someone without getting some on yourself."

Happiness Empowerment to You!
PRACTICE HAPPINESS - LIVE RICHLY

Happiness is one of the most important things in your life. Happiness does wonders for your soul. I want you to practice "Premeditated Happiness." You should know that reading this newsletter will not just make your life better; it will make the world a better place because you have decided to be happy!

Happiness is an issue of power. We give our happiness to others for many reasons. Then we think that they make us unhappy. The truth is that we have given others the power over ourselves. We must take our power back in order to be happy again. Now is the time for you to learn to use happiness in dealing with challenges and difficult people in your life so you can develop the strength to prevail.

Reminding you to make the "Happiness Decision." Letting you know about our meeting dates, giving you happiness information, and your latest copy of the Be Happy Zone Article's that are published every other Wednesday in the Fairfield Citizen-News. At the end of this newsletter you can read the latest article called: START A HAPPINESS CLUB.

"It's in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped." - Anthony Robbins
Think Smart, Look Smart, Be Smart...Be Happy! - Lionel

Happ-E-Mail:) The first Happiness Club meeting in California will be held in San Francisco, California this Sunday, January 18th at 7:00 PM. The first meeting will be informal with not much structure yet highly interactive. There will be three questions given to members to walk around and ask each other.

1. Tell me about the last time you were so happy you wanted to jump up and down.
2. What makes you happy?
3. If you could give me one piece of advice on how to increase my happiness what would it be?

There will be happiness information packets available for those who are interested and also a sign in sheet for those who would like to receive the bi-monthly Happiness E-Newsletter from Lionel. Please bring a dish to pass if you would like and/or a friend or two if you would like. Thanks, Aymee Branch

Aymee Branch's e-mail: positiveleadership@yahoo.com
Phone number: 415-206-9046

Happ-E-Quote:) "Believing in yourself is not for you; it's for every person who has touched your life in a significant way and for every person your life will touch the same way five minutes from now, or five centuries from now." - Jaye Miller

Happ-E-Mail:) Thinking Happy Thoughts! Not sure if you saw the article on "When It's all Too Much" by Barry Schwartz in the January 4, 2004 issue of Parade Magazine. Barry Schwartz the author of the book, Why More Is Less, and he is a professor of psychology at Swarthmore College. All's sunny in Florida. Hope you & all are well! - Fern

Happ-E-Quote:) "A day without laughter is a day wasted." - Charlie Chaplin

Happ-E-Mail:) Hello, I would love to receive your news letter. I also want to inquire about your "coachability test." It sounds like you have a great club, too bad it's now in my area. Do have clubs in other areas? I live in Miami, Florida. Thank you, have a wonderful day. Gladys

Happ-E-Quote:) "People begin to become successful the minute they decide to be." - Harvey Mackay

Happ-E-Mail:) An excellent way to ring in the new year, with Gandalf's wisdom. May 2004 be a meaningful year for you and your family. Keep up the good work. David Leonhardt, The Happy Guy http://www.thehappyguy.com

Happ-E-Quote:) "Every great leap forward in your life comes after you have made a clear decision of some kind." - Brian Tracy

Happ-E-Mail:) A very happy new year to you and your family....wonderful article in the Fairfield paper today...happiness is on the road to everywhere,,,one little candle can light the world...may all your 2004 days be filled with wonderful dreams coming true and new possibilities. I thank God for His gracious BLESSINGS and for the Joy I have in my heart,,,even though life is NOT perfect. Have a GREAT 2004 CELEBRATION and thank you for spreading you messages!!!!! Peace be with you!......Joan E Kleinknecht

Happ-E-Quote:) "You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage - pleasantly, smilingly, non-apologetically - to say 'no' to other things. And the way you do that is by having a bigger 'yes' burning inside." - Stephen Covey

Happ-E-Mail:) Greetings from Waiheke Island, Auckland New Zealand. Please subscribe me to your Happiness Newsletter. Warmest regards, Maggie Finnigan

Happ-E-Quote:) "Even though you may want to move forward in your life, you may have one foot on the brakes. In order to be free, we must learn how to let go. Release the hurt. Release the fear. Refuse to entertain your old pain. The energy it takes to hang onto the past is holding you back from a new life. What is it you would let go
of today?" - Mary Morrissey

Happ-E-Mail:) Hello, Lionel, I met you at the concert to benefit the Basket Brigade. We talked a bit and you gave me some food for thought. It's one of the most enjoyable books I've read! I haven't had a chance to make one of your meetings yet, but I have been wanting to. I am curious if you were still interested in writing a new book. It sounds fascinating and I'd be interested to learn more. Anyway I really just wrote you to wish you a Happy New Year! And to congratulate you on your achievements with the foundation and growth of the Happiness Club and newsletters. As simple as it is the way of looking at things from a happiness perspective, it is revolutionary and I hope it catches on. Here's a good quote I stumbled on: "Embrace your weaknesses and your faults. They are as much a part of you as any of your strengths. Acceptance and appreciation of all of who you are is the surest way to personal fulfillment." Hope your new year brings you great joy! Kevin Tycz

Happ-E-Quote:) "Remember that happiness is as contagious as gloom. It should be the first duty of those who are happy to let others know of their gladness." - Maurice Materlinck

Happ-E-Mail:) Theresa M. Tuttle, M.A., Psychology Instructor from, ECPI College of Technology sent us the following: "Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens." - Carl Jung
"Worry doesn't empty tomorrow of it's problems, it simply empties today of it's strength." - Author Unknown

Happ-E-Quote:) "Happiness is not a destination. It is a method of life." Burton Hillis

Happ-E-Mail:) I read about your club in the Fairfield newspaper and would like to subscribe to your newsletter so that I can know when the meetings will be held. I am very interested in attending them and learning more about how to be happy in my daily life. Thank you, Theresa

Happ-E-Quote:) "The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts." Marcus A. Antoninus

Happ-E-Mail:) Just want to wish you a very Happy 2004. I have continued on the Happiness path. Sometimes, I have to remind myself that it is my choice and dig deep inside to find the smile. As with anything, the more you practice, the better you get. It is so much fun to go through the day smiling - it works wonders on the people around you, even the worn out sales people at Christmas. God Bless You and keep up the good work, Kathleen

Happ-E-Quote:) "Happiness does not depend on outward things, but on the way we see them." Leo Tolstoy

Happ-E-Mail:) Happy and healthy New Year. I just returned from a "shiva" call, my close friend lost her mother. We all sat around telling warm and fuzzy stories that greeted happiness instead of tears. On the other hand Steve got news this week that there isn't any more chemo for him and to get his affairs in order. I thought about what I would do differently if this was my destiny? I am not putting off anything anymore that makes me happy. We all do not know what tomorrow may bring, but you can rest assure that I am choosing happiness. With lots of love, Barbara

Happ-E-Quote:) "Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared." - Buddha

Happ-E-Mail:) I wish that I lived in Fairfield so that I could attend the meetings. I am going through so many rough things right now and I am truly miserable. I know it's up to me, but sometimes it is just hard to pull yourself up by the bootstraps without a little inspiration. The happiness club and the class offering are great ideas and needed everywhere. Thanks, A.

Happ-E-Quote:) "One kind word can warm three winter months." - Chinese Proverb

Happ-E-Mail:) I love your newsletter and shared it with family. Keep up the good work. We all need happiness, especially at this time.

Happ-E-Quote:) "If you judge people, you have no time to love them." - Mother Teresa

The Happiness Show on TV:) Watch "The Happiness Show," every Wednesday night, at 8:30 - 9:00 PM. Tune in and catch some happiness. Your CO-hosts will be Lionel Ketchian & George Ortega. It will be broadcast in six towns on Cablevision of Connecticut channel 77. It airs in Bridgeport, Fairfield, Milford, Orange, Stratford and Woodbridge. It is also on Cablevision in White Plains, New York on channel 76 every Thursday night, from 9:00 - 9:30 PM.

HAPPINESS CLUB MEETING:) The presentation will be: THE HAPPINESS DIET, gain health and well being for the rest of the year, by Lionel Ketchian. I look forward to seeing you at our next meeting which will take place on Thursday, January 15, 2003, from 7:00 - 9:00 PM at Sullivan Independence Hall - Downstairs in the back. Just around the corner from the Library. The address is 725 Old Post Road, Fairfield, 06824. Meet some new friends and get yourself in a happy mood for the New Year. Admission is free.

"Do or do not. There is no try." - Yoda, from 'The Empire Strikes Back.'

Meet:) "A Happy New Year"
THE HAPPINESS DIET, gain health and well being for the rest of the year!
Date:) Thursday, January 15, 2003
Time:) 7:00 - 9:00 P.M.
Place:) Sullivan Independence Hall - Downstairs in the back.
Address:) 725 Old Post Road, Fairfield, CT 06824. Just around the corner from the Library.
Open to the public and admission is free. www.happinessclub.com.
Call Lionel Ketchian (203) 258-7777 or E-mail: PrintLRK@aol.com

Happ-E-Quote:) "For peace of mind, resign as general manager of the universe." - Anonymous

BE HAPPY ZONE
January 9, 2003

START A HAPPINESS CLUB
By Lionel Ketchian

If you're happy and you know it and you really want to show it! Start a Happiness Club! Around the country and around the world people have told me they wish they could come to Happiness Club meetings. Now there is nothing stopping you from going to your own Happiness Club meeting. This is a chance for you to make a real difference. You may never know what good you do, but you will feel real good about what you are doing by giving people a chance to be happy. This is the most important benefit of all. You have always wanted to make a difference, didn't you? Start now and begin by making a difference in yourself and other people will notice that difference.

Maybe you have been thinking about how to start a Happiness Club? Aymee Branch a Ph.D., student has started a Happiness Club in San Francisco, California. Here's how you can start one. The best reason to start one is for you to learn how to be happy. One good way for you to learn to be happy is to start teaching others how to do it. It becomes an upward spiral. You learn, you give, they learn, you get. It is not a numbers game. It's not about how many people come to a meeting, or how many come back. You could start your own Happiness Club meeting with just one other person. This is about giving people an opportunity to learn more about using happiness. If you can help just one person, you have done a world of good.

The first thing you have to do is make a decision. Is this something you want to try? Well, sometimes you will never know, unless you do it. It will be well worth it. While giving happiness away to others you will be amazed with the benefits you will reap yourself. Also one of the great things about the Happiness Club is there is no copyright for it so you just need to begin one. You always have our blessing and more than that you will have all the assistance and we can offer you. We will be coming up with more ways to support you.

You will need to figure out where you will hold meetings. The easiest place would be your own home, or a friend's home. You could have meetings at a place of business, such as a local establishment. The advantage to a business is that it lets the community know about the business's location, and the positive impact they are having with the community. Since the medical profession is concerned with people's health, they should also be concerned with people's happiness as well. So you could try hospitals, doctors and chiropractors offices. Or anyone providing health care may not only give you a meeting room but also support you in many positive ways. It has been documented that positive mental attitudes have a great deal to do with better physical health.

Churches, Synagogues and other religious institutions are a good place to hold meetings. All religions want happiness for mankind because happiness promotes virtue. Although our meetings are not religious, you could have a group that explores using happiness to augment a particular religion. I have a great deal of information for you in this area if you are interested. This way everyone better understands the benefits of happiness. Happiness is a spiritual path and there is a great deal in this area that can be further investigated.

The meetings can also be held in a restaurant where dinner can be offered. People eat together, while sharing a meal and listening to a presentation on happiness. The real reason to have a Happiness Club meeting is to share the benefits of happiness with one another. You can tell people how you are using it in your life…and how it can benefit others in their work, in their relationships, and in everything they do.

The advantages of happiness are not well know or commonly understood. Although they are simple, they need to be practiced. They need to be gone over with some repetition so that people may keep it upper most in their mind. It is amazing how we let so much of the negative creep into our thinking. We can learn to put ourselves first by putting happiness first. It enables us to put our best foot forward with others; to experience the very best life has to offer. It enables us to analyze a problem or difficult situation in a whole new manner.

During a meeting, a book could be discussed. If someone has read a book that is beneficial and relates well to understanding happiness than by all means have them share some of those thoughts with others at the meeting. There are close to 400 books I have read and can recommend on happiness. They are listed on our web site. I would be happy to assist you in choosing the right one for your group.

A very effective thing at each meeting is to speak about your personal experiences with happiness...your successes, and your failures. Tell people how you use the decision making process to enable happiness to work for you in making the best possible choices. This is a very simple matter bur it is something we all need to learn. To make it an automatic response we need to practice it so we realize we can choose our response in any given situation, no matter what we are faced with. That is a really good point to talk about. This is at the core of understanding our human dilemma as well as our human power in dealing with the problems that face us. Happiness becomes our wellspring of own Human Resources in dealing with problems.

If you are not a talker than you can be a facilitator and express ideas and topics for discussion. Your job will be to keep it positive and keep uncovering the tools and benefits of happiness. Get people in touch with their thinking. Give them options for making better choices in dealing with the problems that may present themselves. Since happiness is what everyone really wants and what we are all striving for. This is your best reason for having a Happiness Club. We all need to learn better ways to see it in our lives by being happy on a more consistent basis. Learning the Happiness Response and the Choice Response to our problems rather than allowing ourselves to react negatively and unconsciously, is an added benefit.

A wonderful aspect of the Happiness Group is just being able to be with one another. Just talking for no particular reason. No one wanting something from another but for the most part utilizing happiness to give more happiness to all those around us. We benefit from it by empowering ourselves with the strength we gain from learning to control ourselves.

The Happ-E-Newsletter, which is sent out twice a month by HappinessClub.com, further enables you to understand happiness and is another good source of information. It can be used to foster discussions and answer questions regarding happiness. The many quotes in the newsletter can be read and discussed. Parts of the Be Happy Zone articles can be read and segments can be used for further discussions at the meetings. The many questions that are asked and comments made by the group always fill the time at a meeting. These are all good reasons to have the meetings and will benefit all participants. We started The Happiness TV Show. You could order tapes for some of these shows and make that a topic of the evening. We may even tape some of our Happiness Club meetings if people are interested in using them at their meetings.

An hour and half to two hours is a good time for a meeting. Having meetings on a monthly basis is good thing for consistency. People can take the time in between meetings to practice the tools that are presented during meetings. Be creative; serve refreshments, have a meeting in a coffee shop, have a meeting in a home, then go out for coffer or a bite to eat. The wonderful thing about meetings is that they promote friendship and a greater understanding of one another. You give people an opportunity to have a caring atmosphere so they can share their hopes, aspirations and problems. Direct the focus away from the negative and toward the truly wonderful uplifting ways that happiness can increase their well being. The purpose of these meetings, like meditation, is to be in the moment, lighten up, and be more in tune with your innermost positive thoughts and feelings. It is always a wonderful evening that gives people happiness strategies to use until the next meeting. There is added support of the newsletter and the web site. Many friendships have been formed as a result of these meetings.

Here in Fairfield, CT, we have held meetings in our public library. We do not charge anything for our meetings. We are now holding our meetings in our town hall as our library is undergoing renovations. Our meetings our very informal. I start a meeting by greeting everyone. I have a number of handouts and free material for everyone to take. This enables them to read more about happiness and take it with them. At this point I will give a talk. I have a theme for each month. This month is The Happiness Diet. It is a good topic because it gives people a direction for their life. January is a time people think about diets and resolutions. I like to choose a topic that fits each month the best. It is something that is appropriate and fits the challenges that people are faced with at that time. I welcome comments to the presentation. Then we have other speakers who will make a presentation of their own. We have many people that are drawn to the club who are authors and professionals. They also contribute a great deal. Anyone who is using happiness in his or her life should be encouraged to make a presentation.

You can promote the Happiness Club meetings by sending a fax or e-mail to your local newspapers. The newspapers can publish information about upcoming Happiness Club meetings that are open to the pubic. Send them the date of your meeting, the place of your meeting, the topic to be discussed, and your contact information. An advantage to having a free meeting is that the newspaper will run it at no charge as a public service announcement and place it under organization meeting information. This gives people an opportunity to find out about your meeting. If your want to charge for your Happiness Club meeting that would be alright because you are giving people a great benefit. Many organizations want to know when you start a Happiness Group so they can promote it for you. Make them aware of what you are doing, and give the public an opportunity to find out about the meetings.

If you have decided to start a Happiness Club I want to congratulate you. Please get in touch with me by sending me an e-mail at PrintLRK@aol.com so we can break the news and support you. We are eager to share everything we have about happiness with you. We want to enable you to have a happier and more fulfilled life and be able to spread it to others. We want your Happiness Club Meetings to be successful. You never walk alone on the Path to Happiness.

The Happiness Club is having its next meeting on Thursday, January 7, from 7:00 - 9:00 PM at Sullivan Independence Hall at 725 Old Post Road in Fairfield. Park in back, the meeting is downstairs. The topic of discussion is "THE HAPPINESS DIET" The public is invited to attend. Admission is free. Meet some happy people, come on down! Call 203 258-7777 for additional information.

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

Share a smile and forward this motivating Happ-E-Newsletter to your friends and family members you care about. Brighten their day by giving them a FREE Newsletter. Or, it's FREE, and easy to subscribe, just send your blank e-mail to happinessclub@aol.com, or subscribe online at: www.happinessclub.com.

Happiness is an inner state of well being. A state of well being that enables you to profit from your highest: thoughts, wisdom, intelligence, common sense, emotions, health, and spiritual values in your life. - Lionel Ketchian

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"Don't let go of the vine." - John Weissmuller, from the film, Tarzan.
Life is full of opportunities. Go For It! Carpe diem!

© Copyright 2004, Lionel R. Ketchian, all rights reserved.