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.