365 Ways to Live Happy (37 page)

Create a community happiness forum to raise funds for your favorite charity or for some other cause that you believe is worthwhile and that gives your life meaning. Bring in the best speakers you can find to talk about the physical and mental health benefits of laughter. Ask clergy members to address the spiritual aspects of happiness. Bring in a comedian, a laughter yoga expert, and psychologist, for example, to create a lens for people to understand the nature of happiness, what it is and isn't, how to achieve happiness, and why it's important for good health and longevity. You might also invite a group of children who are willing to answer the questions, “What makes you giggle? What makes you happy?” Why? Because children laugh so often and their laughter is contagious.

Remember the Buddha said that happiness is achieved when your words and your work benefit others as well as yourself. Research the Internet or quote books until you find a humorous quote to use in creating an imaginative and highly personalized toast for newlyweds. You might begin by telling the bride she looks stunning and the groom looks stunned, or something along those lines. Whether you've been asked to offer a toast, provide material for a groom's roast, or write a small wedding speech, make sure that the main thread running throughout is a message containing your best wishes for their lifetime of happiness.

When you are thinking of innovative ways to spread happiness throughout your world, consider serving a helping of happiness on a plate accompanied by a cup of hot tea. Host a dinner party for family, relatives, friends, business associates, or members of your community or social club. Serve Chinese food. Before passing out the fortune cookies, make sure that you have inserted into each little slips of paper that contain a compliment or a happiness quote. You want to make everyone feel uplifted, happy, and full of good cheer, and you can accomplish that by filling their tummies with great food and their mind with pearls of joy.

If you see the broken pieces of your neighbor's concrete aggregate driveway being tossed into contractor's bags destined for landfill instead of being run through a crushing machine to make gravel for new construction projects, then get busy organizing a community group that can work together to spread good ideas about ecology in ways that have a positive impact. You and your group could pose questions and offer solutions at meetings of your city council, for example, or start an e-newsletter, or even enlist local environmental groups to help you raise awareness for the need of ecological reform that positively impacts humans and their communities.

www.justgive.org
:
JustGive.org
is a charitable organization that makes charitable giving easy by helping individuals connect to various charities.

www.tolerance.org
:
Tolerance.org
, a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center, promotes reducing prejudice and teaches tolerance.

www.amnesty.org
:
Amnesty International is a global organization of people who campaign for human rights for all.

www.surgeongeneral.gov
:
The Office of the Surgeon General oversees the operations of the U.S. Public Health Service and reports to the Surgeon General, America's chief health educator.

www.drweil.com
:
Dr. Andrew Weil, M.D., is a leading expert in the field of integrative medicine.

www.hobby.org
:
Craft and Hobby Association of America, comprised of professionals working in the craft and hobby industries, works to raise the image of the organization and its members, create consumer demand, stimulate sales, help members succeed, and lead the two industries into the future.

www.un.org
:
United Nations is an international group of nations with multiple subsidiary organizations that work toward facilitating common goals such as safeguarding peace, human rights, international security, and open channels of dialogue.

www.adoptapet.com
:
Adoptapet.com
, a nonprofit organization of pet lovers, works with over 6,000 animal rescue groups of animal shelters to rescue and adopt pets.

www.dogfriendly.com
:
Dogfriendly.com
is a website that publishes travel guides for dogs, including RV parks, hotels, bed and breakfast lodging, and other dogfriendly places.

www.pet-friendly-hotels.net
:
Pet Friendly Hotels is a network of hotels and motels accommodating travelers and their pets.

www.history.uk.com
:
History.UK.com
is a website dedicated to preserving the background and recipes of historic food and drink in the United Kingdom.

www.soles4souls.org
:
Soles4soul.org
is a charitable organization that provides shoes to underprivileged children.

www.ifrevolunteers.org
:
Institute for Field Research Expeditions is a nonprofit organization that supports authentic research on ecology, poverty, education, disease, and other areas impacting the global community.

www.standupforkids.org
:
Stand Up For Kids is a volunteer organization that provides support and aid to homeless and street children by sending volunteers into cities across America to find and help them.

www.nchv.org
:
National Coalition for Homeless Veterans is a nonprofit organization that helps community-based service groups provide resources and assistance to homeless veterans.

http://worldofgood.ebay.com
:
World of Good.com
is an online marketplace for thousands of goods that are eco-friendly and ethnically sourced, including items that are organic or produced in the spirit of fair trade.

www.laughteryoga.org
:
Laughter Yoga International is an international movement that uses laughter to achieve health, joy, and world peace.

Meera Lester is the author of more than a dozen books, including
1001 Ways to Do Good, The Everything
^®
Law of Attraction Book, Why Does Santa Wear Red?
… and
100 Other Christmas Curiosities Unwrapped, The Everything
^®
Gnostic Gospels Book, and Mary Magdalene: The Modern Guide to the Bible's Most Mysterious and Misunderstood Woman
, all published by Adams Media. For years, she has believed what modern research has now proven — that personal happiness is not dependent on external factors but comes from within each person and is a skill that can be learned. For a complete listing of Lester's books or more information about her, go to
www.meeralester.com
.