The philosophyy behind the Cyprus Happiness Club
A lot has been written about happiness by researchers, scholars and people like you and me. Everyone has their own definition of happiness. My personal philosophy is that happiness is the ability to ‘feel good’ at a given moment. Life is made up of moments. Our thoughts create every single one of these moments. This is how powerful we are. We have the power to create our reality. However, true power starts with awareness. The more aware we are of our thoughts, the easier it gets to sift through our thoughts and focus only on the ones that serve us. It takes practice, commitment and perseverance to become a selective sifter of thoughts, and I am well aware of that as I do my own journey of self-awareness every day. I know that when we persist on choosing happy thoughts, we can eventually reap the benefits of this process as the end result is to constantly arrive at a ‘happy’ feeling. Notice I said ‘constantly’… Happiness is not a destination but a journey of constantly appreciating every moment with love and gratitude. In a nutshell, happiness is an attitude. This is the attitude and approach that the members of the Cyprus Happiness Club choose to adopt and apply in their life.
Who belongs in the Cyprus Happiness Club
The Cyprus Happiness Club, officially founded in February 2016 by Dr Niki Christodoulou is open to men and women who share the above philosophy. It is also open to anyone who does not share these views. Members of the Cyprus Happiness Club welcome the skeptics of this world because we embrace the challenge of inviting people to reconsider old and ingrained beliefs regarding the ‘impossibility’ of happiness. Since February 2016, the Cyprus Happiness Club consists of approximately twenty wonderful women. Men are always welcome to join the club, but no males have attended the meetings so far. We aspire that our membership will grow as members can bring new people along at each meeting.
What happens at the meetings of the Cyprus Happiness Club
The Cyprus Happiness Club meets on the last Sunday of every month. Our meetings are scheduled to last for two hours, but they usually last longer. No one wants to leave as happiness becomes an addiction ?. The meetings often begin with a mini-lesson conducted by Niki on a topic that has to do with cultivating happiness or managing energy. The mini-lesson is followed by a group discussion where everyone is invited to ask questions or raise concerns. Members are also encouraged to bring issues that cause them worry and un-ease in their daily life. The aim is that through awareness and understanding members can be helped to deal with the negativity or pessimism that permeates their life. My background and experiences as a life coach and NLP coach serve as a good basis for guiding the discussion and helping others reframe limiting beliefs and negative emotions. Members find it easy to share thoughts and feelings due to the warm and non-judgmental climate in the group. This ease could be felt from the first meeting of our Club during which people felt comfortable enough to share personal information with ‘total strangers’.
The meetings always with a meditation practice. The members of the Cyprus Happiness Club love this part of our meetings as it is an opportunity to ‘turn off’ their conscious minds and focus less on the outside reality and more on their inner being. Many members experience a newfound sense of calmness through meditation, and this definitely constitutes a way to inner ‘happiness’.
Another activity that the Cyprus Happiness Club aims to undertake in a more organized way in the future is to become a ‘pocket’ of charity work. We are eager to collect clothes, shoes, food, books and toys and distribute them to the needy. Due to the economic crisis which hit Cyprus five years ago, many people have lost their jobs. It is our intention to help families in need and create networks of support.
Last but not least, the Cyprus Happiness Club constitutes a forum of support, encouragement and faith for all its members. Members know they are no longer alone and feel comfortable to reach out to any member in the group for support, advice and guidance. Moreover, we would like to reach out to other Happiness Clubs and Club members around the world (there are 1000 of them ?) and share experiences. After all, no man is an island, and life gets richer with diversity!
I would like to end with a slogan I have created for the group!
We are extremely happy to have a chance to be happy! J
Love and light,
Niki
