Happ-E-Newsletter for March 1, 2004

Welcome My Dear Friend,

"I need not wait for I have the power to choose my own destiny." - Og Mandino

A new discussion and empowerment group called ''Getting the Most Out of Life" will hold its first meeting on Sunday, February 29, from 7;40 to 9;00 PM at Yoga 4 Everybody, located at 27 Unquowa Rd in downtown Fairfield, CT. It is two doors up from the Community Theater. Raymond Rogers, a Fairfield resident and teacher of the courses, ''Life Lessons'' and ''Modern Relationship Strategies'' will introduce a weekly topic and the group will discuss the "Subject Du Jour'' in small groups followed by a general discussion of insights, progress and intentions. Some of the topics considered will be: "Overcoming and Using Fear," ''Enhancing Self-Acceptance and Self-Love'', '' Identifying and Defining Your Life Principles',' " A whole New Way of Listening," and "Why Happiness-the Reasons to Make the Decision." Admission is free.

"The only people who never fail are those who never try." - Og Mandino

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." 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. 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!

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 Articles that are published every other Wednesday in the Fairfield Citizen-News. At the end of this newsletter you can read the latest article called: Are You Emotionally Competent?

"Cultivate the habit of laughter." - Og Mandino

Think Smart, Look Smart, Be Smart...Be Happy! - Lionel

Happ-E-Quote:) "Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face." - Victor Hugo

Happ-E-Mail:) Hey Lionel, I think you are living a valuable life. Thank you. I saw that you have a HappE-Mail section in your newsletter. Here's my thoughts on what makes me happy. Please feel free to do with it what you like: "Create with your hands. Stop and listen to laughter. When riding in a car sing out loud to good music. Cry for beauty. Hold doors open. Write letters to people of reverence with egocentric abandon. Garden. Give life. Enjoy the mayhem. Travel. Listen. Think for yourself. Talk to animals as if they understand. Engage the spirit and submit to its cotillion. Get off the stands and enter the game. What you lose you gain in experience. Find growth in death. Find beauty in life." Enjoy. As ever, Matthew Abrams

Happ-E-Quote:) "An optimist is the human personification of spring." - Susan J. Bissonette

Happ-E-Mail:) Great idea--to be as happy as possible. Sign me up for the e-newsletter please! Karen

Happ-E-Quote:) "The man who has confidence in himself gains the confidence of others." - Hasidic saying

Happ-E-Mail:) Good meeting last night, as usual. Wonderful to see people who had come before as well as a lot of new faces. It was a pretty full program last night so I didn't get to share this message that happened to be on my affirmation calendar for the day of the meeting. It was written by Dan Millman, an American world champion athlete and author. He said, "The simple fact remains...that the stronger and more radiant we are, the more we can serve as a positive influence in he world. The more happiness we bring into the world, the better it is for everyone. Happiness (and love) serves as a master key to open every doorway to social progress. Happy people create happiness; its the most contagious energy on earth." I couldn't agree more. See you soon. xoxo Lynette

Happ-E-Quote:) "True religion is the life we live, not the creed we profess." - J.F. Wright

Happ-E-Mail:) Greetings. Yours is a fun site. Please send me your e-newsletter, Cheers, John Law

Happ-E-Quote:) "Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them to become what they are capable of being." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Barbara Gaughen-Muller

Happ-E-Quote:) "First keep the peace within yourself, then you can also bring peace to others." - Thomas a Kempis

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 are 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 can be seen on Cablevision in White Plains, New York on channel 76 every Thursday night, from 9:00 - 9:30 PM.

Happ-E-Quote:) "For now you know one of the greatest principles of success; if you persist long enough you will win." - Og Mandino

HAPPINESS CLUB MEETING:) The presentation will be: MARCH WITH HAPPINESS, by Lionel Ketchian. I look forward to seeing you at our next meeting which will take place on Thursday, March 18, 2004, 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. Bring a snack to share with others. Admission is free.

Happ-E-Quote:) "Do not listen to those who weep and complain, for their disease is contagious." - Og Mandino

Meet:) "MARCH WITH HAPPINESS"

Date:) Thursday, March 18, 2004

Time:) 7:00 - 9:00 P.M.

Food:) Bring a share a snack if you like

Directions to Fairfield Independence Town Hall

725 Old Post Road (corner of Beach Road)

I 95 Southbound Exit 22
Left onto North Benson Road
Cross Post Road/Route 1
Continue one block to stop sign
Right onto Old Post Road
Continue one block to stop sign
Town Hall is across the street on the left
Independence Hall is down the driveway from Town Hall

I 95 Northbound Exit 22

Right onto Round Hill Road
Cross Post Road/Route 1
Continue one block to stop sign
Town Hall is across the street on the right
Independence Hall is down the

Happ-E-Quote:) "There is no better than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance the next time." - Og Mandino

BE HAPPY ZONE
February 18, 2004

Are You Emotionally Competent?

By Lionel Ketchian

How many times have you felt emotionally drained? Do problems overwhelm you? Do you have trouble making decisions? If you are experiencing unhappiness, than your problem may be emotional competence. The trap in life is that people will try to change everything around them, except themselves. They think they are going to eliminate the problem in this way. The truth is that using emotional competence is the best way to enjoy your life and handle the problems that present themselves.

Are you emotionally incompetent in some areas of your life? Congratulations! Everyone is! If you are like most people there is a great deal that you can do to improve yourself in this area. Emotional competence is a skill. You need to practice it in order to become more proficient in supporting yourself. When you practice happiness as a choice, it can enhance your emotional competence.

Emotional competence is my new description of the word "happiness." As soon as you read or hear the words, "emotional competence," you will know what I'm referring to. In other words, we are talking about your proficiency in dealing with your emotions. We are also talking about your skill, readiness and competence in using your emotions to enhance your life.

If people could learn more about emotional competence they would do their jobs more effectively and efficiently. In fact they would learn to love their jobs and do them exceptionally well. Emotional incompetence is the reason that so many people do their jobs so badly. It is the reason that our politicians are not personally responsible for their actions. A few priests and religious leaders are irresponsible because of their inability to control their emotional competence. They not only do regrettable things to others; they create the wrong perception for the exemplary religious leaders. Even police enforcement can be enhanced with better emotional competence training. A law enforcement officer with emotional competence will create the very best control of an unpredictable situation.

The emotional competence training that these leaders need is very important. It is not just important to you, and our society, but to each and every one of them as individuals. As people are put into positions of power it becomes even more important for them to learn to control themselves. These people must learn to protect themselves -- from themselves. Yes, that's right! They have become their own worst enemies, and they are not doing us any good either. It is necessary to give people in power the ability to learn to control that power, by developing emotionally competence.

The problem is not power; it is self-control of power. Power without control is uncontrollable power that negatively affects society and destroys the person using the power. Religion teaches virtue and goodness to establish the right actions. Our actions cannot be controlled without an understanding of our emotional makeup. It is necessary to understand emotional competence in order to establish goodness. Emotional competence is the answer for society to address these problems. It is no wonder that we have a society of people out of control. We do not teach emotional competence in school. You learn reading, writing, and arithmetic. You do not learn how to control your emotions. You are not taught how to express your emotions properly. So it is no wonder that we do not know the first thing about being happy.

If you were running a business, whom would you hire? An employee with emotionally competence or one who is emotional incompetent? Of course you would want the emotionally competent person. You would hire the emotionally competent person because they would be better qualified to do the job, given the fact they have the right skills. They would be more proficient in the way they handle themselves and their job, more supportive of other people in the organization to enhance teamwork, and they would have well-rounded abilities that would include people skills. Emotionally competent people are more emotionally fit to handle stress. They have the wherewithal and readiness to perform their jobs with enthusiasm as compared with emotionally incompetent people.

Advertising wants you to keep looking for happiness. If you keep looking out there for it you will not be able to find it. There are a lot of happiness imitations out there. The problem with so many areas of life is the emotional incompetence we experience. Improving your emotional competence is the best way to enjoy your life and experience happiness. Starting right now learn all you can about emotionally competence. You need happiness. Accept no imitations. Happiness is the real thing!

Our next Happiness Club meeting will present THE HEART OF HAPPINESS, by Lionel Ketchian and Ray Rogers. I look forward to seeing you at our next meeting, which will take place on Thursday, February 19, 2004, from 7:00 - 9:00 PM at Sullivan Independence Hall - Downstairs in the back. The address is 725 Old Post Road, Fairfield. Meet some new friends. Bring a snack to share. Admission is free, but it may cost you -- all your unhappiness.

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.