We are all sat in a half-horseshoe like shape, waiting for the night to take action. Having just eaten, the atmosphere is almost comfortable, but for the blaring lights: firing on all cylinders to discomfort the eyes in the room. This is it; not the first official week, but an important one nonetheless. In these few seconds alone, we await the introduction to the six week journey we are about to embark on together. The pursuit of true happiness is about to come to life this evening as we prepare ourselves for ‘The Happiness Lab’ course (funded by the ‘Ugly Duckling Company’).
Starting from the 9/9/2015, this course will run every Wednesday until 14/10/2015, where all of us in this room will learn the secrets to true happiness. Largely inspired by The 8 Secrets Of Happiness (Paul Griffiths, director of the ‘Ugly Duckling Company’, & Martin Robinson), the course will be filmed, with a subsequent DVD planned for release. The main aim of this course is to unpack six kinds of behaviour (some of the secrets from the text have been combined) that we can all incorporate into our lives. By practicing these types of behaviour more and more frequently, the general consensus is that our happiness should improve. The aim of this blog is to document each week, and conclude how I feel changed by the course (if at all). The introduction involved going through these types of behaviour: gratitude, kindness, forgiveness, relationships, body and soul, and resilience.
The introduction week not only went through these types of behaviour, but it also gave us an opportunity to engage with others on the course around us. We learned about early memories and the types of challenges we’ve all had to face. The course has experienced some success already in a way, as a couple of people have revealed relatively personal information, giving a far clearer sense of who they are. Having shown this kind of promise before week one has even taken place, I anticipate that the course definitely has a chance to make significant positive impacts on peoples lives.