Noblesville High School in Noblesville, Indiana had it's 131st graduating class in the school's history with over 400 students graduating. Principal Annetta Petty congratulated the departing seniors and reminded them that their futures are now in their hands. She told them the ultimate goal in life is happiness, and that happiness breeds success and not the other way around.

Wishing You Health & Happiness!

PBS in Connecticut showed a special on Health & Happiness with Dr. Bernie S. Siegel and myself. Dr. Siegel is an acclaimed author and surgeon. Bernie and I, along with many members of the Happiness Club, appeared live on the PBS program to promote the CPTV pledge special "Conversations with Bernie, Health & Happiness." The show aired on CPTV Friday, June 11, at 8:00 PM in 2004. The video was a taped interview conducted in Dr. Siegel's home in Connecticut, and was produced by Van Gorder Studios.

I first interviewed Dr. Siegel in 1986 on a radio show that I co-hosted called "Successful Living." Dr. Siegel had just written his first best-selling book, Love, Medicine & Miracles at the time. Dr. Siegel is the author of several other books on healing, including Peace, Love and Healing and the Path to Self-Healing and Prescriptions for Living.

In this video Dr. Bernie Siegel and I discuss the book he wrote called: 365 Prescriptions for the Soul, Daily Messages of Inspiration, Hope, and Love, which was published in 2004. It is an inspirational, uplifting and empowering book of thoughts. Dr. Siegel shares his life experiences and lessons in this book. Bernie provides a daily solution to life's challenges and calls them Soul-utions! Every page of this book gives you a prescription for living each day, with a quote that directs you to a greater understanding of life.

Bernie talks about his personal thoughts and life experiences in this video interview. Through the sharing of his inspirational words and personal stories, Bernie and I encourage people, not only to survive, but also to thrive and learn to live.

Dr. Siegel and I discuss attitudes, pain, suffering, health, healing, and happiness. The interview may give you an opportunity to think about the attitudes you now have. The thoughts shared in this presentation may make you more aware of the choices that you are presented with in life. Dr. Siegel and I explore how individual choices in life can help contribute to happiness and well being.

As Dr. Siegel declares: "If you can't change your external circumstances, you can change your attitude toward your life. You can say, "I choose to be happy. I choose to view what I do everyday as a way of contributing love." When you go about life with this attitude, you'll find that your circumstances do begin to change."

Dr. Bernie Siegel has been a leading advocate of alternative healing and patients' rights for over twenty-five years. Dr. Siegel is retired from medical practice. Currently, he enjoys giving lectures and spending time with his family. As a doctor who has worked with cancer patients for most of his career, Dr. Siegel continues to offer his unique perspective on life and the many challenges that people ultimately face.

Happiness is a conscious decision, which puts you on the road toward health and emotional competence. Daniel Goleman, the author of Emotional Intelligence, has said it so well, "Self-awareness--recognizing a feeling as it happens--is the keystone of emotional intelligence. The ability to monitor feelings from moment to moment is crucial to psychological insight and self-understanding. An inability to notice our true feelings leaves us at their mercy. People with a greater certainty about their feelings are better pilots of their lives, having a surer sense of how they really feel about personal decisions from whom to marry to what job to take."

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."

Everything we do in life is for the purpose of obtaining happiness!

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

Happ-E-Quote :)
Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved. - William Jennings Bryan

I just watched one of the "The Happiness Show" programs where you talk about your college course. It has me thinking of offering a similar thing here in Calgary (Canada). I usually add reciprocal links to sites I like who will link to mine, and although I see that you do not have outside links on your site (other than amazon links) - I will be adding a link to yours anyway, simply because it is such a nice site. Well done! Happiness for ever! David

Happ-E-Quote :)
We can do only what we think we can do. We can be only what we think we can be. We can have only what we think we can have. What we do, what we are, what we have, all depend upon what we think. - Robert Collier

Happ-E-Poem :)
Our friend David sent us this joyful poem.
One More Song

One more piece
From my heart to yours
Lasting peace
Let us find
Acts of peace
And harmony.

It all starts
With us
We begin
A world of peace
And joy
And happiness..

Happ-E-Mail :)
From Dr. Bernie S. Siegel

Happiness and praise are like the helium of life!

Happ-E-Quote :)
You are unique. You are the only person in the world who is exactly who you are. The Almighty has not made anyone else like you. Only you have your unique genetic makeup and your unique life circumstances. No one alive now, and no one who ever lived before, and no one who will ever live in the future was, is, or will be just like you. You are the only person in the world with your unique positive qualities and challenges. You are the only person in the world who has your particular life mission.

You, like everyone else alive right now, are a work in progress. You have a multitude of positive choices you can make throughout each and every day. Choose life! Choose positive thoughts, words, and actions. With every positive choice you make, you build yourself. Keep making positive choices.

From Rabbi Pliskin's new book: Building Your Self- image and the Self-image of Others

The Self-image Builder and Happiness Teacher

Happ-E-Quote :)
"A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes." - Hugh Downs

Happ-E-Mail :)
From Rabbi Zelig Pliskin

Hi Lionel, My latest book: Building Your Self- image and the Self-image of Others,, is being published (Artscroll.com) in a few days. One of my favorite sections of the book is where I mention how I have been chosen to be the CEO of the ICFSW. This is the International Committee for Self-Worth.

As the CEO and the only member of the Board, we had a vote on the proposal: "Every human who doesn't yet have a 100% sense of self-worth and wants it just needs to say, ‘I would like to have a 100% sense of self-worth.’ After saying this, that person immediately has a 100% level of self-worth. This officially takes place even if the person does not yet feel that he has 100% self- worth."

Your subjective feelings at any given moment can't change the nature of reality. Even if you don't feel that you have 100% self- worth, you still do. Knowing and internalizing this is likely to help you be calmer and happier.

Since this proposal won by a landslide of one vote for yes, and zero for no, whoever reads this should know that their self-worth lasts a lifetime. Nothing anyone says or does can take this away.

Hopefully all members of the Happiness Club will realize that they have a 100% level of self-worth.

Much happiness to everyone,

Zelig Pliskin,

CEO of ICFSW (International Committee for Self-worth)

Willing your way to happiness By Colleen O'Connor

Denver Post - Denver,CO,USA

June 4, 2006

... meditating on compassion when his brain was scanned, nearly soared off the chart of positive emotions - he had the highest level of happiness ever documented. ...

Happ-E-Quote :)
"If we can rise above the pain and guilt of the past, everything begins to look different. We become more open to life and the present moment. When we heal the wounds of the past, peace of mind is our reward." - Eileen Campbell

The delightful dozen: the 12 qualities of happiness By Leslie Garcia

The Dallas Morning News

June 6, 2006

"In What Happy People Know," author Dan Baker outlines what he calls "The 12 Qualities of Happiness." Not all have to be present, he writes, "and they don't all have to be there in equal amounts."

Still, most must be abundant for someone "to experience the kind of lasting, rock-solid happiness that endures even when life gets tough to take — as it always does."
Love. Even better than being loved is loving somebody, he writes.

Optimism. Realizing "the more painful the event, the more profound the lesson."
Courage. This quality "allows us to thrive," he writes.
A sense of freedom. "Everyone has the power to make choices, but unhappy people don’t know they have it."
Proactivity. Happy people "don’t wait for events or other people to make them happy."
Security. Happy people know nothing lasts over time. They’re neither slaves to popularity, nor longevity, nor financial status.
Health. It’s hard being happy if you don’t feel healthy; "it’s hard to be healthy if you’re not happy," he writes.
Spirituality. Happy people "aren’t afraid to go beyond the boundaries of their own lives ... they’re not concerned about dying — they’re concerned about not living."
Altruism. Happy people know how being altruistic helps you see outside yourself.
Perspective. Happy people see shades of gray instead of just black and white.
Humor. This "shift of perception" gives people the wherewithal to go on, even when life looks its worst.
Purpose. If happy people were to die today, "they would be satisfied with their lives."

Read the entire article:

Happ-E-Quote :)
"Until you make peace with who you are, you'll never be content with what you have." - Doris Mortman

Happ-E-Quote :)
"The richest man, whatever his lot, is he who is content with what he has got." - Dutch Proverb

The Happiness Show on TV:)
"The Happiness Show," is on every Monday night, from 9:30 - 10:00 PM. Your co-hosts are Lionel Ketchian and George Ortega. Cablevision of Connecticut broadcasts the TV show on channel 77. Airs in Bridgeport, Fairfield, Milford, Orange, Stratford & Woodbridge.

Happ-E-Quote :)
"Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things only hoped for." - Epicurus

Our next Happiness Club meeting will be a movie presentation called: "Conversations with Bernie on Health and Happiness." This is a one-hour video with Dr. Bernie Siegel and Lionel Ketchian that was aired on PBS.

Date :) Thursday, June 15, 2006

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

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

Everyone is welcome; admission is free.

We will have free snacks and soda.

Meet some wonderful people using happiness in their lives.

Future meetings at the Fairfield Library will be:

Thursday, July 20, Thursday, August 17, Thursday, September 21, 2006.

Directions to Fairfield Public Library: 1080 Old Post Road, Fairfield, CT 06824

(diagonally across the street from the movie theatre)

I-95 Northbound Exit 21: 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.

I-95 Southbound Exit 22: From New Haven - I-95, Exit 22, North Benson Rd. Left at bottom of ramp. Under railroad overpass make right at light (Post Rd.), 1/2 mile on left at the corner.

The Happiness Club at Bridge House meets every Tuesday from 12:00 - 1:00 PM for a happy meal and a happy hour meeting!

Bridge House is a Clubhouse which is modeled on the Fountain House model of psychiatric rehabilitation. The men and women who attend assist with the running of the program, which helps to restore their sense of purpose,dignity and self worth. The members also work at part time jobs, with staff providing intensive supports. New employers are always welcome! In addition,case management, social events, residential supports, and educational opportunities are provided. The program is open 365 days a year, and just celebrated their 20th year of helping it's members realize their potential as valued members of the community.

Dr. Paul Epstein will be the speaker at our next meeting on Monday, June 26th.

Time 7:00 - 8:30 PM at the Westport Public Library. Located at: Arnold Bernhard Plaza, 20 Jesup Road, Westport, CT 06880. Library is located along the Saugatuck River in Westport.

Future meetings will be on Monday, July 24th

Smiling Senior Singles is a group for seniors who have found themselves alone. Many people, who live in the area, have found themselves without any family. This can be difficult, so it is important to find friends you can relate to. Meet some wonderful people and start using happiness in your life.

Stacy Enyeart is the group facilitator. Stacy has a background in publishing, advertising, TV producing and is President of the AARP of Westport/Weston Chapter.

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

Our next meeting will be Thursday, June 8th, from 10:30 - 12:00 Noon.

We will be playing Pollyanna's Game at this interactive meeting.

We meet at the Lafayette Senior Center, 500 St. Mary's Road.

Robert Nozik, M.D with co-hosts Mei Sun Li and Alysa Anderson

We had our second meeting on Tuesday, May 30th!

The Happiness Club Of North Carolina in Wilmington meets on the last Tuesday of each the month at 7:00 PM. The next meeting is June 27th. The club will initially be a free one hour discussion/seminar on a topic pertaining to happiness.

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.

Don't give away your power by being unhappy! Practice "Premeditated Happiness," because 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 now take our power back in order to be happy again. Happiness does wonders for your soul. 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!

Our mailing list is never sold or given to anyone. You can smile about that!

If you no longer wish to receive this Happ-E-Newsletter, reply with "Remove" in the subject line.

"Unhappiness is a form of suffering." Eckhart Tolle

If you're not happy by now, it's time to have a talk with yourself.

Make the Happiness Decision Now!

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