Open Spirit Center (39 Edwards St, Framingham, MA)
Sue Dickerman Hall
Downstairs, last classroom on the right

Join me for this practical and open-ended exploration of how to approach life and other people with more love, honesty, and joy.

I'll bring questions and new ideas that are alive for me on this particular day, and invite you to do the same. This guarantees a rich and unique conversation that won't ever be duplicated.

What has life been like for you lately? What is bringing you joy? What's been challenging you? What are you learning and wondering about?

Are there people you'd like to connect with more honestly and lovingly? New activities you'd like to pursue? Habits that you would like to change? Support you would like to receive?

There is no charge to attend, but donations to Open Spirit Center 501(c)3 are accepted with gratitude. 

Please email me to let me know you're coming.

Roots & Wings Yoga and Healing Arts (317 N. Main St, Natick, MA)
2nd floor Heartwood Room

Join me for this practical and open-ended exploration of how to approach life and other people with more love, honesty, and joy.

I'll bring questions and new ideas that are alive for me on this particular day, and invite you to do the same. This guarantees a rich and unique conversation that won't ever be duplicated.

What has life been like for you lately? What is bringing you joy? What's been challenging you? What are you learning and wondering about?

Are there people you'd like to connect with more honestly and lovingly? New activities you'd like to pursue? Habits that you would like to change? Support you would like to receive?

There is no charge to attend, but donations to Roots & Wings Branching Out 501(c)3 are accepted with gratitude. 

Please email me to let me know you're coming.

Common Street Spiritual Center (13 Common St, Natick, MA)
3rd Floor Meditation Room
Use side entrance on School Street

Join me for this practical and open-ended exploration of how to approach life and other people with more love, honesty, and joy.

I'll bring questions and new ideas that are alive for me on this particular day, and invite you to do the same. This guarantees a rich and unique conversation that won't ever be duplicated.

What has life been like for you lately? What is bringing you joy? What's been challenging you? What are you learning and wondering about?

Are there people you'd like to connect with more honestly and lovingly? New activities you'd like to pursue? Habits that you would like to change? Support you would like to receive?

There is no charge to attend, but donations to Common Street Spiritual Center 501(c)3 are accepted with gratitude. 

Please email me to let me know you're coming.

Open Spirit Center (39 Edwards St, Framingham, MA)
Sue Dickerman Hall
Downstairs, last classroom on the right

Join me for this practical and open-ended exploration of how to approach life and other people with more love, honesty, and joy.

I'll bring questions and new ideas that are alive for me on this particular day, and invite you to do the same. This guarantees a rich and unique conversation that won't ever be duplicated.

What has life been like for you lately? What is bringing you joy? What's been challenging you? What are you learning and wondering about?

Are there people you'd like to connect with more honestly and lovingly? New activities you'd like to pursue? Habits that you would like to change? Support you would like to receive?

There is no charge to attend, but donations to Open Spirit Center 501(c)3 are accepted with gratitude. 

Please email me to let me know you're coming.

Roots & Wings Yoga and Healing Arts (317 N. Main St, Natick, MA)
2nd floor Heartwood Room

Join me for this practical and open-ended exploration of how to approach life and other people with more love, honesty, and joy.

I'll bring questions and new ideas that are alive for me on this particular day, and invite you to do the same. This guarantees a rich and unique conversation that won't ever be duplicated.

What has life been like for you lately? What is bringing you joy? What's been challenging you? What are you learning and wondering about?

Are there people you'd like to connect with more honestly and lovingly? New activities you'd like to pursue? Habits that you would like to change? Support you would like to receive?

There is no charge to attend, but donations to Roots & Wings Branching Out 501(c)3 are accepted with gratitude. 

Please email me to let me know you're coming.

Common Street Spiritual Center (13 Common St, Natick, MA)
3rd Floor Meditation Room
Use side entrance on School Street

Join me for this practical and open-ended exploration of how to approach life and other people with more love, honesty, and joy.

I'll bring questions and new ideas that are alive for me on this particular day, and invite you to do the same. This guarantees a rich and unique conversation that won't ever be duplicated.

What has life been like for you lately? What is bringing you joy? What's been challenging you? What are you learning and wondering about?

Are there people you'd like to connect with more honestly and lovingly? New activities you'd like to pursue? Habits that you would like to change? Support you would like to receive?

There is no charge to attend, but donations to Common Street Spiritual Center 501(c)3 are accepted with gratitude. 

Please email me to let me know you're coming.

Open Spirit Center (39 Edwards St, Framingham, MA)
Sue Dickerman Hall
Downstairs, last classroom on the right

Join me for this practical and open-ended exploration of how to approach life and other people with more love, honesty, and joy.

I'll bring questions and new ideas that are alive for me on this particular day, and invite you to do the same. This guarantees a rich and unique conversation that won't ever be duplicated.

What has life been like for you lately? What is bringing you joy? What's been challenging you? What are you learning and wondering about?

Are there people you'd like to connect with more honestly and lovingly? New activities you'd like to pursue? Habits that you would like to change? Support you would like to receive?

There is no charge to attend, but donations to Open Spirit Center 501(c)3 are accepted with gratitude. 

Please email me to let me know you're coming.

Common Street Spiritual Center (13 Common St, Natick, MA)
3rd Floor Meditation Room
Use side entrance on School Street

Join me for this practical and open-ended exploration of how to approach life and other people with more love, honesty, and joy.

I'll bring questions and new ideas that are alive for me on this particular day, and invite you to do the same. This guarantees a rich and unique conversation that won't ever be duplicated.

What has life been like for you lately? What is bringing you joy? What's been challenging you? What are you learning and wondering about?

Are there people you'd like to connect with more honestly and lovingly? New activities you'd like to pursue? Habits that you would like to change? Support you would like to receive?

There is no charge to attend, but donations to Common Street Spiritual Center 501(c)3 are accepted with gratitude. 

Please email me to let me know you're coming.

Roots & Wings Yoga and Healing Arts (317 N. Main St, Natick, MA)
2nd floor Heartwood Room

Join me for this practical and open-ended exploration of how to approach life and other people with more love, honesty, and joy.

I'll bring questions and new ideas that are alive for me on this particular day, and invite you to do the same. This guarantees a rich and unique conversation that won't ever be duplicated.

What has life been like for you lately? What is bringing you joy? What's been challenging you? What are you learning and wondering about?

Are there people you'd like to connect with more honestly and lovingly? New activities you'd like to pursue? Habits that you would like to change? Support you would like to receive?

There is no charge to attend, but donations to Roots & Wings Branching Out 501(c)3 are accepted with gratitude. 

Please email me to let me know you're coming.

Common Street Spiritual Center (13 Common St, Natick)
3rd floor Meditation Room

Do you enjoy giving to others, but sometimes find it difficult to receive? If so, you are missing out on an important part of happiness and connection. Come learn and practice simple ways to gracefully receive the gifts you are offered, because sometimes the most generous gift you can give someone else is the opportunity to give to you.

$10/person. Pay at the door. Please email me to register.

Roots & Wings Yoga and Healing Arts
$25/person

Do you have relationships could use some attention? People you've been meaning to reach out to? Maybe you'd like to express gratitude, or encouragement, or love, or an apology, but have had trouble finding the right words.  

Whatever the details of your situation, this workshop will help you clarify what you want to say, and how to say it with kindness and honesty. We'll spend about half of the time talking, and about half of the time writing, so that by the end of the afternoon, you'll have communications ready to be delivered.

You'll receive two note cards and ten Gift of Happiness message cards to work with, with more available for purchase. Feel free to bring your own materials as well.

You could spend a Sunday afternoon driving from store to store, hoping to find perfect gifts for the people in your life. Or you could spend that time in the beautiful Heartwood Room at Roots & Wings, connecting to the love you feel for your friends and family members, and crafting messages from the heart.

I hope you will choose to spend the time with us!

Common Street Spiritual Center (13 Common St, Natick)
$5/person (snacks provided)

Get a dose of inspiration and encouragement to create more happiness in your life, and in the world around you, at this special gathering of the Personal Growth Network.

Not to be confused with the Will Smith movie with a similar name, Pursuing Happiness is a documentary created by two film-makers who traveled the country in search of the happiest people in America. We will watch the 80-minute movie, then reflect on how it applies to our own lives.

RSVP on Meetup (or if you don't want to join Meetup, email me directly).

Whether it's a present tied with a bow, or simply a kind smile, to give a gift can be inherently rewarding. But giving can also be fraught with anxiety. In this fun and interactive workshop, you will learn the key to joyful giving, and explore ways to put it into action in your own life.

$10/person, held at the Natick Community-Senior Center. Registration is through the Natick Park & Rec Department starting December 8. (Note that that's the same day as the class... please email me prior to that if you're planning to come.)

How have you dealt with regret in your life? Are there things you would like to let go of? How do your past experiences inform the choices you are making today?

Join me outside the main entrance of Common Street Spiritual Center (13 Common St, Natick) to hear about other people's experiences and share your own.  

Drop in for a few minutes or stay the whole hour.  Added bonus: You can also visit the fabulous Natick Farmer's Market which runs from 9:00 - 1:00, right across the street. 

Dodge Park Rest Home
101 Randolph Road, Worcester, MA

Your happiness is important. It is one of the greatest gifts you can offer yourself and the people around you. And you can experience it even amidst sadness, fear, and anger.  

Whatever you are struggling with, you are not alone. Come share your experiences of happiness and hardship, and practice a simple technique for opening yourself to hope even in times of darkness.

This event is free of charge, sponsored by Healing Heart Hospitality House. RSVP to info@healinghearthouse.org or (774) 287-5028.

Common Street Spiritual Center Fellowship Hall (13 Common St, Natick, MA)
Free and open to all, ages 8+

When someone has experienced grief or loss, it can be hard to know what to say. How do you love and support them when you can't take away the pain? 

Maybe, not knowing what to say, you've put off reaching out at all. But you don't have to wait any longer. 

Join us for a potluck meal and mini-workshop, with an opportunity to write a card to someone if you choose. It's never too late to let someone know that you care about them.

Please arrive on time, with your food ready to serve, so we'll have ample time for the events of the evening:

5:30-6:00  Welcome and introductions
6:00-6:40  Potluck dinner and discussion
6:40-7:15  Card-writing (if desired; you can also journal or draw)
7:15-7:30  Wrap up

RSVP to anne@thegiftofhappiness.org.  Cards and stamps available for purchase, or you can bring your own. 

Common Street Spiritual Center Fellowship Hall (13 Common St, Natick, MA)
Free and open to all, ages 8+

Few of us want to cause pain for other people, but inevitably we do from time to time. What happens next? What can you do and say to help heal those situations, and return to being the person you aspire to be?

Join us for a meal and mini-workshop, followed by an opportunity to write a letter of apology, if you are so moved. Please arrive on time, with your food ready to serve, so we'll have ample time for the events of the evening:

5:30-6:00  Welcome and introductions
6:00-6:30  Eat and talk
6:30-6:45  Mini workshop
6:45-7:15  Write cards (or if you don't have a card to write, you can draw or journal)
7:15-7:30  Wrap up

RSVP to anne@thegiftofhappiness.org.  Cards and stamps available for purchase, or you can bring your own. 

Location: Sue Dickerman Hall at Edwards Church (39 Edwards St, Framingham, MA)
FREE

“The technology we need most badly is the technology of community, the knowledge about how to cooperate to get things done.” -- Bill McKibben

Enjoy a low-tech evening of simple sharing. Come with at least one thing (tangible or intangible) that it would feel good to give away, and have something in mind that you could request from others. All ages welcome. For more information, see FAQs.

Note: This is not a drop-in event. Arrive at the beginning and plan to stay until the end.

Sponsored by Transition Framingham

Common Street Spiritual Center Fellowship Hall (13 Common St, Natick, MA)
Free and open to all, ages 8+

Who are some of the people who have helped you become the person you are today?  Do they know how much their words or actions meant to you? Whether it was a parent, teacher, friend, doctor, counselor, or even a celebrity, this event is your opportunity to reflect on their impact, and tell them, in writing, that they made a difference to you.

Please arrive on time, with your food ready to serve, so we'll have ample time for the events of the evening:

5:30-6:00  Welcome and introductions
6:00-6:30  Eat and chat
6:30-6:40  Mini workshop
6:40-7:15  Write cards
7:15-7:30  Wrap up

RSVP to anne@thegiftofhappiness.org.  Cards and stamps available for purchase, or you can bring your own. 

Common Street Spiritual Center Fellowship Hall
Free and open to all, ages 8+

When we're experiencing pain or uncertainty, or working toward a goal, it helps to be reminded that people care about us and believe in us. Come give that gift of encouragement to someone else in the form of a card. We'll eat together, share some ideas, and then get writing.

Please arrive on time, with your food ready to serve, so we'll have ample time for the events of the evening:

5:30-6:15  Eating and introductions
6:15-6:45  Mini-workshop
6:45-7:15  Write cards
7:15-7:30  Wrap up

RSVP to anne@thegiftofhappiness.org.  Cards and stamps available for purchase, or you can bring your own. 

Common Street Spiritual Center Fellowship Hall (13 Common St, Natick)
Admission is free; bring a dish to pass

This is a special card-writing potluck, to be held immediately after the Community Interfaith Gathering to End Gun Violence. 

Love may be the most powerful and courageous response to violence there is -- and writing a card to someone can be a powerful form of love. Whether it's to say thank you, offer condolences, provide encouragement, or just let someone know you're thinking of them, even a few short sentences can make a big difference.

Come join others who can support you in spreading some ripples of happiness out into the world. Cards can be written to family members, co-workers, political leaders, friends, store owners, neighbors, or anyone else you're moved to reach out to. We'll eat together, talk a little about happiness and human connection, and then get writing.

This event is open to everyone ages 8 and older. Cards and stamps will be available for purchase, or you can bring your own.

RSVPs requested.

Common Street Spiritual Center Fellowship Hall (13 Common St, Natick)
Admission is free; Donations accepted with gratitude
Suitable for adults and interested children ages 8+

Happiness Gatherings are opportunities to put love and gratitude into action, in a fun, safe environment. A discussion of the evening's topic is followed by an opportunity to actually DO some of those feel-good things that you may not get around to on your own. 

This evening's topic: Finding the good in your family

All families (like all people!) are mixture of great love and great imperfection.  Focusing on what you admire and appreciate about your family members doesn't make their imperfections go away, but it does make it more likely that you will enjoy their company -- and that they will enjoy yours.

At this event, we'll talk a little about the nature of families, then create word clouds that represent our families' unique strengths. (Feel free to define family as broadly or narrowly as you want, and include only the people you want to include.)

Dinner is potluck style, so please bring a dish to pass -- or if you don't have time to cook or get to the store, just donate some money to cover drinks and paper goods.

RSVP by email, or on Meetup.

Common Street Spiritual Center Fellowship Hall (13 Common St, Natick)
$10/person (maximum $30/family)
Suitable for adults and interested children ages 8+

Happiness Gatherings are opportunities to put love and gratitude into action, in a fun, safe environment. A discussion of the evening's topic is followed by an opportunity to actually DO some of those feel-good things that you may not get around to on your own. And you don't have to cook dinner!  

This evening's topic: Saying Thank You

Who are some of the people who have helped you become the person you are today?  Do they know how much their words or actions meant to you? Whether it was a parent, teacher, friend, doctor, counselor, or even a celebrity, this event is your opportunity to reflect on their impact, and tell them, in writing, that they made a difference to you.

Cards and postage provided, along with pizza and seltzer.  Feel free to bring additional food, drink, or materials if you'd like.

Common Street Spiritual Center (13 Common St, Natick)
$5/person

The Heartbeat Salon is coming to Natick!

Come meet and support other personal growth seekers in the Metrowest area who are actively creating more joy in fulfillment in their lives.  

This first gathering is an opportunity to share what you're interested in, learn about others, and brainstorm what we might do together as a group. ALL are welcome. Please join us for a fun night!

RSVP through the Personal Growth Network.

Common Street Spiritual Center, 3rd floor choir room
13 Common St, Natick, MA

Friends, I need your help! I have lots of ideas for expanding The Gift of Happiness over the next six months, and am looking for feedback and advice. Would you please come hear what I'm up to, and help me think about how to inspire more happiness and human connection in the world?

Please note: You don't have to be sold on the importance of love and happiness in order to participate. In fact, the more diversity in the audience, the better. 

I'll have drinks (nonalc) and treats to share. All you need to do is show up and be you. 

RSVP through Facebook (ideally), or directly to me.

Pittsford Community Library, 24 State St., Pittsford, NY
This program is free and open to the public.

There is a growing body of scientific research about how we can cultivate happiness and why it is important. 

"But I can't be happy ALL the time," you might think. "What about when bad things happen? Am I just supposed to smile and pretend everything is fine?" We may want to be happy, but we also want to live in the real world, and sometimes the two just don't seem compatible.

Fortunately, the experience of happiness doesn't require getting rid of unhappiness. But it does require action.  And it must be continually created and recreated as situations change.

In this workshop, you will learn 10 simple practices for inviting happiness into different situations. Not only will you likely leave the workshop feeling happier, but you will have new tools for creating happiness again, any time you want.

Held at the Common Street Spiritual Center
No cost event

Give & Receive is a simple process for making new connections and demonstrating the power of community. Come share your gifts and allow others to share with you!

Bring at least one thing (tangible or intangible) that would feel good to give away, and have something in mind that you could request from others. See FAQs for more info.

The first 30 minutes is an orientation to the process and philosophy behind Give & Receive. The actual sharing occurs in the last hour.

Contact me with questions, or to RSVP.