Who makes you happy?

What makes you happy? There are so many different ways you, your friends and family may choose to find happiness. But the goal is the same: We all want to be happy.

I would like to introduce Learning by Example, a community campaign that celebrates the inner qualities that help us enjoy a happy life. We have tried to identify these in 16 Guidelines For Life. You probably excel in a couple of them, perhaps more.

One individual who excels in the qualities that lead to happiness is the Dalai Lama. But his society was once rife with conflict.  

It was not until the 6th century that King Songsten Gampo helped all Tibetan society make a radical shift from violence to peace. The 16 Guidelines For Life are based on the inspirational values and principles he introduced to his people.

Now is a time when the same principles could help our society, when the world seems confused about what really leads to inner happiness and benefits those around us. These can help you and the people you love. Maybe even people in your life who you don’t really care about or even avoid.

We will introduce each of these qualities during the next 16 weeks, starting with qualities that strongly influence how we think. Our minds are powerful: if we change our minds, we can change our experience of the world.  

The challenge: As we introduce the guidelines, one each week, we ask you to look for people in your everyday life who exemplify that specific quality in a way that leads to happiness for those around them. Look for individuals in your neighbourhood, home, work, community centre, church or any where you witness a person who lives that quality.

Then we invite you to nominate them for recognition, sending us their story and what they do that generates happiness using that quality.

We will post your stories so all Hamilton area residents can celebrate their contributions to a happy society. The more we embrace the brothers and sisters who are our local heros, the more we are inspired to make our own lives meaningful and our community a happy place to be with each other.

To make an contribution to this project, click the comment link below

 

Dekyi-Lee Oldershaw, 2008 Halton Women of the Year and Director of The Centre for Compassion and Wisdom, is co-author of the book, 16 Guidelines For Life, a practical and simple tool for making life better. You can order the book at www.centreforcompassionandwisdom.com.

Comments

[Laughing Yoga]

Thank you for the post. It is motivational and very positive. For me it is essential to surround with thoughts, people, memories full of happiness. Recently I got interested in Laughing Yoga as a way to be happier and healthier:)) It was originated on the continent of Dalaj Lama!

[Deborah]

Happiness comes from being joy to others. Being a catalyst for kindness.
Being a role model and leading by example.
One of our AOKN Goodwill Ambassadors chose to adopt a widowed mother and her four young kids for Christmas this year. Events like that make me very HAPPY!

[Faey]

I don't have a specific example but the people I see in the place I live in general. They all encounter problems, and sometimes share them to me, but they always wear a sincere smile on their faces because they know that problems just come and go--the sooner you solve it, the sooner it gets out of the system. I guess personally, you also have to find how authentic your life is--and how authentic you handled it--before all your feelings or emotions can be authentic.

This site is very promising. I personally liked this project! More power to you and may many more commenters share their own learnings and life stories to the rest of us!

-Faey

[Joe Wierda]

Happy Link and what is hot is my sister in-law Chris Gesjorskyj. I have known her for more than thirty years. Chris is an Rn at the Henderson Hospital in Recovery Dept. You don't greet or leave Chris without a hug and kiss! Recently, her father Herbert Pickett passed away. Chris's sister, Barb my wife, broke down that night at the hospital. After being there for an hour or more we decided to leave. We started to walk out of the room and my wife Barb just broke down. Barb said to Chris," I can't leave Dad." Chris just took Barb hugged her and said," we are going back into the room and stay for just as long as you want." We stayed for about another 45 minutes and Chris was at Barb's side the whole time.Chris has done many things at the hospital as a union rep and with a friend at the hospital help set up a daycare. She is married to Joe Gesjorskyj and has a son Adam (AJ) and a daughter Tara. Chris chose to become a nurse and when you see how caring and giving she is you know right away that was a perfect career choice. Those are only a few reasons why my sister in-law Chris is my happy link!