Happ-E-Newsletter for February 15, 2006

Welcome My Dearest Friend!

Byron Katie said:

"I am a lover of what is,

not because I'm a spiritual person,

but because it hurts when I argue with reality.

We can know that reality is good just as it is,

because when we argue with it,

we experience tension and frustration."

And Carl Jung said: "We cannot change anything until we accept it.

Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses."

ACCEPT & ENJOY!

Most of us like to enjoy ourselves. But there are times when you can't seem to enjoy things, and it is at this time that you can choose to accept things. These two words, accept and enjoy, may not seem very important, but they really are a very powerful combination that can make life much better for you.

Eckhart Tolle's last book was The Power of Now and some of you may be familiar with it. It is an excellent book I have written about before. Eckhart has written a new book called: A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose. In the last chapter of the book he writes about these two words, acceptance and enjoyment.

The really great thing about acceptance is that when you can't change something, you can use acceptance to make peace with the situation. Remember that you don't have to like what has happened or prefer it, just accept it. You know why this makes sense? When you won't accept something you can't change for the moment, you go to war over it. When something happens that you may not like, you seem to forget that it has already happened. So you take a bad situation and you make it worse by not accepting it to begin with. I am not saying that you have to accept everything, I am just suggesting that you utilize the power of acceptance so that you can create more peace of mind for yourself. Pick your fights carefully and don't get stressed over everything that happens.

Do you go through life enjoying it? Do you enjoy each moment? Do you remember the last time you enjoyed life? Maybe it was the vacation you took last year! It seems like a great idea to enjoy your life. It is really a pretty simple thought. You have to remember to enjoy things and that is the real trick. The reason it may be harder than it sounds is that we forget to enjoy the moment because we are not fully present. Many people are living in the absent, not in the present. They are either living in the past, or worrying about the future. If you're not present, you're absent!

Now, here is the best thought that Eckhart presents to us. He says it may not always be possible to enjoy things you are experiencing. In that case you can accept them. That's right, if you can't enjoy something than accept it. As long as you remain conscious enough to remember to live with one or the other, you will be fine. If you do not enjoy and you do not accept then you can become unhappy! So being happy is a responsibility that you can enjoy and if you can't enjoy it, you can accept it.

I would like to share an interesting quote from Eckhart Tolle's new book: "Don't ask your mind for permission to enjoy what you do. All you will get is plenty of reasons why you can't enjoy it. "Not now," the mind will say. "Can't you see I'm busy? There's no time. Maybe tomorrow you can start enjoying…."That tomorrow will never come unless you begin enjoying what you are dong now. "

Eckhart points out that when we say we get joy from something we do, we are not accurate about this observation. As he says, joy comes from within, and I agree with him. When you allow yourself to enjoy something, you are becoming aware of the joy and happiness that is inside you. To allow the feeling of happiness to emerge and engage you in what you are doing is a wonderful feeling.

I was wondering if I felt like writing this article tonight. It is late and I had to write an article for a publication last night. I must admit that I did not sit down at the computer with enjoyment, but I did it with acceptance. As I decided to write about the topic of acceptance and enjoyment, I went from acceptance of having to write this article to enjoying it in every way.

The third word that Eckhart introduces is enthusiasm. I was not going to write about this word, but I must tell you that this is exactly what I am feeling right now. When Eckhart talks about enthusiasm, he is talking about the second half of the title of his book: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose. He says: "Make sure your goals are dynamic, that is to say, point toward an activity that you are engaged in and through which you are connected to other human beings as well as to the whole." He is saying that enthusiasm happens when you are doing things that affect more than you alone.

True happiness seems to include other people, not exclude them. When you are enjoying life you are sending out a wonderful benefit to others. When you enjoy what you are doing, you bestow something of value to others. When you are accepting, you are creating peace for others as well as yourself. If you want something, ask for it. You don't have to make others wrong, just because you may be right.

If we can begin to live with acceptance, enjoyment and enthusiasm, we can master ourselves and thus enrich our lives and the lives of everyone we come in contact with. If we can't live with all three, than live with just one, any one, but make sure you remember to have at least one working for you at all times.

Our next Happiness Club meeting will be a presentation called: "Enjoy a Happy Heart." by Dr. Richard Ellis, Sid Madwed & Lionel Ketchian. The meeting will be held on Thursday, February 16, from 7:00-9:00 p.m. at the Fairfield Public Library, in the Rotary Room at 1080 Old Post Road. 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 - February 8, 2006

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: ACCEPT & ENJOY!

"If you are not getting as much from life as you want to, then examine the state of your enthusiasm." - Norman Vincent Peale (1898-1993)

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

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them." - Mother Teresa

I HAVE BEEN READING YOUR ARTICLES FOR QUITE A WHILE NOW. IT SEEMS THE PERFECT MESSAGE ALWAYS APPEARS AT THE PERFECT TIME. THANK YOU FOR THAT. I WISH WE HAD A HAPPINESS CLUB HERE IN LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK.
ANY SUGGESTIONS?? REGARDS, DEBRA S.

"One who knows how to show and to accept kindness will be a friend better than any possession." - Sophocles

Never Be Disappointed

When a person masters the ability to feel comfortable in all situations, he will never be disappointed with what life offers.

When we demand that our life situation be different than it presently is, we are demanding something that does not exist. This demanding is how we cause our own needless suffering.

If you are sincerely interested in guaranteeing a happy life, learn to accept what cannot be changed.

From Rabbi Pliskin's book: Gateway to Happiness, p.236

Happ-E-Mail :)

Abraham Maslow said: "If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail." I heard this quote this morning. It is perhaps my lesson for today, that there are other possibilities, many more ways, better ways to see a situation. May our adventurous mind and happy soul today inspire us to seek within 'better tools' and better ways to see life and live it with passion and joy.

May we be able to free our soul, body and mind from all limitations practicing and allowing our true essence of love BE.

May the hammer not be the option, but instead...

a hand
a heart
a smile
an act of kindness
forgiveness
enthusiasm
a good word
an act of gratefulness for nature and animals
... L O V E

May this day and every day be a celebration of life and love in our internal world. And please, don't forget to wear your smile today, it'll make you popular and will light up the world. LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT !!! Kathy Ward

"To love is to take delight in the happiness of another, or, what amounts to the same thing, it is to account another's happiness one's own." - Gottfried Leibniz (1646-1716) Philosopher and mathematician

Barbara and Dr. Robert Muller are in the news again about happiness!

Happiness: a lesson and a way of life
By Margo Kline, Voice Managing Editor

Can you feel how painful it is to internally stand in opposition to what "is"? "When you recognize this, you also realize that you are now free to give up this futile conflict, this inner state of war."- Eckhart Tolle

Happ-E-Mail :)

A poem from, David

The Joy of Life.

The ability to choose
The ability to breathe
The ability to have my thoughts and my feelings
And for you to have your thoughts and your feelings.

"The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong." - Mohandas Gandhi

Happ-E-Mail :)

Good web site….I just signed on for the newsletter. I had some pretty large sales teams at AT&T…and positive thinking was a must. I remember developing many team building events…some expensive…some bare boned.. Thanks, Billy

"Life is a paradise for those who love many things with a passion." - Leo Buscaglia (1924-1998) Educator and writer

Happ-E-Mail :)

From K- Porter, World Happy Face
All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible. - Lawrence of Arabia "Seven Pillars of Wisdom"

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 called: "Enjoy a Happy Heart." by Dr. Richard Ellis, Sid Madwed & Lionel Ketchian.

Date :) Thursday, February 16, 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, March 16, Thursday, April 13, Thursday, May 18, 2006

Happ-E-Quote :)

"The only way to live is to accept each minute as an unrepeatable miracle, which is exactly what it is - a miracle and unrepeatable." - Margaret Storm Jameson

California Happiness Club Meeting :)

Date: Sunday March 5th

Time: 3:00 - 5:00 PM

Meeting Location: 1485 Church St. Apt #1 SF, CA 94131

(corner of 27th Street in Noe Valley).
Please RSVP because it helps us prepare. I hope to see you there! Aymee

We miss you!

It seems like ages since we have seen each other! Our next meeting is coming up soon on Sunday the 5th from 3-5 in my new home at 1485 Church St. Apt #1 SF, CA 94131 (corner of 27th Street in Noe Valley). You can exit on 24th street BART and walk about 10 – 15 minutes or take the J Church which drops you off right in front of our house.

Now for the good stuff…the topic of the meeting….
We are honored to have a special guest, Deborah Mendel, who co-wrote the book The Principles and Philosophy of The Option Method. The Option Method was developed by Bruce Di Marsico in the 1970's. It is a very powerful way for us to approach and solve many of life's problems that keep us from leading happy lives. Deborah is also working on a workbook for students of the Option Method. This is a wonderful opportunity for members of the Happiness Club to learn about one of the most powerful ways to happiness; making the decision to be happy!

This is a new year with a lot of happiness spreading in many ways! Join us on March 5th and bring your happy or unhappy friends! The more the merrier! In happiness, Aymee & Bob

Bob Nozik, M.D. and Aymee Coget, M.A., are two amazing individuals who are in charge of the California Happiness Club.

Bob Nozik, M.D. is the author of Happy 4 Life: Here’s How to Do It.

Happ-E-Quote :)

"Goodness is the only investment that never fails." - Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

Smiling Single Seniors Happiness Club Meeting :)

Great news for you! The first meeting of the Smiling Single Seniors Group will be held on: Monday, February 27 at 7:00 - 8:30 pm at the Westport Public Library at: Arnold Bernhard Plaza, 20 Jesup Road, Westport, CT 06880. The Westport Public Library is located along the Saugatuck River in Westport, Connecticut.

Stacey Enyeart is the group facilitator.

Future meetings will be on Mondays as follows:
Monday, March 27th, April 24th, May 22nd, June 22nd, July 24th

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

North Carolina Happiness Club Meeting :)

The Happiness Club Of North Carolina in Wilmington, will be meeting on the last Tuesday of each the month at 7:00 PM.

Richard D. Banton, LCSW is calling it the Happiness Institute.

The club will initially be a free one hour discussion/seminar on a topic pertaining to happiness.

Richard hopes to also start a weekly S.M.A.R.T. recovery group in the near future as well as an alternative to AA. Check out www.smartrecovery.org sometime when you get a chance.

SMART Recovery® is recognized by the American Academy of Family Physicians, the Center for Health Care Evaluation, The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), US Department of Health and Human Services, American Society of Addiction Medicine.
While I will call it that because it’s recognized as a valid alternative to AA, I suspect that many of the meetings will be on happiness as well.

Richard D. Banton, LCSW graduated from West Virginia University with a Master of Social Work in 1998 at age 39. He has held various counseling / psychotherapy positions until April 2004 when Richard started working as a private practitioner. He has three children and two grandchildren.

Happiness Institute, Positive Alternative Counseling

Richard D. Banton, LCSW

4608 Cedar Ave., Suite 114

Wilmington, NC 28403

Bus: 910-262-8855

Fax: 866-365-1878

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.

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!

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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.