Be Happy in 2012

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We started 2012 with a simple newsletter - Be Happy. If this year is a time of great change, let's "take the bull by the horns" and make that change positive. More- we all know change starts from within. Below is the newsletter, Happiness in 2012 to you, Laura Musikanski, Executive Director of the Happiness Initiative. P.S. one practitioner, Laura Allen is offering a free one day worksop Jan 3rd. that focuses on happiness,

Resolve for Happiness If you would like to continue receiving news about the Happiness Initiative, please sign up here. Let's make this year the beginning of a happiness era January 1, 2012 This year, make a resolution for happiness! What is Happiness? When we say "happiness" we are talking about the conditions of happiness as much as how your feel. This means you and your communities well-being in terms of time balance, education and learning, connection to family and friends, volunteerism, cultural activities, access to nature, trust in your community and government, work experience, economic circumstances, as well as physical and psychological well-being. True happiness comes from external and internal well-being along all the domains of happiness. So how do you get happier? Take the Happiness Initiative survey to get your ownself assessment of your wellbeing. find out how you compare to the rest of the nation, and where you see an imbalance in your life, take a small action to increase the conditions of your own happiness. Then take the survey again in a few months to see how things have changed for you. Why this survey? The Happiness Initiative survey was developed to measure the conditions of happiness by a team of scientists from San Francisco State University. The lead scientist, Dr. Ryan Howell, calls it "the most time efficient and comprehensive wellbeing survey out there anywhere." If you have already taken the survey, we encourage you to take it again, and use itas a guide for self assessment and reflexion. Take the survey as many times as you like, when ever you like. So - this year resolve to be happy and to spread happiness in your community. Happy New Year! Laura Musikanski, Executive Director of The Happiness Initiative Happiness Toolkits The Happiness Initiative began as Sustainable Seattle's fifth set of regional sustainability indicators. Itreaches out to individual people and communities and listens. It compiles and reports the survey results and measures how people are doing from their own perspective. Moreover, it establishes a national and international dialogue about the most important aspect of human life - how we feel about our lives. It is time to better understand what happiness is and to take action for the happiness of our selves, each other, as well as our neighborhoods, places of work, towns and cities. The Happiness Initiative is designed so anyone can conduct a happiness initiative. You can down load the took kit on the happycounts.org website. Happiness Initiative Tools Here Donate! Donate today! Your Donations are tax deductible for 2011 if you give before midnight! Have ideas about foundations or donors for the Happiness Initiative? Let us know at happy@happycounts.org Quick Links Happiness Blog Like Us on Facebook