Teaching Happiness

Today a dream came true.  At noon today,  the first Train-the-Trainer session teaching how to conduct a Happiness Initiative ended.  Twenty five  people learned how to bring happiness into their lives and communities.  I love teaching professionals because I get to lean so much. The group of people was amazing - open hearted, extremely intelligent professionals.

We had only 1.5 days to go over what should have been three days of materials. The training began by teaching everyone how to give an introductory talk. This was followed by a crash course in the happiness field: Where it is happening (Bhutan, Brazil, Canada, China, France and here..), What it is (subjective and objective wellbeing indicators to replace singular use of the economy,  other wellbeing indicators), Who's who (experts).  The last part of the first day we focused on the nuts and bolts with a focus on policy makers as the audience.  We capped the day with the last of three exercises where people talked in groups about their plans: to conduct a happiness initiative in their neighborhood, to create a city-wide reading program, to introduce the concept to native peoples...  It was cool.

I hope - plan - to teach many more of these, and to keep teaching so others can teach and so the work in their community.  I tell myself I am doing this because it serves the needs of the project. In truth, I do it because I love meeting and learning from the people. It is so amazing wonderful sweet and blessed to get to meet and learn from such intelligent, full and whole, lovely people. That's the rub!
Posted by Laura Musikanski, ED of HI