Happ-E-Newsletter for January 1, 2006

Welcome My Dearest Friend!

Let's practice more kindness this year!

Eric Allenbaugh said: "You are in charge of your feelings, beliefs, and actions. And you teach others how to behave toward you. While you cannot change other people, you can influence them through your own behaviors and actions. By being a living role model of what you want to receive from others, you create more of what you want in your life."

The Dalai Lama has said: "This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness. When we feel love and kindness toward others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace."

And we have the words of Harold Kushner: "When you carry out acts of kindness you get a wonderful feeling inside. It is as though something inside your body responds and says, yes, this is how I ought to feel."

Or the words of Henry James: "Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. The third is to be kind."

Using the words of Goethe: "Kindness is the golden chain by which society is bound together."

THE SECRET OF LIFE

You have heard it said; if I had my life to live over again, I would be, more loving, less fearful, etc. So from now on get rid of your "To Do List" and replace it with a "To Be List." You will never run out of things to do. Become more acquainted with things to be and you will be dealing with effects that will make your life better than ever.

Our beliefs are a result of the way we have utilized our personal experiences, and those we have learned from other people, to fabricate our model of reality. If our beliefs limit us, we experience fear. If we choose more suitable beliefs they allow us to encounter growth. You are embodying "The Happiness Effect," once you don't allow restrictive beliefs to control you. The happiness effect is like installing your own "Happiness Switch." This is worthwhile in order to make the outer signals more intelligible, so you can make a competent response to every situation. The happiness switch works because you are using your conscious decision-making facility to override the unconscious programming of your damaging beliefs and behaviors.

Fear is the enemy of life. Our fears are contrived by our beliefs. When we are afraid, we are not operating anywhere near our highest wisdom. Our very own fear can be our executioner. When we control our fear, we control our lives. If we let others control us through our fear, we let them control our lives and we feel like victims in a catastrophe. Fear is the opposite of happiness. To fully experience a fulfilling life, we must use happiness to overcome fear and stress, as well as boredom and nonparticipation.

Happiness is energy of the highest order. Happiness is a very powerful medicine! In fact I would like to introduce you to "Happiness Medicine." It is the energy you invest in controlling your body and mind to feel better, and with extraordinary results that you can experience immediately. Take a look at how effective placebos are in healing disease. Happiness Medicine is concerned with energy conservation and direction. It shows you how to spend your energy, instead of allowing it to be drained.

Remember when you were sick and you lost most of your energy and felt drained? That's because your body was expending energy to fight your illness. You had no energy at this time because your body needed it to fight your condition. When you are tense or stressed out, your body is using an enormous amount of energy to get ready to fight the problem. If only your body knew where and what it had to fight. Regardless of a real or perceived threat, your body expends energy as a result of the belief you observe.

Many of us are unhappy simply because we think we have to be. The secret of life is that you have the power to decide what you want to experience. Once you understand that you are responsible for your beliefs, you cease being a victim. You can reprogram your beliefs to support you or you can continue to allow them to deceive you. The choice is totally yours and yours alone.

Quantum physics has begun to understand the dance of energy we call life. It is enlightening us to the actuality that matter does not seem to exist as something hard and fixed. Matter appears to be a material of energy and not substance as we imagined. We still do not understand how all the space in an atom and the infinite space in the paper you are holding stays together. Bruce Lipton, Ph.D. the author of the book, The Biology of Belief, calls it: "Cooperative Interaction." So it appears that the answer to this question is "Interconnectedness."

The secret to life is not just about you. Your survival is important, but not until you become smart enough to see that all of humanity needs to survive together. We are a lot better off working together and learning the benefits of cooperation. The secret of life is not a secret any longer. So the answer to the age-old question: "What is the meaning of life?" is cooperative interaction. Can you see unhappiness working toward making this world more cooperative? I don't think so! When we do not have cooperative interaction, we may experience cancer in our bodies, or war in our world. We must learn to overthrow our fears or we will discover that our fears have conquered us.

Unhappiness may well be the reason we are not growing as human beings. Happiness is awareness and as a result, the more of it we have as humans, the better our chances of growth. Growth means survival for human beings. Being human is only a title. It's time to go beyond being human and start being humane. Not only do we need to embrace life, but we also need to embrace one another and celebrate our differences. We have learned to control and survive; now we can learn to be emotionally competent and thrive! So, we have a lot to do and a lot to be! We can start by being happier, more loving, less judgmental, kinder and more peaceful. What's on your "To Be List?"

I wish you a very happy, healthy and fearless New Year with peace on earth and goodwill to all men and women!

Our next Happiness Club meeting will be a presentation on Happiness. The meeting will be Thursday, January 19, from 7:00-9:00 p.m. at the newly renovated Fairfield Public Library, in the Rotary Room at 1080 Old Post Road, Fairfield. Meet some wonderful people using happiness in their lives. Admission is free; everyone is welcome.

BE HAPPY ZONE
By Lionel Ketchian

Published in the Fairfield Citizen-News December 30, 2005

Life is complicated, happiness is simple!

Happiness Empowerment to You! LIVE RICHLY...PRACTICE HAPPINESS!

Sharing Love, Peace and Happiness with you,
Lionel Ketchian

Reminding you to make the "Happiness Decision." Giving you our Happiness Club Meeting dates, The Happiness Show, on television and on the Internet, the newest 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 beginning of this newsletter you can read the latest article called: THE SECRET OF LIFE

"The days that make us happy make us wise." - John Masefield

"When the solution is simple, God is answering." - Albert Einstein

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

"We don't have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory." - Howard Zinn, Historian

This e-mail was sent from England with a subscription to the Happy Newsletter:

Make me happy! Save the earth, it's the only planet with chocolate.

Feel the Benefit of Kindness

What if you don't spontaneously feel joy for doing acts of kindness? Be aware of how you are elevating yourself and becoming a better person. Imagine the good feelings you would have if someone helped you in the way you are helping others.

By entering their world and feeling what they are feeling, you gain a greater appreciation for what you are doing. You may find this technique difficult, but as you begin to experience it, you increase your ability to do so.

From Rabbi Pliskin's book: Kindness

Happ-E-Mail :)

This is a very good article about the relationship between happiness and success.
And a very Happy New Year to you and yours.
Greg Dillon

"Cheerfulness keeps up a kind of daylight in the mind, and fills it with a steady and perpetual serenity." - Joseph Addison

Happ-E-Mail :)

Happy New Year to a Wonderful Being, Friend, Visionary, and Advocate of Happiness and the Good Life. Lionel, I listened to your clip and got so excited. I wanted to take a moment to celebrate you and all you do as well as share some heartfelt thoughts.

Your presence is a gift as you continue to show others by example and presence the way to find happiness within themselves. Finding that brilliant star and experiencing the gratitude and appreciation that resonates elation and joy are truly magical.

There is something special about your heartfelt presence and message that is so real. I have found that when people are real they don't need to work at being loving. They are naturally open, nonjudgmental, less moralistic, and unconditionally loving; and so they are able to exercise their potential in capturing the beauty in all things.

Thank you Lionel for your beauty and expressing it so well--in a language for all to understand, absorb, digest, and practice. Much love and blessings to you, your family and friends, Marianne

(Marianne Schorer, is the author of the book, EnlightenUp)

"Happiness is essentially a state of going somewhere, whole-heartedly, one-directionally, without regret or reservation." - William H. Sheldon

Happ-E-News:)

Five ways to live a happier life this year. By Bernie S. Siegel, M.D.

From Dr. Bernie Siegel's book: 365 Prescriptions for the Soul.

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." - Melody Beattie

Happ-E-Book:)

I read a great new book called: Skating Out Of Your Mind by Cal Sutliff and recommend that you get a copy and read it. Don't let the name fool you, here are some of the comments on the book:

"Lots of great material in here for more than just skaters. 90% of it you can substitute "swimmer" or runner" or anything, for that matter, for the word "skater." I have highlighted lots I will incorporate into our swimming training." Steven J. Kuster, Head Swimming Coach, Williams College

"As a soccer coach, I found Skating Out Of Your Mind a great resource in integrating mental training techniques into the daily routine of our team. It provides many skill building tools that lead to consistent peak performances, no matter what the pressures." - Kevin McCarthy, Head Women's Soccer Coach, Columbia University

"An amazing book I think should be available to all people - skaters or not. It's an important work for human advancement and spiritual progress." - Lionel Ketchian

Cal Sutliff writes: "Our beliefs about ourselves and our world govern all our experiences. Our images are self-fulfilling prophecies. What we envision in life is what we get. And as more and more evidence pours in, it is becoming apparent that our thoughts not only influence what we do mentally, our thoughts can influence what happens with us physically.

It's worthwhile to learn the skills that will allow you to handle the negative thoughts that may come up as your competition grows closer. A very useful skill is learning how to catch negative thoughts when they suddenly arrive, and how to neutralize them. Catch the negative thought...say "gottcha" to yourself...smile inwardly at the fact that you did a great job catching it...and let it disappear all by itself (and it will)."

Some of the really great things about Cal's book is that he shows you how to use the work of Dr. Wayne Dyer and allows you to understand the power of your intention. Another wonderful aspect of Skating Out Of Your Mind is that Cal shares his understanding of Quantum Physics to empower and benefit you. For those who saw the movie: What the Bleep Do We Know, this book will be very interesting and meaningful.

Cal has given a presentation to the Happiness Club in 2004 and has appeared on the Happiness TV Show in 2005.

"Kindness is the evidence of greatness. If anyone is glad that you are here, then you have not lived in vain." - Charles Fenno Hoffman (1806-1884) Editor and writer

Happ-E-Mail :)

I really love the new article: THE SECRET OF LIFE. It is spiritual, philosophical, true, and actually you've given us a very easy way to move from regret and fear onto love, life and happiness. I sense a bit of your NLP training here and I love how you've woven Quantum Mechanics into the fabric of your theme. Also, so many delicious catch phrases to help jog our memory and recollection: The Happiness Effect, Happiness Medicine, Reprogram Your Beliefs, Cooperative Interaction (borrowed from and credited to Bruce Lipton), We have learned to survive; now we can learn to...thrive.

All this rich, verbal, imagery is so much more than just words, it's pictures that we can use to help us frame our lives for enfolding happiness. Beautiful, poetic, and so helpful for us all.
Great and needed work; really effective. Love, Bob (Dr. Bob Nozik)

"Being miserable is a habit; being happy is a habit; and the choice is yours." - Tom Hopkins

Happ-E-Mail :)

Robert Muller suggested that each day each person consider how they can contribute to the happiness of their families and friends or the world and keep a journal of both the ideas and the results...which will bring the immense happiness! Love and Hugs, Barbara and Robert Muller, Stay happy!!

Happ-E-News:)

Check out this newspaper article about our beloved Dr. Robert Muller:

The Happiest Man On Earth by Tijn Touber

"Let a person rejoice when he is confronted with obstacles, for it means that he has reached the end of some particular line of indifference or folly, and is now called upon to summon up all his energy and intelligence in order to extricate himself, and to find a better way; that the powers within him are crying out for greater freedom, for enlarged exercise and scope." - James Allen

Happ-E-Mail :)

"All that is necessary for evil to succeed is that good men do nothing." - Edmund Burke

Anything that you'd ever want comes somehow from kindness. Whether what you want is given to you by a person or something else in the real world, it was a kindness that you received it. The Kindness Association seeks to promote kindness of all types and shapes, whatever you can imagine as a kindness the Association seeks to find some, any way to give it to you. Everything that you ever got, anything that ever happened to you, was from a kindness. If you find money on the street, reality was kind to you. If you win the lottery, luck was kind to you. If someone else is nice to you, or helps you in some way, then they are being kind to you.

Philosophically and morally kindness is the greatest goal anyone could aspire to get, or if they wish to help others and look good, kindness is the greatest thing anyone can give. Kindness functions on two levels, one is socially, the other, still emotional, is more of a physical thing related to interpersonal relationships. If I give you a dollar in a business transaction, that is more physical than social. Thus kindness can be divided into two general categories, emotional and physical.

Sometimes we don't consider being kind if say we are doing business, and merely seek our current practical objective. Therefore it is the other aspect of life, the emotional, that the Kindness Association seeks to improve for you and everyone else.

"Having looked the past in the eye, having asked for forgiveness and having made amends, let us shut the door on the past--not in order to forget it but in order not to allow it to imprison us." - Desmond Tutu, Cleric and civil rights leader

Happ-E-News:)

Happ-E-Mail :)

Our own Kathy Ward is the Ambassador of Happiness for Elders. The following is a wonderful and insightful transcript of Kathy's last meeting. This is what Valerye, age 94 had to say: "We need to understand that happiness is a choice. We can create our own happiness and that it is foolish not to make yourself happy."

Remarkable Conversations With Elders
How does happiness relate to health?

A group of elders and I gathered to talk about happiness, feelings of contentment, wellness and PEACE.

The most important part of a tree is not the trunk, but the root. One has to nurture the root more than any other part, because once the root becomes weak, the rest of the tree will get ill, weak and eventually will die. If we compare the trunk with our body, the branches represent the organs, the leaves, flowers and fruits represent the mind, creativity our dreams, and the root our soul and deepest heart desires. The roots are the spirit within and when we don't nurture and take care of our spirit, we get weak physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Regardless our present age, the root needs to be maintained, cared for and nurtured daily for the rest of us to function to progress and live a better quality of life.

So, how we nurture our spirits?

Elizabeth, 87: With a sense of humor, it is the spice of life and a life saver.

Faith, 91: I pray and then I take a walk. When I pray I feel better and more relaxed. I then take a walk to set my thoughts free, otherwise when I keep thinking about what makes me sad, or worry, the issues seems to get bigger and nothing else matters. I don't like that so I take a walk.

Pat, 82: I nurture my spirit making other people happy. However, happiness and a feeling of contentment are two different things but we need to get out of ourselves and focus on the many things we can do for others, and the more we do, the more content we will be.

Roger, 80: I think that first we need to realize that life dishes out challenges to us all. How we deal with those challenges determines our state of mind. Learning to focus on a solution, rather than on the problem, forces us to have a more positive attitude.

Kathy 39: Another aspect of maintaining a feeling of well-being is activity. When our minds are focused elsewhere, we alleviate the stress and tension caused by focusing only on our problems. Any meaningful activity you enjoy, whether it be reading, listening to music, gardening, walking your dog, baking apple pies for the homeless or a dear friend, talking nature walks, organizing community service projects, meditating or simply chatting with a family member or a friend, can give you a mental and physical boost.

Valerye 94: We need to understand that happiness is a choice. We can create our own happiness and that it is foolish not to make yourself happy.

Jim 62: I work as a volunteer in the White House. The other day, a man came to see the Christmas decorations and I was assigned as the docent to guide a group of people. He came along with us but was not having a very good disposition and most of his remarks where very unpleasant. I did not responded to any of his provocations. As the man was leaving the White House I said to him; "thank you so much for coming, it was very nice having you with us, have a great day." The man turned and looking at his wife and said to her "what's wrong with this man, is he trying to make me happy?" Danny continues...when I work and volunteer my time to help others I decide to be happy and make others happy being kind, patient and joyful. I do not let rain ruin my parade.

Kathy: As we continue to explore the mind-body connection, we are beginning to see how tension caused by everyday worries and concerns can block the flow of good energy that keeps us well. Then "Life Force Energy" is disrupted or weekend and emotional or health problems tend to occur. Imbalances can be caused from many situations occurring in our lives, such as: emotional or physical trauma, injury, negative thoughts and feelings, including fear, worry, doubt, anger, anxiety, negative self-talk, toxicity, nutritional depletion, destructive lifestyles and unhealthy relationships, neglect of self and lack of love for oneself or others, from emotions that are not expressed in a healthy way.

The practice of happiness brings us vigor, good energy and a disposition towards life and as love, they help us to open doors, see possibilities and embrace opportunities to better our lives and the lives of others. Let's start the new year with a "Hunting for Happiness Campaign" What ideas come to mind to bring good energy, happiness and love into our lives?

Valerye: Wear more happy colors, a very important thing when we dress. Remember to wear a smile on your face. It is charming and makes you popular.

Roger: Let's vote for the happiest person in our community. Someone that shows good disposition, practice kindness, and possesses a good sense of humor.

Pat: All of us could put together a scrap book of 'the happiest moments in our lives' and share it with everyone else.

Jim: Let's read a good book.

Kathy: Great idea Jim! I have brought you a wonderful book and I would like to read a couple of pages about happiness, written by Robert Muller, Most of All They Taught Me Happiness...Page 177, about "What Each One Of Us Is Doing For Peace? We always rely on others to work for PEACE, justice and a better world. The question is: what are we doing, each one of us for PEACE?

WEL, World Elder Land is starting this new year 2006 a new section on our website named "The Happiest Moments In Our Lives" We are inviting elders from all over the world, to submit a story describing one of the happiest moments of their lives. Along with the story, photos are most welcome. May there be very many moments of happiness in 2006 for everyone.

Peace be with you!

Happ-E-News:)

Happiness is a choice that you can make. December 27, 2005

Read the rest of this great article on this link:

I remember the moment it happened. I was listening intently as the seminar presenter quoted Eleanor Roosevelt when she said: "No one can make me feel inferior without my consent." And the power of those words immediately sunk deep into my heart. I thought: That's great!

"That means that no one can make me angry unless I allow it! And no one can offend me without my permission! That means happiness is a choice!"

Happ-E-Quote :)

Two Wolves, Cherokee Wisdom
One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.
He said, "My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all.
One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather:
"Which wolf wins?"
The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

"You can only do good if you feel good." - Denis Waitley

Happ-E-Mail :)

Hi There: I read your article in Bottom Line and I could not agree more about road rage. I saw that you meet all over North America. How can we start a Southern Florida Happiness Club? What can I do to help? Thanks so much, Josh Blumenthal

"What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal." - Albert Pike

The Happiness Show on TV:)

Watch "The Happiness Show," every Monday night, at 9:30 - 10:00 PM. Your co-hosts are Lionel Ketchian and George Ortega. The TV show is broadcast in six towns on Cablevision of Connecticut channel 77. It airs in Bridgeport, Fairfield, Milford, Orange, Stratford and Woodbridge. Watch "The Happiness Show," every Thursday night from 9:00 - 9:30 PM on Cablevision in White Plains, New York on channel 76.

HAPPINESS CLUB MEETING :)

Our next Happiness Club meeting will be a presentation for Happiness called:

"The Option Method" by Lionel Ketchian. Don't miss this chance of a lifetime to find happiness through the work of Bruce Di Marsico's Option Method. You will learn why you are unhappy and how to handle yourself.

Date :) Thursday, January 19, 2006

Time :) 7:00 - 9:00 P.M.
Place :) In the newly renovated Fairfield Public Library, in the Rotary Room

Address :) 1080 Old Post Road, Fairfield, CT 06824

Admission is free; everyone is welcome. Meet some wonderful people using happiness in their lives.

UPCOMING HAPPINESS CLUB MEETINGS DATES :)
All Meetings will be held at the Fairfield Library

Thursday, January 19, 2006

Thursday, February 16, 2006

Thursday, March 16, 2006

Happ-E-Quote :)

"The greatest good you can do for another is not just share your riches, but to reveal to him his own." - Benjamin Disraeli

California Happiness Club Meeting :)

Please RSVP because it helps us prepare. I hope to see you there! Aymee

Bob Nozik, M.D. and Aymee Coget, M.A., amazing individuals are in charge of running the California Happiness Club. Bob is the author of Happy 4 Life: Here’s How to Do It. Dr. Bob

Happ-E-Quote :)

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." - John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Free registration, please call the Village Center at 301-656-2797
Open to all community members that have decided to better their quality of life and be happy.
Please send inquiries, requests for programs, speaker and consulting services to: Friendship Heights Village Center, 4433 South Park Avenue, Chevy Chase, MD 20815

Canadian Ambassador of Happiness :)

Happ-E-Quote :)

"Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead

Happiness is one of the most important things in your life.

Happiness is an inner state of well being.

A state that enables you to profit from your highest thoughts, intelligence, wisdom, awareness, common sense, emotions, health, and spiritual values.

Happiness does wonders for your soul. Practice "Premeditated Happiness." Happiness is an issue of power. We give our power to others for many reasons, and we think that they will make us happy. The truth is that we have given others power over ourselves. We can take our power back in order to be happy again.

Now is the time to learn to use happiness in dealing with challenges and difficult people in your life so you can develop the strength to prevail. 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!

NEED A SPEAKER?

Schedule a program with Lionel Ketchian and make your group happy.

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REMOVAL INSTRUCTIONS:

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"Don't let go of the vine." - John Weissmuller, from the film, Tarzan.

"If you are going through hell...keep going." - Winston Churchill

Life is full of opportunities. Go For It! Carpe diem!

Make the Happiness Decision Now!

This can be the best day for the rest of the "Best Of Your Life!"

THAT'S ALL FOLKS...NOW BE HAPPY!

© Copyright 2006, Lionel R. Ketchian, all rights reserved.