Welcome to our newsletter...in it we have information, articles, events to help you propel your business forward. I am really excited about adopting this new format for my newsletter and hope that you like what it's all about.


Come on get happy!

This month I want to look at happiness...it's been a summer of discontent, especially in Toronto. The weather hasn't been stellar, we've had a city strike that's affected garbage, day care, social events, pollution and yes our psyches.

Add to the fact that the recession isn't abating for a lot of us...we still have to watch our debt loads, work harder, watch spending and watch the bottom line retreating.

Some of you reading this right now may think I am a bit of a pessimist. You may even think I am dwelling only on the negative...and yes, yes I am...but this newsletter does have a message of hope. Why am I saying that you ask?

Well for starters, I personally have had a week of encountering unhappy people. A co-worker at work snapping at me, a neighbour taking up my access to my parking spot and yelling at me, and today on the holiday Monday, while parking my car again to go for a nature walk, some driver boxes me in so tight that there would have been no way for me to move. Thankfully, I encountered the driver and asked them to move...and when she saw her parking transgression she moved the car...but it caused me to think that yes...we are not a happy lot these days...and some of us are so about "self" that you wouldn't think to move a parked car so as to not box someone in...and a neighbour who I have not had an issue with for 8 years all of sudden explodes on me for being upset about being not able to access my parking spot at home...not once, but twice.

What gives? I needed to ask myself this week...what was in the air? Was it me? Was I attracting this to myself? I am just doing my thing in life...and I had a challenging week.

My only conclusion is...is that we aren't happy. Life has us all a little down...collectively. I think there is an answer to our collective dilema.

I think we have to begin to live life like they do in Bhutan, a small land locked nation is the Himalyas. The people and the King of Bhutan guide their nation politics and all on the principal of GNH...they measure the GNH...which stands for Gross National Happiness...see you're giggling already.

But the GNH is part of a grand vision first conceived in 1972 by the King of Bhutan. Since then Bhutan in the wake of globalization, employess the GNH as a guiding principle to steer itself toward a more wholistic direction in development, This encompasses measing both economic and social variables.

Although GNH remains to be defined quantitatively, it is increasing being studied as a new paradigm shift toward a meaningful, sustainable and equitable socio-economic development...on both a national and worldwide basis.

Can you imagine the shift that would occur on the planet if every government measured it's success on the GNH?

The testing for the General Happiness of Bhutan looks at socio, economic, spiritual, work/life, family, environmental, belonging and health. It measures every aspect of an individuals happiness as it pertains to these key areas.

The testing is quite indepth...here log onto http://www.grossnationalhappiness.com/

But should our quest in life be about happiness? Is that our only end game? Here are some quotes that might make you re-think happiness being the reason we're here...

"Happiness is not a state to arrive at, but a manner of traveling."--Samuel Johnson, 18th-century English philosopher once said.

"The greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions and not our circumstances." This too is quite profound...and so aptly put byMartha Washington. But the quotes by Joseph Campbell on happiness and the quote by Chang Tzu a Chinese Philosopher help me discuss some pertinent ideas with you on this post.

Joseph Campbell said, "Happiness is absorption in a cause which in the end is but illusion." So what Campbell is saying here is that happiness doesn't exist? It's an illusion...but wait, Chang Tzu a 5th and 6th century Chinese philosopher states that, "You only find happiness when you cease to look for it.

So what this tells me is that the key to any happiness lies in beiung true to our internal guidance system and to our own personal values. Maybe as we reach the half way point to summer this month that you do an inventory of your values? Both professionally and personally.

Seek peace of mind over happiness. Seek to share over taking, seek to understand over being understood...as Dr. Stephen Covey phrased it in his 7 Habits of Highly Effective People?

True happiness it seems comes from giving to others. Helping, teaching, tithing. In fact in Jewish Mysticism, the Rabbi's talk about "Ego" and the "Ego" is about only wanting what's good in the world for itself. Greed basically.

But...we rid ourselves of "Ego" thinking by sharing...and not thinking about the "self" alone than that's where God comes into play.

In the book the "Purpose Driven Life" by author Rick Warren, he too examines the age old question, "Why am I here" ? Warren suggests that we're to live God's plan for us...that our purpose lies within being at one with a loving decent God, in fact Warren writes, "Think of the things our culture lures us into using for our purpose: power, prestige, glory, sex, and wealth. The problem with these things is that there never seems to be enough. Even the people who have “arrived” aren’t happy the way we imagine them being. Meaninglessness is like a black hole at the center of human existence that sucks up whatever we throw at it, leaving it as empty as it was before. Even things that are supposed to be good seem to disappear in this deep cavern."

Warren also suggests, that we think about having the desire to be significant, he adds "to make a difference in someone’s life, even if it’s just one person’s? Do you ever think about leaving something behind—something that will make life different for some relative or friend? What would you want written as your epitaph? One of the most common epitaphs in graveyards is the phrase, “Gone but not forgotten.” Why do we want to be remembered? Why not just pass on as if we never existed? Where do you think this comes from, this need to be significant"?

Stephen Covey states in a recent issue of "Success Magazine" that the times are calling for much different, practical, principally centred thinking.

Covey suggests, "Financial success—prestige, wealth, recognition, accomplishment—will always be secondary in greatness," Covey says. "Primary greatness is about character and contribution. Primary greatness asks, What are you doing to make a difference in the world? Do you live truly by your values? Do you have total integrity in all of your relationships? And when correct principles are not followed or ignored, the result can be catastrophic as we have witnessed the past year in the financial markets."

So here is where the hope is, as I conclude this months newsletter...begin to urge your governments to measure success on a Gross National Happiness level and not based on recent polls.

Begin to re-think happiness and look at your values. What are you values as far as your family goes, your love life, your friends, your peers, your church or synagogue? What differences are you making at work? Or in your business? Do you have a cause to get behind in your business?

Living a life based on values, principles and purpose is not always the easy road to take...but eventually the other road will lead you to a dead end and you will have a decision to make...

Living a life based on values, principles and purpose is sometimes hard work...there is no denying it...it's "freakin" tough sometimes...but I ask you in the end...how do you want to be remembered?

Now...yes...this summer has been a bit of a drag...there is an intensity in the air for everyone...so commit too to having some fun. I finally had some fun this weekend...and saw some live music (free live music), a football game, I connected with some friends had a date and also went for a nature trail walk and hit the gym...I encourage you to incorporate "Fun" into your life...now more than ever...

Begin to really get the passion back in your life. Go and take on enjoying all life has to offer...get back up again from a crappy economy, re-think your thinking, team up, share ideas, expenses and build community. Go walk in the park! Catch some live music, see a play, re-charge, re-energize, say no to taking on one more thing at work!

Look to examine your values and base not just your happiness on living a "Principally and Purposeful" life. Sometimes it's not just about being happy...but about knowing in the gut...that you're doing the best. That you're making the planet a better place, helping the lives of others. That's where true happiness comes from...it's that inner knowing, that inner satisfaction that you've done the right thing...you've done your best, you made someone else's day...because in the end it's not about them or how others perceive us ...it's about how we perceive us and how God see's us.

Go take on the month and re-new your values, your passion and commitments to make the world even better!

Cheers/David

P.S. Here is a link to a wonderful article by Dr. Covey in Success Magazine...

http://www.successmagazine.com/article?articleId=469&taxonomyId=21

Also here is a video clip to help you live with optimism it's by, Loretta Laroche, one of my faves speaks about choosing to be optimistic. Have a great rest of the summer...

Loretta Laroche on Optimism...