Happ-E-Newsletter for July 15, 2007

Welcome My Dear Friend!

Leo Tolstoy said, "If you want to be happy, be." What do you say?

These are the empowering words by Anthony Robbins: "I also remember the moment my life changed, the moment I finally said, ''I've had it! I know I'm much more than I'm demonstrating mentally, emotionally, and physically in my life'.' I made a decision in that moment which was to alter my life forever. I decided to change virtually every aspect of my life. I decided I would never again settle for less than I can be."

2 STEPS TO HAPPINESS!

This article marks the beginning of my eighth year writing the Be Happy Zone column for the Fairfield Citizen.

The most important thing you can do, is to make the decision to be happy. Everything in your life is secondary to that decision. The truth is, that making the Happiness Decision will improve everything in your life. If you are not aware of your own feelings of happiness by being grateful or by just realizing that life is pretty good, it will be hard or nearly impossible for you to be happy. It takes awareness to become happy.

If being aware of your happiness is difficult for you, then begin by being aware of your unhappiness. Noticing your negatives is a positive first step. The next time you feel unhappy, because of any situation, ask yourself the question; does this feel good to me? Become aware of how bad it feels to feel bad.

You may be thinking, what good does all this do for me? The fact is, your thinking makes you feel badly. It is not the situation, or even your feeling bad that is the problem. The first thing that happens when anything occurs in your life is your thinking about what just happened. The way you represent and what you tell yourself about the incident is more important then what occurred.

First of all, what ever it was that happened has already occurred and there is probably nothing you could have done about chancing that. Thinking that it should not have happened, or having the thought, why did it happen to me, does you no good either. In fact, those thoughts put you at the mercy of the moment. If you want to master the moment, don't allow your negative thinking to spoil your next moment, the rest of your day or your whole life.

Being unhappy will work against you by letting your thinking make you miserable. Your negative thinking will lead you toward destructive self-talk. You will keep replaying negative experiences in your mind many thousands of times. As a result, you will allow your negative thoughts to consume your mind.

Once you respond to problems by allowing them to make you unhappy, you are giving them power over you. Once you feel unhappy due to your thinking, you allow any situation to overcome you. If your unhappiness is your response to your problems, you will begin to think that you are helpless, and feel that things are hopeless. This downward spiral continues until you feel depressed and un-empowered.

The wonderful thing about the Happiness Decision is that it will allow you to take control of your thinking by not letting your thinking control you. The whole process is only two steps for total control. Step 1. Make the Happiness Decision. Step 2. Think about your best possible choice for now. It you apply these two steps to everything you experience in life, you will be able to manage all your problems. Your ability to make choices will empower you to become more aware and gain control over yourself.

These two steps create incredible awareness in your mind. Step 1. the Happiness Decision tells your mind that you want to stay cool and calm and you want to be happy no matter what. Step 2. think about your best possible choice for now, allows you to remain calm, because you are using your awareness and intelligence to find the best solution to the problem right now. Once you begin thinking in terms of your choices, you will stop being a part of your problems. You will no longer allow anything to have the power to make you unhappy.

One of the best things about happiness is the freedom you feel. By breaking free from your unhappy thoughts, you train yourself to think pro-actively about your choices. Options are always available to you. You begin to see the positive possibilities in everything. You begin to create a different reality in which you can live, one you can enjoy and share with others.

The reality you are leaving behind is the unhappy one. It all started with the thoughts you had about the situation. The negative thoughts will not solve your problems and will imprison you to a life sentence of unhappiness. You have the ultimate power to think what you wish. You will experience happiness, love and freedom by not allowing your thoughts to control you!

Do you want to be happy? The question is, what do you think? Your decision will impact the rest of your life!

BE HAPPY ZONE by Lionel Ketchian. Published in the Fairfield Citizen-News on July 11, 2007

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 :) "That which we are, we are all the while teaching, not voluntarily, but involuntarily." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Happ-E-Mail :) I loved the virtual happiness club. It was worth getting up at close to 2:00 am to listen and speak to Tal Ben-Shahar. The only problem: I was so stimulated with the ideas and the possibilities that I couldn't fall back to sleep for a long time. I wish you everything great all the time. Love, Zelig (Rabbi Zelig Pliskin)

Happ-E-Quote :) "If you want to be successful, find someone who has achieved the results you want and copy what they do and you'll achieve the same results." - Anthony Robbins

Happ-E-Quote :) "In order to live free and happily you must sacrifice boredom. It is not always an easy sacrifice." - Richard Bach

Coping With Solitude Frequently when a person is physically ill or sustains an injury, he has an enforced solitude. For many people, this loneliness causes more suffering than the actual pain of the illness or injury. If, however, such a person will utilize his time properly, he will be able to gain much from the experience. He can spend his time studying things he had never previously found the time to study (especially listening to cassette tapes). He can build up a close relationship with one or a few people, that he would not have been able to had he not been incapacitated. Or he can try to utilize the phone for charitable work. The crucial factor is your attitude. Despair over loneliness will increase the suffering. Looking at the time available as a precious gift will decrease it. From Rabbi Pliskin's book: "Gateway to Happiness," p.240

Happ-E-Quote :) "Any person capable of angering you becomes your master; he can anger you only when you permit yourself to be disturbed by him." - Epictetus

Happ-E-Mail :) This poem is by David Lazar

A Home on Earth
I like what I see
I see what I like
It makes me smile
I see the peace and love
I see the warmth and harmony
I see compassion and kindness
I see heaven on earth.

Happ-E-Quote :) "We know nothing of tomorrow, our business is to be good and happy today." - Sydney Smith

Happ-E-News :) Recent articles on happiness!

CLUB HAPPINESS, E-CLUB :) Everybody should join this club, try it, you'll love it!!!

FAIRFIELD CONNECTICUT HAPPINESS CLUB :)

WESTPORT, CONNECTICUT SMILING SINGLE SENIORS HAPPINESS CLUB :)
Featuring a talk called: Creativity Creates Happiness by Barbara Abraham. Barbara has a great
deal of experience in helping seniors cope with many issues. Her work as a visiting nurse and director of an adult day program and admissions director of a long term care facility and educator make her uniquely qualified to offer advice and guidance.
Date :) Thursday, July 26, 2007
Time :) 6:30 - 8:00 P.M.
Place :) The Westport Senior Center, 21 Imperial Ave. Westport CT 06880.

Admission is free and the meetings are for people single and over 50 years old. Meet some wonderful people using happiness in their lives. Stay happy and healthy - get well connected. Stacy Enyeart is the group facilitator. Future meetings to be announced.

NEW!!! GREENWICH CONNECTICUT HAPPINESS CLUB :)
The purpose of the Happiness Club of Greenwich is to gather people together to discuss happiness, and to show people tools and research-based techniques to gain more happiness, productivity, and success in their lives. Each meeting will feature speakers on happiness and success-related research and will feature new ideas. No dues, no registration and open to everyone!

There will be two speakers presenting talks about: Healthy & Happiness! The first one will be speaking on keeping our bodies healthy nutritionally. The second speaker is a chiropractor who will do a presentation on how important the connection between good physical health and happiness can be.

STAMFORD CONNECTICUT TEEN HAPPY CLUB :)

Open to all high school students. Meetings are held twice a month on Saturdays from 11:00 - 12:30 P.M. At the Daniel and Grace Tully & Family Health Center, 32 Strawberry Hill Court, Stamford, Connecticut 06902.

GOAL: "To play with the latest research about happiness, success, and productivity. You're guaranteed to interact with at least five new people each time!" Hosted in association with the Creativity and Personal Mastery program at Columbia Business School, as taught by Professor Rao. No dues, no registration and open to everyone!

Date :) Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Time :) 7:00 - 9:00 P.M.
Place :) At Columbia Business School corner of Amsterdam and 115th street, Columbia University campus New York, NY 10027 - Warren Hall Room 416 (4th floor)

Date :) Friday, July 27

Time :) 7:00 - 9:00 P.M.
Place :) The Connection Internet Cafe (910) 793-1940, (Next to Fat Tony's). 250-1 Racine Drive Racine Commons Shopping Center Wilmington NC 28403

MENTORS HAPPINESS CLUB :) Meeting: Not till September. We will be meeting on our conference phone line that will be open to all Happiness Club facilitators everywhere. More information to come.

Virtual Happiness Club - For more information:

New - Happiness Club WWW Chapter - No meetings till September. For more information:

Mentors Happiness Club - No meetings till September.

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 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 is one of the most important things in your life. 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. 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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May the good lord be with you, Down every road you roam, And may sunshine and happiness, Surround you when you're far from home. - Words from the song Forever Young by Rod Stewart

"Unhappiness is a form of suffering." Eckhart Tolle. "Do or do not. There is no try." Yoda

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 2007, Lionel R. Ketchian, all rights reserved.