When I realized that I was happy, I felt happy and in that moment I knew that I was happy. I wondered what could come along that was more important than the way I felt now. So I watched everything to see what I would give up my happiness for! In the last 15 1/2 years, I have found nothing that is more important than being happy.

What I have learned, is that being happy is the smartest way of dealing with any problem. Unhappiness only exposes you to what you don't like. When you start with one problem and you add unhappiness you have now created a second problem to deal with. I have found that being happy enables me to make the best choices, to find the best solutions, and to use my highest mental faculties to create the best outcome for myself and others.

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. We mistakenly think that doing this will make us happy. The truth is that we have given others power over ourselves. We can now consciously reclaim our power and experience happiness. Happiness does wonders for your soul. Now is the time to learn to use happiness for dealing with challenges and difficult people so you can empower your life.

I read the July 17th issue of New York Magazine with the words: "How To Be Happy," by Jennifer Senior, in big letters on the front cover. I turned to page 26 to read the article and found the following title: "Some Dark Thoughts On Happiness." My disappointment began with those words and increased with the rest of the article.

Page 30 had the following quote by Adam Phillips: "It seems to me, anyone who could maintain a state of happiness given the state of the world, is LIVING IN A DELUSION." I agree the state of the world is not that great right now, but it has been in that state for quite some time during the history of our civilization.

The problem is thinking that you need to be unhappy because the state of the world is the way it is. That is where our thinking becomes faulty. Just because things are not good, does not mean we have to be unhappy. That is equivalent to remembering when we were children and our mother told us to finish the food on our plate because people were starving in other countries. Do you see the logic in that? Well, the logic is that if things are not going well around you, than you had better be unhappy or you don't care about what is happening.

The primary reason for people to be unhappy is to show that they are good people who care about what is happening to others. Their rationale is to care for other people by being unhappy, so people will know that they are a good person. As Oscar Wilde said: "When we are happy we are always good, but when we are good we are not always happy."

The logic is flawed because being unhappy is not a solution to anything. In fact, it adds to the problem. When you hear about bad news, you can make yourself feel bad, creating a sense of helplessness that leads to hopelessness and then more despair as you gradually find your way to feeling like a victim and finally becoming totally depressed.

Unhappy people cause many of the problems we experience in the world. A terrorist is an unhappy person. What we really don't need more of are unhappy people. I understand that it will be hard for unhappy people to comprehend this, and not many people are happy, so there are a great many people who will not see the logic in all this.

Dennis Prager, author of Happiness Is a Serious Problem, said: "To be happy requires knowledge about how to achieve happiness (i.e. wisdom) and hard work and self-discipline to put that knowledge into practice.

My point is that being happy is the most important thing you can do for yourself around and for those around you. Wars have played out over the history of mankind in order to have peace. Fighting alone does not seem to work. I am not making any judgements about the Middle East situation, I am saying that all people want to be happy. We need to have more dialogs about our commonality of happiness.

Soren Kierkegaard said: "' If an Arab in the desert were suddenly to discover a spring in his tent, and so would always be able to have water in abundance, how fortunate he would consider himself; so too, when a man who...is always turned toward the outside, thinking that his happiness lies outside him, finally turns inward and discovers that the source is within him."

I know that politicians are not trained to spread a greater understanding of happiness and human nature. It will be very important for the future of mankind to better understand and utilize happiness. I would like to refer to happiness as emotional competence. Intelligence alone does not seem to work in reducing conflict. We need to facilitate better emotional control. We need to stamp out ignorance with education, not just with weapons of destruction. In the great words of R. Browning: "Oh, make us happy and you make us good."

I am not saying we must stop using weapons of war. I am saying that we can no longer depend on just using weapons. We must combine weapons with wisdom and communication with commonality. It is time to learn that life does not always go the way we would like it to and that developing more emotional control for all of us would be a higher level strategy for coping with the problems of life.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn said: "It is not the level of prosperity that makes for happiness but the kinship of heart to heart and the way we look at the world. Both attitudes are within our power, so that a man is happy so long as he chooses to be happy, and no one can stop him."

BE HAPPY ZONE by Lionel Ketchian

Published in the Fairfield Citizen-News - July 26, 2006

I read the article in New York Magazine and I certainly agree with everything you say in its regard. I am thrilled to see articles like this one. Let me tell you why. Yes, the article is a negative one regarding happiness but you would never see negative articles about happiness if happiness were not growing in public awareness and importance. When something is largely invisible no one pays much attention to it. Only when something (e.g.: happiness) becomes big and important to people will the Nickering Nabobs of negativity come out of the woodwork. We are seeing more and more articles attacking happiness because happiness is becoming a force to reckon with. I may be playing Pollyanna's Game here, but the more negative articles about happiness that I see, the more I see that happiness is growing and strengthening in the public consciousness. Anyhow, that's my take. Love and, yes, happiness, Bob

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

"If your happiness depends on what somebody else does, I guess you do have a problem." -
Richard Bach

Greetings and BRAVO! I just read the disappointing article in the NEW YORK Magazine and it says HOW TO BE HAPPY and felt like contacting the magazine and author myself.

I agree with you 100% and wanted to thank you for your article and for expressing your thought provoking comments on the importance of becoming conscious choice-makers and happy people. We all need to be supported and nourished as we take charge of our emotions and develop a"force field of happiness, gratitude and peace." It takes courage, intelligence and appreciation of one self to choose happiness in the midst of adversity. In my opinion it is happiness that heals and our laughter that helps us through difficult moments. Joy keeps all things good flowing while those still asleep and addicted to suffering and externals learn some difficult lessons. THANKS FOR YOUR ARTICLE. With deep appreciation. Meanwhile much joy and laughter to you today and always, Melissa

Life is complicated, happiness is simple! LIVE RICHLY...PRACTICE HAPPINESS!

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

Happiness Empowerment to You! Reminding you to make the "Happiness Decision."

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

Sharing Love, Peace and Happiness with you,
Lionel Ketchian

Happ-E-Quote :)
"Our deepest fear is NOT that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?" Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God: your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you." - Nelson Mandela

Dearest Lionel,

We are deeply touched by your wonderful, kind message. We thank you for bringing your newsletter to the world and bless your most recent issue. We agree 100%!

I want you to know that you are right about happiness. With happiness we don't need an enemy. Let us keep learning about happiness from Most of All They Taught ME Happiness. This book will teach the world what it needs to learn most of all and that is happiness.

I honor and support your objective to create Happiness Clubs and here are a few ideas...

1. Spread happiness as contained in the US Constitution.

2. Mobilize the happiness decision of the King of Bhutan and show that this should be the highest goal of all governments and his ambassador to the UN should propose that every country has the right to happiness and it should be addressed at the Sept. UN general assembly.

The Address of Bhutan mission at the UN

H.E. Mr. Daw Penjo Ambassador

Permanent mission of the Kingdom of Bhutan to the UN

343 East 43rd St., NY NY 10017

3. Send a letter to all permanent missions of the UN and ask if happiness is in their constitutions. The Blue book of all address can be bought from 1 800 553 1076 for $10.

4. Write to UNESC on my behalf to ask what they are devoting to happiness.

5. List the happiness clubs in the world. (I think you already done this.)

6. Do only what makes you happy of the 5 above...

Love, Robert & Barbara

(Dr. Robert Muller, is a former Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations)

Dear Dr. Robert Muller

How wonderful to feel your love and happiness! This is what the world needs most!

Dr. Robert Muller and his wife, Barbara Gaughen-Muller, live much of the year in a farmhouse on the edge of a cloud forest overlooking the UN University for Peace in Costa Rica. Robert spends most of his time writing ideas for a better world and encourages readers to see that humanity can achieve paradise on Earth. Dr. Muller was the Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and he has been nominated 22 times for the Nobel Peace Prize.

"If you don't have a vision, then your reality will always be determined by other's perceptions." - Melanee Addison

Happ-E-Poem :)
This wonderful poem sent us from our friend David Lazar

HAPPINESS CLUB
Where the hearts meet
Where the souls soar
Where friendships form
Where all are one for a moment or an hour or two.

I live in Tasmania, Australia. I have been receiving your emails for a while now, thank you. I would really love to share the messages of what the happiness club stands for with others by creating a happiness club. I will look over and consider making a decision. Initially perhaps (an idea) I could use the "Authentic Happiness" Book by Dr. Martin Seligman as a discussion point. Kind Regards, Craig Penney

"Within you right now is the power to do things you never dreamed possible. This power becomes available to you just as soon as you can change your beliefs." - Dr. Maxwell Maltz

Happ-E-Mail :)
Lift Your Mood
Happ-E-Newsletter readers can raise their mood and focus on important things like happiness, self-growth and life at the Lift Your Mood website at
http://www.inforesearchlab.com/moodlifters.chtml.

Establishing the right mood helps them get more out of life and gain greater confidence in themselves. Thanks, Arthur A. Hawkins II

There are people who consistently make others feel good about themselves. When you are in the presence of someone who has a "good eye" and a "good heart," you see yourself in a more positive light. Such a person treats you with respect and makes it easier for you to increase your own level of self-respect. Such a person says and does things that bring out the best in you.

Remember how you felt about yourself after encounters with such people. Let those experiences build your self-image. Don’t just look at it as, "I felt really good about myself when I spoke to this person." Rather, view these encounters as life-enhancing experiences that permanently build your self-image. Even many years later, you can allow these encounters to raise your view of yourself.

From Rabbi Pliskin's new book: "Building Your Self- image and the Self-image of Others" (Artscroll) Chapter 35

Rabbi Pliskin is The Self-image Builder and Happiness Teacher

"Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy." - Anne Frank

"Praise and blame, gain and loss, pleasure and sorrow come and go like the wind. To be happy, rest like a giant tree in the midst of them all." - Buddha

"We receive three educations, one from our parents, one from our schoolmasters, and one from the world. The third contradicts all that the first two teach us." Charles Baron de Montesquieu (1689-1755) Philosopher

Happ-E-Quote :)
"Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact." -William James

Happ-E-Quote :)
"The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

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 :)
"The heart that loves is always young." - Greek Proverb

"Enjoy the Good Life, Happiness!," by Lionel Ketchian

What does it take for an individual human being to have a good life?

Find out what happiness is and what it takes to achieve it!

Date :) Thursday, August 17, 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. Meet some wonderful people using happiness in their lives. Future meetings at the Fairfield Library will be: Thursday September 21, Oct 12, 2006.

Directions to Fairfield Public Library: (movie theatre is diagonally across the street)

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.

Rev. Dr. David Harper will present a talk on "Finding Happiness!" Dr. Harper will use some contributions of modern cartoonists like Charles Schulz. Aple time for sidcussio will follow. The meeting held Monday, August 31, 6:30 - 8:30 PM at the Westport Senior Center, 70 North Ave., Westport, CT 06880. Future meeting: Thursday, September 28th.

"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

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

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