HAPPY YET?

BE HAPPY ZONE
By Lionel Ketchian

I bought an old book called Happiness by Hugh Black; it was published in 1911. That's 98 years ago. It was a really good book. I wondered why we haven't learned the lessons of happiness in all these years.

Another book by the same title, Happiness by William Lyon Phelps, published in 1927, also contains valuable ways to live. For example he says, "The principle of happiness should be like the principle of virtue; it should not be dependent on things, but be a part of personality." This puts happiness in its place, within the individual, not outside.

If almost 100 years is not enough time to look back, then let's look back 2,400 years. You remember Socrates, he said, "know thyself." He also talks a great deal about happiness. He wrote: "Not only is knowledge virtue, but virtue itself is identical with happiness, for a man who is doing what is right is doing that which is for his own good, resulting in happiness."

Socrates thought that life's highest good was happiness. He said: "Man pursues a great variety of goals, but the one he seeks as his ultimate end is happiness. Everything else is a means not an end." Money is only good for buying things, which gives people the outer feeling of happiness. Socrates said, "For, in a word, everything that we choose we choose for the sake of something else -- except happiness, which is an end in itself."

My point is that happiness is one of the most important and least understood values we have as a human race! It has been around for over 2,400 years but has not been understood. Take a look at any negative headline in the paper today. Someone kills another or a student in school does something terrible. We want so much to understand their reason for doing what they do. Do you want the reason? Unhappiness is the real reason.

We are living in a more positive and more proactive world. Personal responsibility is better understood. Happiness is being mastered for what it is, a cause, not an effect. We have lived with happiness as being the effect of something else for too long. Get up in the morning choosing to be happy; that cannot be taken away from you. Even if you found it, the effect it would have on you would be to make you unhappy. If the thing you have makes you happy, than the fear of losing it, and not wanting to lose it will make you unhappy.

Living with happiness, as a cause, rather than an effect, will give you everything you've dreamed of in life. I am talking about unconditional happiness. Become a thermostat, so you can control your own temperature. Most people are like a thermometer, allowing themselves to be affected by outside circumstances. Get up in the morning, use your decision to be happy as the cause of experiencing happiness for the day, and for the rest of your life. Where you put your attention is what you will experience. If your attention is on happiness it will expand, and you will experience it. Happiness can't happen when you place its source outside yourself, it must come from within.

People need to understand that they can be responsible for their own feelings. They have a choice to be happy or unhappy, regardless of what is happening in their life. Understanding this choice would positively impact the individual and the world would be better for it. Society is not teaching people the benefits of happiness, and it should be. Happiness should be in every school. The rewards of learning happiness would change the world.

Interested in living your life with happiness? You need to practice being happy. It is what you want; it is what you need. It is what the world needs right now, more than anything else. It's your choice. If you want to do good or be good...be happy. Not all good people are happy, but happy people are good, and they do a lot of good for others, because they are happy.

Are you happy yet? Be Smart, Be Happy! Your time has come! Welcome to the Happiness Zone!

Lionel Ketchian is the founder of the Happiness Club and can be reached at PrintLRK@aol.com. The website is www.HappinessClub.com.

JOIN US LIVE AT THE WESTPORT, CT. BARNES & NOBLE BOOK SHOP

Join Vishwa Prakash and Lionel Ketchian and hear us both speak and experience some Laughter Yoga for yourself.

Vishwa is the author of a spiritual book called: Who Stole my Soul.

Brian Tracy, the author of Maximum Achievement, Psychology Of Achievement says: "This thought-provoking, insightful book will give you the tools you need to live a more purpose-filled life."

Dr. Christiane Northrup, M.D., internationally renowned author of several New York Times bestsellers including Mother-Daughter Wisdom, Women's Wisdom writes: "Who Stole my Soul is beautifully written, very engaging and enlightening. It's a gem!"

Meet us at the Barnes & Noble bookshop at the Post Plaza Shopping Center, Post Road East, Westport, Connecticut, 06880. Vishwa will be having a book signing on Thursday, November 12th at 6:30 PM.

Vishwa is the "laughing guru" of New York and runs an active laughter club at his office. His website is: www.yogalaff.com & www.vishwaprakash.com

See you there!!!

WHY BE HAPPY?

WHY BE HAPPY?

BE HAPPY ZONE
By Lionel Ketchian

We all know that money can't buy happiness. I can lease it to you by the month, or if you prefer to rent…I'm just kidding. Happiness is a decision, which is why money can't buy it. It is a decision only you can make. The decision is just a one step method…that's it, not three, or twelve steps. Who can remember so many? But everybody can remember just one step. You can find a copy of the Happiness Decision on the Happiness Club website.

All you have to do is remember the one step: Choose happiness every moment in your life over anything that can take your happiness away! Now that you have made the happiness decision you realize that happiness is where you're headed. Choose happiness instead of allowing anything to upset you. Once you have make the happiness decision it becomes easier and easier being happy from moment to moment.

Why choose happiness? Because that's what you want. When something makes you unhappy, the reason you feel that way is because you think the person or situation took your happiness away. You have let yourself become a victim. Victimhood just does not work. When you are unhappy you become a victim who has no choices.

You're unhappy because you have a problem, and you have cut yourself off from the choices available to you. The problem becomes bigger than life; it consumes you and overwhelms you. You feel there is nothing you can do about it because your state of unhappiness directs you to see life that way. Once you think unhappily, once you think in terms of the problem and not the solution, you disempower yourself from dealing with the problem.

Problems have solutions. Take a look at death as an example. Death is not a "problem." Do you have a choice about death? What choice do you have over death? Nothing, it's a fact of life! So, why choose to make it a problem. If you don't accept it you are going to be unhappy. Death is just a part of life. You will suffer as a result of your reaction to your own negative thinking. This is your choice, but you have another choice … to live and enjoy your life. Just be happy!

In a happy state you can deal with any problem because you can better see what choices you have available to you. This clarity enables you to deal with your problem. You can only make the best choice available to you now. That's all you can do. But first you need to know what your best choices are. Happiness can allow you to clearly see these choices. If you have no choice then you have something you do not like. It's not that you really have a problem.

The way to empower yourself is to decide to be happy no matter what. Choose happiness over anything else. This gives you the power to deal with life and deal with yourself. Happiness is power for those who practice it. When you're happy it gives you the awareness to realize what choices you have and what options are right for you. What real power do you have in doing this? You have power over yourself. That is the only real power you have, and this is very important, my friend; this is authentic power.

Have you noticed how hard it is for you to control anyone or anything? Well, you can control yourself by lightening up, relaxing, laughing about things, having fun, and enjoying life. What you are learning is that you can only control yourself, not anyone or anything else. Learn to let go of the things you can't change. This way they don't change you. Live with happiness and allow it to work for you.

Do you know the reasons people do not live with happiness? Many people are not even aware of happiness as being a choice they can make. Once people start learning that being happy is a choice, some don't think they are deserving of it. Often people do not love themselves enough to treat themselves with happiness. Take my word for it, BE HAPPY, YOU'RE WORTH IT!

Why be happy? Because it's the best way to live, and it's the best way to give. You can't give away what you haven't got. When you're happy, you start to share your happiness with others and show them your happiness and then they can model this behavior from you. They can become aware of happiness through you. They will see the wisdom of choosing to be happy for themselves. They can't contaminate you with their unhappiness. To the contrary you will infect them with your happiness. It is about controlling yourself, not others. This is the reason we have Happiness Club meetings.

People's happiness is up to them … not up to you. You can show them happiness even when they are not happy. What good does it do for you to become unhappy along with them? It doesn't do them any good, and it doesn't do you any good either. If they need quiet time, give it to them. If they want to be alone, fine. They don't need you to become unhappy because they have chosen to be unhappy. Becoming unhappy is not the way to prove to people that you love or care for them. Stay happy, support them, and show them you are happy. This will demonstrate that you love them. You need to maintain your own happiness. In this way you support and show them they can choose to be happy as well.

Learn to change what you can, and accept what you can't change. Being Happy allows you to tap into your own wisdom and common sense. Choosing happiness will make a big difference in your life … a difference that can change the world.

Happiness Guarantee!

BE HAPPY ZONE
By Lionel Ketchian

You are about to read the first happiness guarantee ever made. If you follow what I am about to reveal to you, I guarantee your happiness. If you choose not to follow it, you can have your unhappiness back. This is the most direct method you will learn. It is simple, I promise you! It is simple, but it may not be easy. Since it is simple you will remember it and be able to practice it until it becomes a positive habit and it becomes natural for you.

First and foremost, you must make the decision that being happy is the most important thing for you to be and to do. Once you understand that your happiness really counts, you are ready for the next step. I want you to NOT CHOOSE TO BE UNHAPPY in every moment. Yes, that is the secret. Once you understand that being happy is important and necessary to your well being, you will be ready to take charge of your emotional and rational capacity as a fully functioning human being.

When you encounter a situation that is not going the way you would like it to go, learn to make a choice about what you are going to choose to do. But, do NOT CHOOSE TO BE UNHAPPY. Don't make that choice. Every time you become unhappy, you are choosing it. How does it feel to have a problem and also have to deal with your unhappiness on top of all that? It doesn't feel good, does it? No, it doesn't! It is time for you to stop terrorizing yourself. It is time for you to become your own best friend.

The reason that not choosing unhappiness works so well, is that as soon as a bad situation presents itself, you react to it and make unhappiness your choice. What you could be doing is choosing the best possible solution. In order to do this, it requires a balanced state of mind. If you did not choose unhappiness, you could maintain a state of well being that supports your most creative problem solving strategies.

When you are not happy, you are letting your thinking make the worst possible choice you can possibly construct. This may sound very extraordinary to you, but by not choosing unhappiness you are controlling your thinking. By thinking about what to do in an unfavorable situation, you will react with consistent negativity.

It has become extremely important to control our thinking. I am not just talking about negative or positive thinking, but all of our thinking. The problem with our thinking is that we have absolutely no control of it and therefore, our thinking has gained absolute control over us. Our thinking is making us unhappy. When we are unhappy, it is because we are choosing it.

The only way you are ever going to be happy is by not choosing unhappiness. Every time you are unhappy, you have engaged your thinking to take control of your emotions and your state of being. Once you connect to unhappiness, you have lost your inner peace. You are operating from your negative thinking, moods and feelings. In fact, when you are unhappy, you are giving your power away. Being unhappy is just another term for being powerless and feeling helpless. Why would you go though life allowing yourself to feel that way? Why would you allow yourself to experience the worst possible outcome?

I will tell you why you do it. You are not happy because you do not know how to not choose unhappiness. It has become a reaction, a conditioned reflex. You are not happy because being happy requires a great deal of consciousness and awareness. You choose unhappiness because you are not aware you are doing it. Everyone else does it so why not go along with the crowd, right? Well, it is not right. It is time for you to take your power back by not choosing unhappiness every time things don't go the way you wish they would.

Wake up and take your power back. Become aware of how you choose unhappiness in unpleasant situations. Being more aware of how you lose your power, you can gain control of your life. As Henry David Thoreau said, "Above all, we cannot afford to not live in the present." Rabbi Zelig Pliskin just wrote a great new book called Life Is Now! Rabbi Pliskin is the author of 24 books including the best book on happiness called: GATEWAY TO HAPPINESS.

Become more aware of how you react when you automatically and unconditionally choose unhappiness. I want you to make not choosing unhappiness a contract with yourself. You only have to think about the happiness decision. Once you have done that, you don't need to use your thinking anymore because that will lead you to choose unhappiness again.

Choose your unhappiness wisely, because it will cause much devastation in your life. Unhappiness is a choice, don't make it! You will learn to make less often, or at the very least, you will see why choosing it will keep you unhappy! My friend, you deserve to be happy! As John Milton wisely stated, "The mind is its own place, and in itself, can make heaven of Hell, and a hell of Heaven."

Lionel Ketchian is the founder of the Happiness Club and can be reached at PrintLRK@aol.com. The website is www.HappinessClub.com.

Happiness Is The Way!

BE HAPPY ZONE
By Lionel Ketchian

You're driving down the highway or you're stuck in traffic. You're not happy; you're thinking about something that is really bothering you … and you don't know what to do about it. Maybe you just had a fight with someone. You have a problem, and you can't seem to find the solution. Things are not making you happy. The bumper to bumper traffic is not making you happy. People certainly are not making you happy. So how can you be happy? Can life make you happy? Can you change the situation enough so you can make yourself happy?

Will you ever "find" happiness? The answer is NO! You will never find IT, you have to become IT! There is no way to happiness; happiness is the way! Is it possible to be happy? The answer is YES! Here is another question for you. Is it possible to be happy all the time? I know you are probably thinking that is impossible. You're right, but that only goes for you. In life, you can be right or you can be happy. Which one have you been choosing? The good news is you only need to be happy.

I've been happy for over 18 years now, and things have been great; I'm not saying I don't have problems. Happy people have problems just like unhappy people. They are happy in spite of their problems, making for a better environment in which to deal with the problems. It is the way we deal with problems, that makes the real difference.

Everyone wants to be happy. Being Happy, not wanting to be happy, or pursuing happiness, is the goal. As Aristotle said: "Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence." Being Happy is my most important job. All you need is the desire to be happy. There is no other way to be happy than to understand how to do it or have someone show you how. Happiness is a learned response. Find someone who is happy and model that person, so you can learn how to be happy as well. It does not matter what your situation or circumstance is. What matters is your intention.

Happiness must be premeditated. You can't find it OUT THERE! You have to bring it with you. When you practice Premeditated Happiness, you go into every situation bringing your own happiness with you. You have your own reservoir to dip into. You don't have to look for it; you just need to practice being happy.

I gave a course on Happiness (Personal Power & Success through Happiness) at Sacred Heart University. Students who took my course received a "Bh.D." (Being Happy Daily Degree.) In 1999, the first year I gave the course, students at SHU, having finished the course on happiness, wanted to continue learning and practicing happiness. As a result, in January 2000, we started the first Happiness Club meeting. We have met once a month in Fairfield ever since then. We discuss with and listen to various speakers covering all aspects of happiness and how to be happy.

At one of our meetings, a whole bunch of people made the decision to be happy. It was a lot of fun. We placed a stair-stepper in front of the room and had everyone individually take the HAPPINESS STEP UP. People got up on the stepper and proclaimed they had made the happiness decision. It was that easy.

One woman who got on the stepper, later shared with me the fact that she was 88 years old. She felt she had not really been happy her entire life. Now at 88 she is choosing to be happy! She had made the decision to live happily for the rest of her life. Later when I spoke to her, she said the sad thing is that she had missed out on being happy her whole life up to that point.

I said to her, "You and I have the same amount of time left. The fact is neither one of us knows how much time we have. My time may be up before yours, but the important thing is being happy now. We all don't know how much time we have left, and life is short, isn't it? So why not be happy right now!" This is a great decision to make.

You can be happy by being happy right now. "Being" incorporates many things; it includes: thinking, feeling, doing and it all gets rolled up into that state of being. The Dalai Lama says that happiness is the most important thing in the world. Read his book, The Art of Happiness.

I have a sign in my office with these words: BE HAPPY ZONE. You know, it's one of those large yellow road signs with black lettering. It's the kind of sign you would see on the roadside attached to a post. If it were up to me, I would love to see road signs in Towns all over the world saying: "Be happy Zone" or "Smiling Strictly Enforced!"

Happiness allows you to use effort in a positive way and minimize struggle. Who said you needed your emotions to deal with a situation. Worry never changed anything for the better. Isn't it true that most of what we worry about doesn't happen. Even if the worst were to happen, worry leaves you in a terrible state. Worry has you completely and negatively affected by the situation and out of control.

Being happy is actually a smart choice. When you're happy, you're able to function much better. You feel better. You operate in a better space. Life seems to go smoother. When you're happy, you stop struggling. You put out the effort, but without the struggle because you are learning to control your negative emotions.

Don't drive yourself crazy. Lighten up! Let's work on becoming our own best friend, and do what's best for us. Be Happy - It's The Law!

Lionel Ketchian is the founder of the Happiness Club, a Happiness Coach, and can be reached at PrintLRK@aol.com. The Web site is http://www.happinessclub.com.

MIND PROGRAMMING

Dear Friend,

We all know that minds create and most of us put a lot of energy into positive thinking. Why then are we living in such troubling times? Today I bring you information that is vital for living truly free lives, where we are in control and can once again create our ideal life.

CHECK THIS OUT:
http://progressiveawarenesspromotions.com/innertalk/May09/eblast/eblast.htm

I am writing about my friend and colleague, Eldon Taylor and his brand new book, Mind Programming: From Persuasion and Brainwashing to Self-Help and Practical Metaphysics. This is simply a must-read book! This message is so important that many of the world's visionaries, myself included, have joined together to support this book launch.

View the trailer for Mind Programming
http://www.progressiveawarenesspromotions.com/innertalk/May09/index.htm

Eldon bares the facts, exposing the groups ranging from media types to governmental agencies that have spent billions of dollars learning how to surreptitiously gain access to your thoughts, your motivations and your choices. See for yourself in the 'smoking gun' of advertising manuals, in the secret clandestine work of governmental agencies, in the neuro-technology labs of the sellers of goods and services. You will be shocked and horrified at the extent a few have gone to shape every aspect of your thinking, and this programming goes on everyday!

Brainwashing and marketing are big business; and your precious mind is a coveted commodity. In this book Eldon Taylor exposes all and tells you how to take your power back and be free to become your own best self. Eldon is a grand master of the mind. Joan Borysenko, Ph.D. author of Your Soul's Compass

Mind Programming is really two books in one. The first half of the book is the tell-all story that uncovers the unseen influences that are so pervasive, penetrating and effective. The second half of the book is all about the tools and technologies you can use to cleanse your mind of the non-sense you may not have even recognized as being present before reading this liberating book. Think about it. How many original thoughts do you really have? How many thoughts are about your limitations, your fears, your anxieties, the things you want, and so forth. You will learn that from sickness and anxiety to the way you comb your hair and dress, and so much more, are all a part of what you have been trained to think and choose. You will also learn some very simple easy-to-use tools that can free your mind and empower your being.

Even if you already have some awareness of the everyday mind manipulation techniques, and are already guarding against these intrusions, there will be areas you simply have not heard of. Even if none of this information is of interest to you because you are already guarding the input into your minds, you will be thankful to finally have the facts, figures and hard evidence to present to your family and friends, so they too can escape from the everyday brainwashing. But Eldon does not leave it there as he also covers numerous tools and techniques to assist you in taking back the control of your mind. These tools range from exercises that will not cost you a penny, such as the '50-day plan,' automatic writing, and mind exercises, to high tech (but affordable) tools such as cortical electro-stimulation. Whatever your preference, Mind Programming will provide you with the information vital for today's climate.

PLUS: Mind Programming ships with a free, high-tech, mind-training CD, that utilizes the patented and proven InnerTalk technology. I know this can make a powerful difference in your life. That is why I have joined with many visionaries in offering special bonus incentives when you get your copy today. When you purchase your copy of Mind Programming, you will:
1) Have a chance to win 2 tickets to a Hay House conference. Everyone who orders Mind Programming between May 19th and June 17th can enter to win a trip to the I CAN DO IT Conference in Tampa, Florida where Eldon will be appearing in November. (Trip includes 2 full conference tickets, hotel accommodations, and round-trip domestic coach airfare).
2) Be entered to win Eldon's finest success library, Your Personal Best, featuring 28 programs on 20 CDs; all using the patented and proven InnerTalk technology. This is a $599 value.
3) Attend a free pre-screening of Jeff Warrick's mind-blowing documentary, Programming The Nation.
4) Gain free membership to Eldon's Mind Matters community, where you will find numerous gifts valued at over $5000. These gifts are all yours for acting today and getting your copy of Mind Programming. Pick up all your gifts today, or come back once you have read Mind Programming - the choice is yours. Take your time and enjoy exploring the best tools available. Try them for free and decide for yourself what works best for you! These gifts come to you from almost 300 supporters including Louise Hay, Wayne Dyer, Marci Shimoff, Joan Borysenko, Judith Orloff, and Bruce Lipton.

PLUS: For every book sold during this event, Eldon will be donating all of his author proceeds to Women for Women International, an award-winning non-profit organization. Women for Women provides women survivors of war, civil strife and other conflicts with the tools and resources to move from crisis and poverty to stability and self-sufficiency, thereby promoting viable civil societies. So don't hesitate, act now and get your copy today. It's only your mind if you manage what goes into it, otherwise it is analogous to a computer that the world has read and write access to. Eldon Taylor, author of Choices and Illusions and Mind Programming.

Sincerely,

Lionel Ketchian

HAPPY YET?

April 8, 2009
BE HAPPY ZONE
By Lionel Ketchian

Eight years ago I decided to try to hand feed some birds in my backyard. I put some crushed walnuts in my right hand and extended it. It was winter and the weather was cold, but I stood absolutely motionless, and completely quiet. Within a few minutes, a bird landed on my hand for the first time in my life. It was a cute tiny bird called a Black Capped Chickadee.

It flew onto the tip of my fingers, picked up a piece of walnut and flew off to enjoy it. Soon it returned to land on my hand again. This time it picked up a piece of walnut and dropped it on the ground. Then it picked up another and dropped that on the ground as well. Finally it selected a third piece, which must have been just the right one, and flew off with it. It trusted me enough to take its time and make sure it had a nice delicious piece.

It was not long after this event that I realized I had read the following quote by Nathaniel Hawthorne. "Happiness is a butterfly, which, when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you." Now I can say, "Happiness is a Black Capped Chickadee, a cute tiny bird, which, when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you."

For me, an interchange with nature is an unforgettable occasion and is nothing less than a spiritual experience. This event made me realize that happiness requires us to quiet down and allow things to come to us. The more we pursue things that are beyond our grasp, the more they move away. The faster we try to pursue them, the faster they move away. Happiness requires us to relax, become quiet, and act as if we will get what we expect, without the need to become upset if we don't.

The greatest things in life require patience, mindfulness, and knowledge of what is possible; being happy is a similar thing. I never thought I would be able to feed a wild bird and I thought the odds were against me. You may not think you can do something like become happy, but if you learn enough about happiness, you can do it. The important thing is knowing it can be done. It has been done before. Remember the four-minute mile. People did not believe it was possible to run a mile in less than four minutes. As soon as one person did it, the record began to be broken over and over again. What one person can do, another can do also.

Have you wondered: Is it possible to be happy all the time? Yes, it is! How is it possible to be happy all the time? Being happy all the time does not mean bad things don't happen to you. It just means you are able to handle them and not let them make you helpless and hopeless.

You may ask: How can I be happy? You can be happy by making happiness a decision, and by choosing happiness all the time. You can be happy by not allowing a situation, or a person to make you unhappy. Don't give up your happiness, because happiness is what you want more than anything else.

You may wonder: Why is happiness important? When things make you unhappy, you lose your power. In fact, you give your power away to the things that make you unhappy. The truth is, when you allow someone to make you unhappy, you have given your power to that person. Happiness is an issue of power. It's time to take your power back!

If your question is: What if something bad happens? This is the time that you need happiness the most, during times of hardship and stress. Happiness should be your strategy for dealing with negative things. When bad things happen, you need all the balance, wisdom and endurance you can find. Happiness allows you to gain access to your emotional intelligence. It is in times of difficulty, that you need to control your thinking, so you don't allow stinking thinking. You become unhappy as a result of your thinking, not because of what has happened to you. Your reaction, as a result of your thinking is what makes you unhappy, not the event itself. Happiness is your connection to yourself.

If your concern is: How can I make happiness work for me? The decision to be happy allows you to find out when you are off track. As soon as you realize you are unhappy, you are in control of changing your thoughts to allow you to choose happiness and get yourself back on the right track. You can practice being happy even when you feel unhappy. Pretend to be happy and you will start to make yourself feel happy. Act as if you are happy and you will become happy. Once you are operating with happiness, you begin to gain access to your best thoughts, change your negative ones, and your whole state of mind becomes peaceful. You begin to be flooded with good choices, alternatives, and options. You will begin to have ideas to serve you in the best way to find solutions to the problems you face.

What if there is no solution to my problem? If there is truly no solution, you have no problem. You have something that you do not like and cannot change. In this case, you are the problem. You will therefore remain unhappy unless, and until you change your attitude. Learn to accept what you cannot change, and move forward.

Do I have to live with what I don't like? If you can change it -- change it! If you can't change it, then learn to love it, or it will make you unhappy. Once you change your attitude about the thing you can't change and don't like, the situation can change. What you resist -- persists. When you stop fighting what you can't do anything about, the problem usually vanishes. Remember the "Serenity Prayer" and let happiness show you the wisdom to know the difference between what you can and cannot change.

Finally, you ask: When can I be happy? Be Happy Now! Stretch out your arm and as you open your hand, you realize that happiness is right there in the palm of your hand. It has always been within you. It's time! Go and Be Happy!

The "Happiness Compass"

March 25, 2009
BE HAPPY ZONE
By Lionel Ketchian

Have you ever felt unhappy? Did you feel helpless? Unhappiness makes you feel hopeless with no point to life. When you have been unhappy you felt like you were lost, right? When you are feeling unhappy you need to use happiness to regain your sense of direction. Like a compass, happiness points you in a positive direction.

From now on, when you feel lost and unhappy, use happiness as your compass to give you the right bearing in life. When you are lost in the woods, the most important thing you can do for your survival is to remember your objective in that situation, which is to find your way back. The essential things are travel, shelter and food. In order to travel in the right direction you need to get your bearings. Remaining cool and calm is the most important thing you can do; otherwise you will travel around in circles.

Happiness allows a calmer state of mind to prevail. To find your happiness bearings; use your "Happiness Compass." Unhappiness can be a negative detour in your life. Use the "Happiness Compass" and allow it to position you on the right road. If your objective in life is to do the best for yourself, than the "Happiness Compass" point to the spot.

During these times of uncertainly, the territory looks unfamiliar to us. Change is not a good reason to allow your mind to be filled with fear. It is said that change is the only condition you can count on. The amount of work in being unhappy is the same as being happy, it's all up to you.

Circumstances out of our control happen all the time. There is a hard way to deal with change and an easy way. Why make it harder on yourself? Take the happiness route to higher ground. Once you feel better you are in a mentally superior place to realize the choices that are available.

There is a great deal of talk about a happiness set point. One of the key books about this theory is Happiness, What Studies on Twins Show Us About Nature, Nurture, and the Happiness Set Point, by Dr. David Lykken. This book was published in 1999 and was a comprehensive work on the study of happiness for both fraternal and identical twins that were separated at birth.

Here is a quote from Dr. Lukken's book on page 60. "If your happiness set point is below average, that means that your genetic steersman is guiding you into situations that detract from your well-being and is tempting you to behave in ways that are counterproductive. If you let your genetic steersman have his way, then you will end up where he wants to go. But it is your life and, within wide limits, you can choose your own destinations instead of having them all chosen for you."

Let's redefine the Happiness Set Point as the point on our "Happiness Compass" that we decide to follow. This insures that you will always know what the right direction is when you are not happy. Being unhappy can be dangerous to you health and wellbeing, so you need a strategy to get yourself away from unhappiness and toward your objective in life which is really happiness.

Rather than look at the happiness set point as a degree on a thermostat that you can't go past. Look at the happiness set point as a degree on a "Happiness Compass," that shows you that way you want to travel. As Roy M. Goodman said: "Remember that happiness is a way of travel - not a destination." Bring your "Happiness Compass" with you as you travel so you know where to look to find happiness the next time you lose your way.

The next time you find yourself in an unhappy circumstances, pull out your "Happiness Compass" and select your journey to joy. The whole point of the "Happiness Compass" is to use it and allow it to show you the way. In fact if you use it, you will become a joy magnet. You will be traveling in the right direction and your happiness will serve to attract the best toward you. The "Happiness Compass" shows you the way. Happy trails to you!

10 Survival Tips for the Economic Crisis!

March 11, 2009
BE HAPPY ZONE
By Lionel Ketchian

It seems that everyone agrees that we are in an economic crisis. If you have lost your job or work is slow, then this is certainly true in your experience. The question is, what can we do about it? The first thing to do, is not to think about it to the point of driving yourself crazy with negative thinking. Fear is not going to be your friend.

You can be your own best friend, if you calm down and stop stressing yourself out all the time. Worry has never changed anything for the better. Most of what we worry about doesn't happen. Even if the worst were to happen, worry leaves you in a terrible state, because you are now completely negatively affected by the situation. Don't drive yourself crazy. Lighten up. Be your own best friend, and use your thinking to do what's best for you.

Here are 10 Survival Tips to deal with the economic crisis.

1. Accept the situation for now. The best way to live with something you can't change is to learn to accept it. In fact, if you love what you do have, then you have changed your mental attitude to one of acceptance, rather than resistance to what life has presented to you. Deal with change. When you don't accept something that has already happened, you create resistance to it. The resistance you are creating will cause you to suffer. The change has already happened and if there is nothing you can do about it, and you continue to resist it, you will make yourself unhappy.

2. Watch Your Thinking. Our unhappiness is a result of our own thinking. Don't think about what you don't want or what you don't like. Control your negativity or your thinking is going to make you unhappy. Think about your choices or what you want. Be aware of your thoughts as they drift in and don't let negative ones find a place to land in your mind. Don't give them a home; let them drift right back out again. This may be a good time to learn to mediate, so you can take your mind off all the negative things.

3. Think About Your Choices. What choices do you have available to you now? Thinking about the problem is not progressive thinking, it is obsessive negativity. Stop dwelling on your problems and start focusing on your solutions. Thinking is when you are creatively finding solutions and choices to eliminate your problem.

4. Now is your point of power. Don't dwell in the past or worry about the future. If you're not focused on now, your awareness will be diminished. Accidents, mishaps and even crime are more likely to happen to you.

5. Be happy with less. If you must, then you can actually find the reasons that less will be better for you. It may be a chance to eat out less often and eat at home with your family more often. You may find that you can be happier by eating less and enjoying it more. Losing weight will certainly make you happy.

6. Learn to handle the truth. If you can't face the truth then you are going to be unhappy. To find the truth, you have to face what is happening, and be ready to deal with it. You will then be able to decide how to move forward from there.

7. Don't think things can't change. If things are bad for you and seem to have gotten worse for now, don't make the mistake of thinking they will always be bad for you. This is exactly the kind of thinking that will hold you to being a victim. If you keep thinking negatively in a crisis, you will lose your power and effectiveness in finding solutions to your problems.

8. Perform an act of charity. Do something for someone else. If you are feeling down and have time on your hands, You could volunteer your time, or do something as simple as paying someone a compliment. Give someone a smile, or bring someone a plant. Thinking of others cost nothing and can be a big turning point in your life.

9. Be Grateful. Be thankful about something all the time. What are you grateful for now? Every day, think of at least three things that you are grateful for and write them down in a "Gratitude Journal." Want some gratitude hints? Make your list simple things. For instance, be grateful you can see the paper you are writing on. Be grateful you can pick up a pen and have fingers and a hand to write with. You're alive, you can breath, you have food and shelter. Keep looking for the simple things as positive reinforcement.

10. Take time to learn about the benefits of being happy. Benefits include: living ten years longer, reducing anger, having less stress and confusion. You will have better focus, improved patience and self control. You can access greater intelligence, utilize wisdom, experience emotional competence, create inner peace, enhance relationships, and enjoy your life much more while also enriching others with your happiness.

The good that could come from this crisis is that we can learn to use happiness to make a positive difference in your life and in the lives of others. If we use our time to concentrate and improve on the really important things in life, while showing gratitude for family and friends, then we will have done our best with this crisis situation. Don't let any situation define you, allow it to refine you, and find out what you are really made of.

Little Is Needed For Your Happiness!

BE HAPPY ZONE
February 25, 2009
By Lionel Ketchian

Jerry Eyster, the Westport Happiness Club facilitator at the United Methodist Church of Westport sent this interesting note. I believe your philosophy of life is very similar to that of Marcus Aurelius. Here are two quotations from Book Five of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius.

19. Outward things can touch the soul not a whit; they know no way into it, they have no power to sway or move it. By itself it sways and moves itself; it has its own self-approved standards of judgement, and to them it refers every experience.

And 34. Press on steadily, keep to the straight road in your thinking and doing, and your days will ever flow on smoothly. The soul of man, like the souls of all rational creatures, has two things in common with the soul of God: it can never be thwarted from without, and its good consists in righteousness of character and action, and in confining every thing thereto.

Jerry is quite right about the way I think, regarding happiness and Marcus Aurelius. Once you experience the power of happiness within yourself, you realize outward things cannot affect your happiness. The reason for this is simple. Let us say, for example, that something bad happens. The moment you realize it, you probably react with unhappiness, because you believe that is the only way to handle it.

When I experience something bad, I realize it is an outside cause. If I reacted to this cause without thinking, then of course, I would be unhappy as well. React to an outside cause without thinking, and you make yourself a hostage to that outside causation. If you keep reacting to problems, you will never be free from those problems. I don't react to outside causes., I examine what I want to do about the situation. I make a choice or select an option, I do not react to the situation. I cause what I want to happen and thereby influence the course of events that will happen next.

Marcus Aurelius said: "Very little is needed to be happy, it's all in your way of thinking."

The best thing you can do about a problem or something bad, is not react to it, but decide what you choose to do about it. If you decide what events you will choose, and respond to the problem with the correct option, you will not only solve the problem, but you will free yourself from the problem. Why not cause what you want. We live in an illimitable field of potentiality, but only those who are happy can choose the outcomes they desire. This is because only happy people are aware they have a choice that can give birth to the solution for their problem. Unhappy people are aware of only two things; they have a problem and they are unhappy about having a problem. When you are happy, you have unlimited, responses, choices and options because you are aware.

Marcus Aurelius said: "No man is happy who does not think himself so."

It is no wonder that Marcus Aurelius, who lived from 121 - 180 AD and became the Emperor of Rome in 161 till his death in 180 AD, found happiness. He learned it from his teacher, named Epictetus, a Greek Stoic philosopher who lived from 55 - 135 AD spending most of his life in Rome. Epictetus was a slave who became crippled, but eventually gained his freedom. Epictetus credits Socrates for his thinking. Epictetus showed us the way to happiness, fulfillment, and tranquility by spending his own life on that path. Epictetus main work was called: The Discourses. His most profound truth was: "We are disturbed not by events, but by the views which we take of them."

Other great thoughts of Epictetus: "Know what you can control and what you can't. Happiness and freedom begin with a clear understanding of one principle: some things are within our control, and some things are not. It is only after you have faced up to this fundamental rule and learned to distinguish between what you can and can't control that inner tranquility and outer effectiveness becomes possible."

There are simple, profound truths contained in Epictetus quotes. "We cannot choose our external circumstances, but we can always choose how we respond to them." And this: "Authentic happiness is always independent of external conditions. Vigilantly practice indifference to external conditions. Your happiness can only be found within." Now there is a profound truth for you, spoken 2,000 years ago, and it is still true today!

Here are some more: "Events themselves are impersonal and indifferent. When considering the future, remember that all situations unfold as they do regardless of how we feel about them. Our hopes and fears sway us, not events themselves." And this one: "Be discriminating about what images and ideas you permit into your mind. If you don't choose what thoughts and images you expose yourself to, someone else will, and their motives may not be the highest."

Epictetus has made his way into today's modern psychology because psychologist Albert Ellis, Ph.D. the founder of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, credits Epictetus with providing a foundation for his system of psychotherapy. Dr. Albert Ellis has written over 75 other books. His book How to Make Yourself Happy and Remarkably Less Disturbable is on my top 20 happiness books. Dr. Ellis shows you how to overcome destructive beliefs, feelings and behaviors. Dr. Ellis died in 2007 at age 93 while still practicing psychology.

Your Brain's Plasticity and Happiness.

Your Brain's Plasticity and Happiness.

February 11, 2009
BE HAPPY ZONE
By Lionel Ketchian

For nine years I have been telling you how to be happy and the benefits of happiness. Now, I can scientifically unveil more secret benefits to your being happy. The new word for you to learn is "neuroplasticity."

The definition of Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life. Neuroplasticity allows the neurons (nerve cells) in the brain to compensate for injury and disease, and to adjust their activities in response to new situations or changes in their environment. Neuroplasticity is also called brain plasticity or brain malleability.

All those articles I have been writing about your being happy, acting as if you are happy, learning all you can about how to be happy, have a concrete reality to them. The more you do it, the more it is set in concrete. Well, maybe not really in concrete, but in your brain. The more you practice happiness, kindness, compassion, peace and other well being traits, the more you entrench those neural pathways in your brain. You physically create a channel, so to speak, and your alter your brain. The great thing about the neuroplasticity of your brain, is that it becomes easier for you to create the emotions you want to experience.

Our brain is our seat of perception. What the brain will focus on, is what the brain will create as our default behavior, like happiness or unhappiness. The reason happiness is a decision, is that it serves to create the filter for the brain, to understand what to focus on. Our conduct and abilities are fighting for brain position and capacity. Every time we respond with happiness, we create more room in the brain for the capacity to experience happiness. This outcome is called competitive plasticity. To explain this another way, what you think about expands.

We have had many ideas about why we become unhappy or depressed. Some have said that it is brain chemistry that creates certain undesired states of mind. The new science of neuroplasticity may have some very powerful answers, allowing us to become happier and stay happy.

One of those researchers working on the answers to these questions is Richard Davidson a professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is also the director of the school's Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior.

Davidson said, "It used to be — not that long ago, in fact — that science was sure that our brains were hard-wired, that our happiness had a set point, that our brains could not regenerate. Now we know that our brains can regenerate, and that they're "plastic," able to create new neural connections not just when we're old, but as we age. We were all taught that the brain is different from other organs in the way it changes over time. We thought the process was one of irrevocable death. We now know that view is definitively wrong. The brain is capable of generating 7,000 to 9,000 cells a day."

Psychology and psychiatry have often focused on the ways in which we aren't happy. Davidson feels we should be able to learn happiness from those of us who can do it better, since, as humans we have widely varying abilities to regulate our emotions.

Since the early 1990's, after being contacted by the Dalai Lama, Davidson has studied the biological effects of what happens in the brains of Tibetan monks, who have practiced meditation techniques for an average of 34,000 hours each.

As a result of studying monks during meditation, Davidson found that "neuroplasticity," (which is the notion that we can enhance brain function through purposeful mental training) can change conventional psychotherapy, which hasn't been proven to have a scientific basis.

The effects of both increased well-being and compassion can be measured in terms of better physical health, Davidson reports. After an eight-week mindfulness meditation course via the Internet, meditators showed increased immune responses compared to the non-meditators. That could mean in the long run, he says, fewer people needing to use our overworked health-care system.

The old adage that states - "Use it or lose it," is true and is exactly what we are talking about. With regards to your happiness the very same thing apply's. The more you use it, the more you have of it. Use your happiness more and you will begin to lose your unhappiness.

THE UNHAPPINESS CONSPIRACY!

THE UNHAPPINESS CONSPIRACY!

January 28, 2009
BE HAPPY ZONE
By Lionel Ketchian

People are conspiring against you and they are engaged in a "system" that is "designed" to take your power away. I call it The Unhappiness Conspiracy! If you like "intrigue," this story is for you! It may cause you to want to take action to change things, so you can take back control of your power.

The plot thickens because you are not going to believe who is behind this conspiracy. The "story" of this conspiracy will amaze you. Everything we know is part of The Unhappiness Conspiracy. Government, politics, wars, religion, justice, psychology, medical, news reports, businesses and advertising commercials. Without giving it much thought, you could probably add many more categories to this list.

First you will have to understand the "arrangement" that is made against you. There is a complete "system" at work against you, and you will need to learn the "format" for the conspiracy. If you don't learn how the "scheme" works, you can't get free. There really is a "method" to the madness, but you need the ability to decipher it.

The Unhappiness Conspiracy is a "pain plan." There is plenty of preparation for it and a complete "strategy" to make it all work out "unhappily." The idea has been to keep you unhappy. The Unhappiness Conspiracy is alive and well because it breeds on thoughts of your fear. It maintains it's power by manipulating others to hand over their power, using your unhappiness as their tool of choice. The Unhappiness Conspiracy only works because people go along with it. People do this willingly because they don't know how it conspires against them. The Unhappiness Conspiracy needs the cooperation of each and every one of you. That means you...most especially you! Without you, The Unhappiness Conspiracy would collapse, because the scheme would be revealed.

Do you know who the prime suspects are? Let's play CSI; lets do a Crime Scene Investigation. We have people who are experiencing unhappiness. This is a crime and we have to get to the bottom of it to find out...who done it! When we question the suspects, we find no evidence linking anyone to this unhappiness crime scene but the suspects themselves. We find that the suspects have committed the crime all by themselves. Why would they commit a crime against themselves?

Let's investigate this further. There is a human being who wants something. They can't seem to get what they think they want at the moment. What do they do? They commit a crime, they become unhappy! It's an open and shut case. It is the basic motive for all crimes. Who stands to gain from getting what they wanted? You do! You were the one who wanted something, or did not get something you wanted! As a result of not getting what you wanted or getting something you didn't want, you did the crime! You made yourself unhappy.

As they say, "if you can't do the time, don't do the crime." Unhappiness is a crime, and it is punishable by a lifetime of unhappiness. Anyone who is unhappy has imprisoned themselves for a life sentence. I know it doesn't seem fair, but who says life is fair for the unhappy!

So if you want to know the facts about The Unhappiness Conspiracy. Pay close attention. You Are the Unhappiness Conspiracy! The conspiracy is strong and real as long as you feed it with your negative thoughts about the unhappiness story you keep with you. It is time to rid yourself of the negative "story line" so you can get rid of The Unhappiness Conspiracy.

If you are ever going to be free, then you need to become aware that The Unhappiness Conspiracy is going to include you. Why do others join in The Unhappiness Conspiracy? The reason is, they do not know they are responsible for doing it. They are not aware they are dong it. They do not realize the consequences of their actions. Most of all, they are not conscious of being unhappy. In fact, only a happy person is conscious.

So you are under a spell of The Unhappiness Conspiracy. The real crime is that you have put yourself there. Some good news for you is that if you have put yourself there, then you can take yourself out of there. Your parents, teachers, schools, businesses, religious institutions and the world has made you think you must be unhappy to get what you want. You were happy when you were a child. Become a child again and free yourself. Cast off the chains of illusion and crawl out of the cave of craving. It is time to stand up strong and be counted amongst the happy. As few as we are The Unhappiness Conspiracy is being threatened with extinction by the happy. The numbers of happy people are growing stronger every hour and every day. Join Us, and Become One Of The Happy Freedom Fighters Overcoming The Unhappiness Conspiracy!

There is another conspiracy that has always been in effect. You are witnessing the birth of "The Universal Happiness Conspiracy." When you can live simply and happily you will have everything you need and really want. Realize you have enough and you have just added more to your life. Don't be fooled into thinking, I am just a dreamer. "The Universal Happiness Conspiracy," is a worldwide international movement sweeping the entire world. It is complete, present and infinite and becoming widely accepted and very common indeed! When you are happy the universe conspires to give you what you need.

LOCAL HAPPINESS CLUB MEETINGS

FAIRFIELD CONNECTICUT HAPPINESS CLUB
Their is no meeting for April for the Fairfield Happiness Club.
Next Meeting Date: Thursday, May 20, 2010 Time: - 7:00 - 9:00 P.M.
Place: the Fairfield Public Library, Memorial room, 1080 Old Post Road, Fairfield, CT 06824
Everyone is welcome; admission is free. Meet some wonderful people using happiness in their lives. Learn to have the peace of mind you need and experience happiness now. Future meetings at the Fairfield Library will be: Thursday, June 17, Thursday, July 15, 2010

Directions to Fairfield Public Library: (movie theatre is diagonally across the street)
From the west (Westport) on Connecticut Turnpike (I-95)
Take Exit 22 (Round Hill Road) Take a right at the bottom of the ramp.Go straight, under the railroad tracks. Take a right at the light onto Post Road (Rt. 1). Take a left at the first through street. Library is on your left at the corner of Post Road and Old Post Road.
From the east (Bridgeport) on Connecticut Turnpike (I-95)
Take Exit 22 (North Benson Road) Take a left at the bottom of the ramp. Go straight under thruway and railroad tracks. Take a right at the light onto the Post Road. Take a left at the second through street. The Library is on your left at the corner of the Post Road and the Old Post Road.

GREENWICH CONNECTICUT HAPPINESS CLUB
Date & Time: Meeting to be announced.
Jamie Gerelli is the facilitator.
Jamie's phone: 203-323-7899 & e-mail: zenkayak@gmail.com
RSVP via the Greenwich Happiness Club Meet-up group site: http://hobby.meetup.com/31/

WESTPORT CONNECTICUT HAPPINESS CLUB
"The Building Blocks of Happiness" is the presentation by Club Facilitator Jerry Eyster, who will lead a discussion of what researchers have found to be critical to well being and living a good life. This program builds on Eyster's presentation "In The Hot Pursuit of Happiness" and provides attendees an opportunity to explore each of the building blocks of happiness.
Our meeting will be Sunday, April 11th, at the usual time of 6:30 PM.
Place: United Methodist Church of Westport at 49 Weston Road, Westport Just north of Exit 42 on the Merritt Pkwy. Admission is free and all are welcome.
Jerry Eyster is the facilitator. For additional info or questions, contact Jerry at 203-292-5298 or e-mail Jerry at: happywestport@optimum.net

SMILING SENIOR SINGLE'S HAPPINESS CLUB, WESTPORT, CONNECTICUT
Our next meeting presents: "Happiness From the Inside Out," by our guest speaker Penny Cohen, LCSW. Penny is a licensed transformational psychotherapist, Certified Hypnotherapist and life coach. She holds a Masters Degree in Social Work from Columbia University and is author of several books. She has been conducting workshops internationally for the past twenty years.
Date & Time: Thursday, April 29, 2010 - 6:30 - 8:00 P.M.
Place: The Westport Senior Center, 21 Imperial Ave. Westport CT 06880.
Stacy Enyeart is the group facilitator. Admission is free and the meetings are for people single and over 50 years old.

MILFORD CONNECTICUT HAPPINESS CLUB
Meeting to be announced.
Date: Thursday, April 29, 2010.
Time & Place: 7:00 - 9:00 PM, at the The Golden Hill Health Care Center, 2028 Bridgeport Avenue, Milford.
Everyone is welcome; admission is free. Parking available in Hospital Parking lot right across the street. Meetings are the last Thursday of each month.
Joann Dunsing is the facilitator, she is a NLP professional and works with Hypnotherapy. Joanne's e-mail is: JoannDunsing@gmail.com, her website: www.JoannDunsing.com, her phone # 203-907-7710.

MADISON CONNECTICUT HAPPINESS CLUB
The presentation will be, "Three Steps to Reducing Stress" by Dr. Keith Mirante, DC. Keith is a wellness
doctor with the Coastal Chiropractic & Wellness Center. He is also a member of the Foundation for Wellness Professionals.
Date & Time: Wednesday, April 28, 2010 - 7:00 - 9:00 P.M.
Place: At the E.C. Scranton Memorial Library, 801 Boston Post Road, Madison, Ct. 06443
Tina Garrity is the group facilitator. Tina's e-mail: Ting45@aol.com phone: 203-245-2632. Everyone is welcome; admission is free. Meetings are held on the last Wednesday of each month.

WALLINGFORD CONNECTICUT HAPPINESS CLUB Formerly the New Haven
Meeting to be announced.
Date: Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Place: Choate Rosemary Hall, Wallingford, CT – Ruuz Rees Building
Admission is free and all are welcome.
Jim & Chris Rinere are the facilitators. E-mail Chris at: crinere@comcast.net For additional info or questions, contact Jim at: (203) 985-5994

DIRECTIONS:
From South/New Haven:
Route 91 North
Exit 14 – Ct. 150/Woodhouse Avenue
Turn Left onto Woodhouse Ave/Ct. 150
Stay Straight onto E. Main Street
Turn Left onto Christian Street (1 mile from exit off 91)
Second Right Hand Turn – Rosemary Lane – (there will be yellow balloons on the street sign)

From North:
Route 91 South
Exit 14, toward CT 150/Wallingford
Turn Right onto E. Center Street
Turn Right onto E. Main Street
Turn Left onto Christian Street
Second Right Hand Turn – Rosemary Lane (There will be yellow balloons on the street sign)

Once on Rosemary Lane, follow the street to the first parking lot on the left. The building – Ruutz-Rees, is the first building on the left. Look for balloons at entrance to building too!

NEW YORK HAPPINESS CLUB
Science of Happiness: pleasant life, engaged life, meaningful life and ...?
Date & Time: Thursday, March 25, 2010 at 7:15 PM
Please note the change in time (7:15 PM) and that we are in a different room (Rm 207)
Place: At Columbia Business School - 1125 Amsterdam Avenue and 115th street, Warren Hall, room 207(2nd floor). We have reserved a larger room since we are expecting a large turn out. Columbia University campus New York, NY 10027 New York
http://hobby.meetup.com/7/calendar/9234887/
Emiliya Zhivotovskaya, MAPP, RYT, is the group facilitator. Phone: (516) 425-2851, www.emiliya.com e-mail: mail@emiliya.com Meetings are held once each month.

ANNOUNCING A NEW MEETUP FOR HAPPINESS CLUB NY!
What: Happier.com... meet the founder, learn the secrets
When: To be announced
Where: (A location has not been chosen yet.) It will be in held in Midtown Manhattan.
Happier.com is an amazing positive psychology based online resource that now has thousands of members over the world! The great thing about the site is that it gives you bite sized chunks of positive psychology. I'm so excited about what these people are doing that I've coordinated for the Founder of www.happier.com.
Come with a pad and paper and leave with specific, scientifically proven ways to becoming HAPPIER!
Learn more here: http://hobby.meetup.com/7/calendar/11730409/ Love and light! Emiliya Zhivotovskaya, MAPP, RYT, is the group facilitator. Phone: (516) 425-2851, Website e-mail: mail@emiliya.com

BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT - BRIDGE HOUSE HAPPINESS CLUB
BRIDGE HOUSE HAPPINESS CLUB 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. Members also work at part time jobs, with staff providing intensive supports.
Phyllis Freeman, MS and Lionel Ketchian and are the group facilitators.
Phyllis phone is 203 335-5339 & e-mail: intake@bridgehousect.org
Meeting: First Thursday of each month for a happy hour meeting!
Time: 1:30- 2:30 PM
Place: Bridge House, 880 Fairfield Ave, Bridgeport, CT

STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT - "THE VERY HAPPY TEEN CLUB"
We had a meeting to get a group picture done for the year book and also to see what we can do as a club to set up some fundraising for Haiti. We have a number of Haitian Students here and we are being as supportive as we can. Such a great tragedy. I can't imagine the things those people are facing.
Open to all high school students. For reservations and information contact: Rosalie at: 203 322-9990
Meeting: Meetings are held twice a month on Saturdays. Time: 11:00 - 12:30 PM. Place: Daniel and Grace Tully & Family Health Center. Address: 32 Strawberry Hill Court, Stamford, Connecticut 06902.

VERY HAPPY TEEN CLUB (VHT) The Teen Happiness Club of NORWALK CONNECTICUT
The meetings are after school twice each month.
Place: Brien McMahon High School, Norwalk, CT. Admission is free for all Brien McMahon students.
Elaine Ganat RN MS NCSN, is the facilitator For additional info or questions, contact Elaine at the nursing department by calling: 203-852-9488, Ext. 11218.

UNHAPPINESS - THE PERFECT STORM!

By Lionel Ketchian
BE HAPPY ZONE
January 14, 2009

Are you creating the Perfect Storm in your life? Think about a time when you had a problem that was troubling you, or a situation that was bad for you, or even a person that created a disagreeable condition in your life. This scenario is the first part of the perfect storm.

The second part of the perfect storm is your unhappy reaction to the situation. Why would that cause the perfect storm? The reason is, while your problems may be the gasoline or the fuel for a fire the heat of your unhappiness is the spark that ignites the fuel and creates the fire.

Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary defines the Perfect Storm as "a critical or disastrous situation created by a powerful concurrence of factors." The perfect storm not only describes weather conditions, it can also be attributed to factors in our thinking and human emotions.

You have a problem, you then become unhappy that you have a problem. When you become unhappy because you have a problem, your unhappiness creates another problem, usually the bigger problem one. The problem becomes bigger than life. It consumes and overwhelms you. You feel there is nothing you can do, because your state of unhappiness directs you to see life in only that way. Once you think unhappily, in terms of the problem and not the solution, you lose your power and ability to deal with the problem.

Take a look at your problem. Do you have a choice about your problem? You do not have to face your problems, but you need to face your choices. That is the power of choice. Knowing you have a choice gives you power. This is far more important than you may realize. The next time you encounter a problem, ask yourself what choices are available to you. You can only make the best choice available to you. But first you need to be aware that the choice exists.

Happiness can allow you to see these choices clearly. In a happy state of mind, you can deal with any problem. With clarity, you can better see what choices you have. This clarity enables you to effectively deal with your problem. List all possibilities regarding what your choices are, than look at the two best choices in this situation, and choose the best one for this moment.

Once you have made that choice, go with it, and let go of the entire situation. You have done everything you can do for now. If you find a better choice in twenty minutes, then select it. In the meantime, your power to choose has accomplished many positive things: You have stopped worrying about the situation you have, started to realize your choices, you have decided to act on those choices. You can cause what you want to happen, as a result of making the right choices. You can create a magnet of positive events, which will start flowing toward you in your life. Your ability to make choices, or better yet, the right choices in every situation, gives you a step up to the best reality for the next moment.

If you have no choice, you will be left with something you do not like. It's not that you really have a problem. Problems have solutions. If you do not have a choice, why make it a problem? If the problem is just a part of life, and you don't accept it, than you will suffer. Your suffering is a result of your reaction to you're own negative thinking. This is also your choice, but you do have another choice … to live and enjoy life. Just Be Happy!

There is no reason valid enough to make you unhappy. You are choosing to be unhappy because you want something to be different. A better choice is, remain happy, then deal with the people, problems, and situations in your life. In this way, you learn to make the best choices and find the best solutions for the things you want to change.

Empower yourself by deciding to be happy no matter what! Choose happiness over everything else. Give yourself the power to deal with life and yourself more effectively. Happiness is a powerful strategy
for those who practice it! Happiness gives you the awareness to realize the choices you have and decide what option is right for you. What is the real power you have in doing this? You have power over yourself, and this is very important my friend, because being happy gives you authentic power.

You have the power to stop the perfect storm of unhappiness. Roll the storm clouds away and bask in the sunlight of the power of happiness!

Lionel Ketchian is the founder of the Happiness Club. He can be reached at PrintLRK@aol.com. The Web site is www.HappinessClub.com.