Happ-E-Newsletter for November 1, 2007

Welcome My Dear Friend!

Leo Buscaglia said, "Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around." Leo is right about this and each of us has an opportunity to make a positive difference, no matter how small we think it is, for someone else. How do you really know that doing a small thing for someone will really mean to them. It may mean more than you could ever have imagined.

All donations are tax deductible and can be mailed to: CCCC (The Coordinating Council for Children in Crisis), 131 Dwight Street, New Haven, CT 06511. Please indicate "Basket Brigade" in the memo section. The CCCC is a non profit organization that has been providing client names and assists with our efforts every year. Upon completion of the Basket Brigade, CCCC will mail a thank you letter (an employer may want to hang this up) which with your canceled check will be your receipt. Your name will be included in their annual report.

I hope you get excited about this project and join me in talking to everyone about it, coworkers, friends, family, neighbors, etc. Invite them to contribute and come help us deliver! Since 1993, we provided 100-125 families with food. We were excited the year we reached a new plateau of feeding 185 families. Last year we fed 300 families and this year we are going to feed 350 families. A donation of $300 feeds 10 families, $150 feeds 5 families, and $30 feeds 1 family. Any donation will help tremendously! One hundred percent of your donations, every single penny, goes towards purchasing food and toys. All the overhead is donated.

Please meet us at 8:30 AM at the new Thanksgiving Basket Brigade location which is: Champ Direct Printing & Mailing, 75 Cascade Boulevard, Milford, CT 06460. Paul Featherston, the owner of Champ Direct has donated his facilities to our wonderful cause. His wife Kathleen and their family will also be there to help us. We have the perfect site for our Basket Brigade this year.

On the weekend before Thanksgiving, for the past 13 years, volunteers have been putting together and delivering baskets with all the fixings’ to those in need in the greater New Haven area. In the last few years we added several deliveries to Bridgeport. We work with several agencies to find families in need of assistance. We work with the CCCC (Coordinating Council for Children in Crisis), Yale Child Study Center, Cornerstone, Bella Vista, and The Connecticut Department of Social Services.

On Saturday November 17, please come and help us! Due to the increased number of baskets, this year we need as many people as we can get to pack the baskets and drive their cars (or go with others) to make deliverers. A typical basket that we provide includes: a large turkey, stuffing, potatoes, cranberry juice, vegetables, brownie mix, pie, juice, donated personal care items, a toy, books…..and other goodies.

"I find that there's a lot of people who don't understand that happiness is achievable by everybody. They sort of think 'I'm only happy when I get a new TV or a new car or get a new outfit.And that's what happiness is all about.' It's not really the case." - David Ambrose

Become a Better You!

This past week I saw Joel Osteen and his wife Victoria on 60 Minutes, Larry King, Fox News, and Glenn Beck. I understand they were on a number of other shows as well. Barbara Walters has named Joel one of the 10 Most Fascinating People. Joel Osteen is the senior pastor of Lakewood Church in Texas, the largest church in the United States.

His church was the former home of the National Basketball Association's Houston Rockets. He converted the sports arena, known as the Compaq Center, into the Lakewood Church in July 2005. His wife, Victoria is also a pastor. Joel, now age 42, took over the church when his father, John, died in January 1999. 30,000 people attend Lakewood Church every Sunday.

Joel has just published his second book entitled, Become a Better You. Joel's first book, Your Best Life Now has been on the New York Times best selling book list. It is also on my 20 best happiness books, listed on my web site. Chapter 7 is called: Choose To Be Happy!

About six years ago, I happened to tune into a TV program on Sunday morning. I did not know who the person on TV was, because I had never heard of Joel Osteen at the time. I was immediately captivated by his message that day because he was speaking about happiness. The title of his talk that Sunday was Choose to Be Happy! I could not believe my eyes and ears.

Here was a preacher talking about happiness. Joel said, "The bottom line is if you're gong to be happy, you need to make a decision to be happy right now. Happiness does not depend on your circumstances; it depends on your will. It's a choice that you make." Now you know why I love Joel Osteen.

You can see Joel on TV every Sunday morning, he is on hundreds of stations across the country. The show is watched by tens of millions of people in more than a hundred nations worldwide. In Connecticut, he has half-hour shows starting early in the morning which run until 9:30 AM on different channels. His message is always an important and positive one with no gloom and doom, no hell and damnation.

Joel tells you how to deal with important issues in your life. Joel always delivers a message to help you cope with emotional issues and create the right attitude to live your life. I hear him mention happiness in almost every "sermon." Joel said, "To develop a habit of happiness, you must retrain those negative responses."

I have found people of all faiths, not just Christians, listen to Joel to hear his positive messages. In all the years I have seen Joel on TV, his basic format is the same. He always starts the program by telling a joke. The congregation remains standing for the joke and then Joel leads them in a 21-second bible vow. He never asks for money on the air. After delivering an inspiring and motivating talk he closes the broadcast with a 7-second prayer. Joel said, "Make a decision that you are going to live your life happily."

Joel is 42 years old and is doing an outstanding job of teaching people in the world to practice responsibility by practicing emotional control. Joel is showing us joy, peace, love and happiness in every message he gives. In an interview at Beliefnet.com, Laura Sheahen asked Joel: How does God want us to live our lives? Joel's answer was: "He want us to live our lives happy"

Joel said, "God does not want you to sacrifice your happiness to keep somebody else happy. At first brush, that may sound a little selfish, but there's a tenuous balance here. Your first priority is to take care of yourself. To do so, you must recognize that some people are still not going to be happy no matter what you do for them, no matter how nice you are, no matter how much time and energy you give them. They have their own issues with which to deal or things inside that they need to resolve."

All the quotes in this article are from Joel's new book. I recommend that you read Become a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving Your Life Every Day. The 7 keys are 1. Keep pressing forward. 2. Be positive toward yourself. 3. Develop better relationships. 4. Form better habits. 5. Embrace the place where you are. 6. Develop your inner life. 7. Stay passionate about life.

Joel says, "Friend, life is too short to go through it being controlled and manipulated by people who refuse to make good choices on their own. Please understand: You are not responsible for everybody else's happiness. You are responsible for your own happiness. If people are controlling you, it's not their fault; it's your fault. You must learn to set some boundaries."

BE HAPPY ZONE by Lionel Ketchian. Published in the Fairfield Citizen-News on October 24, 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 :) "To forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of love. In return, you will receive untold peace and happiness." - Robert Muller

Happ-E-Mail :) Fall Wishes! Happiness and good feelings come from many sources. Some things can put a smile on your face, others make you feel good about yourself, other things might make you laugh or be elated. Suze Orman, the money guru, recommends concretizing your aspiration and repeating it over and over again. This is a great way to reinforce what it is you are after, and will definitely help you accomplish it. But make sure its not just money you are after, but something that will truly fill you with joy. Know what you want, and go for it. - Max Weiman

Happ-E-Quote :) "Above all things, and at all times, practice yourself in good humor." - Thomas Jefferson

Happ-E-Quote :) "We have the ability to decide what thoughts we are going to dwell on." - David DeNotaris

Happ-E-Quote :) The highest wisdom is loving kindness. - The Talmud

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

Thank You For This Day.
It is filled with joy
It is filled with happiness and gratitude
It is filled with choice
It is filled with dreams and visions
It is filled with greatness and wonder
If I only open up my eyes and see the spirit of life.

Happ-E-Quote :) "How simple it is to see that all the worry in the world cannot control the future. How simple it is to see that we can only be happy now. And that there will never be a time when it is not now." - Gerald Jampolsky

Happ-E-News :) Recent happiness articles and items of interest!

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

Date: Monday, November 12

Time: 7:00 - 8:00 PM, EST in the USA.
Your Phone number is: (712) 775-7000
Your Access Code is: 122856#.
The Virtual Happiness Club is free, just your normal long distance charges apply. The first 90 callers may participate. The Virtual Happiness Club meets one Monday each month.

FAIRFIELD CONNECTICUT HAPPINESS CLUB :)

Date :) Thursday, November 15, 2007
Time :) 7:00 - 9:00 P.M.
Place :) At the Fairfield Public Library, Rotary room, 1080 Old Post Road, Fairfield, CT 06824

WESTPORT, CONNECTICUT SMILING SINGLE SENIORS HAPPINESS CLUB :)
We will have a presentation called: Choose To Be Happy! by Lionel Ketchian. Lionel will speak about Joel's new book entitled, Become a Better You. and his first book, Your Best Life Now. A brief video of Joel Osteen called, Choose To Be Happy, will be shown.

Date :) Thursday, November 29, 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.

GREENWICH CONNECTICUT HAPPINESS CLUB :)
We have two featured guest speakers for you. Annie Fasanella R.N. B.S.N. will present: "A New YOU" Tips for the greatest gift of all - "healthy-mindedness," a Wellness program on how to live longer & with warmth and humor. Robert Baldridge will do a speed-reading exercise on a piece of reading about happiness. Please feel free to bring your favorite book on happiness.

NEW!!! NORWALK, CONNECTICUT SENIORS HAPPINESS CLUB :)
Kelsang Shenden, Ph.D. is a Buddhist Kadampa Nun. Kelsang will teach from the book: Eight Steps To Happiness, a series based on showing how we can transform our mind of dissatisfaction and suffering into the perfect Wisdom - Compassion and Happiness of a Buddha. This course is designed for everyone including beginners with emphasis on the cessation of painful limitation and the development with freedom and confidence of a vital relationship within ourselves and with others.
Date :) Thursday, November 8, 2007
Time :) 10:30 AM - 12:00 P.M.
Place :) The Norwalk Senior Center
Address :) 11 Allen Road, Norwalk, CT 06851.
Kelsang Shenden, Ph.D., a Buddhist Nun is the group facilitator. Admission is free, to make your reservation please call Debbie Cole at 203 847-3115 Ext: 104. Meetings are held every Thursday each week from 10:30 AM - 12:00 P.M.

Date :) Wednesday, November 28, 2007

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.

Event Description: Positive Habits! How we can benefit from the them! 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, November 14, 2007
Time :) 7:00 - 9:00 P.M.
Place :) At Columbia Business School - Warren Hall Room 416 (4th floor) corner of Amsterdam and 115th street, Columbia University campus New York, NY 10027

MENTORS HAPPINESS CLUB :) Meeting: We have a meeting in early December that will be open to all Happiness Club facilitators. More information to come.

Virtual Happiness Club - For more information:

New - Happiness Club WWW Chapter - For more information:

Mentors Happiness Club - No meetings scheduled at this time.

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.