Category Archives: India

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Randy Taran

Valentine’s Day — Really?

Posted in Holiday, Huffington Post, Mindfulness, Sharing Your Gift    |    February 13th, 2012    |    What do you think?

From the Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/randy-taran/valentines-day_b_1247584.html

Valentine’s Day: What does it represent to you? Is it a reminder of the passions of new romance or the love that you are longing for in your life? Is it a commercial orchestration fabricated by the greeting card, flower and chocolate industries to make us buy more? Here’s the real question: Can Valentine’s Day remind us of the enormous capacity for love that we already carry within?

From the day we are born, not only do we need love and affection to thrive, we constantly give and generate love. Benjamin Disraeli says, “We are all born for love. It is the principle of existence, and its only end.” Yet the word love in itself is confusing. It means so many different things to different people. Here are some of its faces:

• the protective affection felt by parents for their children
• the resonance felt by sharing interests and true friendship
• the sexual expression of love that also can hold the potential of transcendence
• the sense of caring for others’ welfare — what we call unconditional love.

There are times when each of these types of love takes the lead, but Continue reading →

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Rachel Pastiloff

I have spent a ton of time lately thinking about how to find happiness in times like these.

I think about all the different situations that surround so many people in my life. So how can you find happiness when: you’ve lost your job, you’ve lost your house, your child is dying, your child has an incurable condition, you have cancer, your parent just died of cancer, or you are getting divorced? Those are just some examples.

How can you be happy amidst all the insanity that envelopes your life when you are dealing with just one of those things, let alone multiple things? Continue reading →

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Randy Taran

Holiday Happiness — Be Here Now

Posted in Gratitude, Mindfulness, Sharing Your Gift    |    December 27th, 2011    |    What do you think?

From the Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/randy-taran/gratitude_b_1165364.html

So many people grumble and gripe about the holidays — too much family, too much food, too many obligations. But what if you approached it all with another perspective — as though this might be your last time to be together. Would you overlook some of the annoyances? Would you focus on what amused you about specific people instead of what drove you crazy? Would you choose to make the moments special and have a deeper connection?

This time of year reminds me of my father-in-law. He was with us one year, and by the next holiday season, he was gone, so quickly and unexpectedly to pancreatic cancer. I don’t harbor regrets as we all got to be with him at the end, but it gets me thinking of how impermanent life can be. It can also be something as simple as Continue reading →

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Randy Taran

Thanksgiving Holds Key to Happiness

Posted in Gratitude, Huffington Post, Sharing Your Gift    |    November 23rd, 2011    |    What do you think?

From the Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/randy-taran/thanksgiving-happiness_b_1103501.html

The idea of Thanksgiving, that is giving thanks, makes it one of my all-time favorite holidays. It has built into it one of the timeless keys to happiness: gratitude. Thanksgiving actually directs us to tune into what we are thankful for. The tradition of sitting around the table hearing each person saying what they are grateful for is a sure way to lift everyone’s spirits. From simple gratitude for pumpkin pie with whipped cream to profound appreciation for being alive to share this day, the myriad of expressions are funny, inspiring and very often open our hearts.

The idea of bringing to light what we are grateful for in life is powerful. Automatically we shift from “what is missing in my life” to Continue reading →

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Mercy Bisi Olatunji
Mercy Bisi Olatunji
Mercy Bisi Olatunji

Mercy Bisi Olatunji is one of the students from the original Project Happiness program. As part of their original curriculum, the students read and reviewed the Dalai Lama’s book Ethics for the New Millenium and discussed how it applied to their current situations.

As I study Chapter One of the Ethics for the New Millennium, three major issues come to my mind. The first and most important is the Dalai Lama’s handling and definition of genuine happiness, the nature of happiness and where it is located in the innermost part of our being. The second major issue that the Dalai Lama addresses is that the quest for happiness and avoidance of suffering and pain is a basic and fundamental human desire. Everyone wants and needs to be happy, but nobody wants to even contemplate suffering or pain. Thirdly, the Dalai Lama describes a practical reality in our lives; the fact that there is so much suffering and pain even though nobody wants to suffer. What an irony this is. So many people suffer and even go hungry in the midst of plenty or abundance. Continue reading →

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Project Happiness

Project Happiness has just launched a yearlong program for teens from the urban slums of Delhi. We are delighted to welcome Vibha, PH Director of India, and founder of Muskaan. Vibha is working with 38 boys and girls, 11th and 12th graders, who are learning the social and emotional skills to cultivate a happiness that comes from the inside, regardless of external circumstances.

In their very first lesson they covered:
1)Overview of PH & filling the PH pre-assessment forms
2)Introduction of participants in pairs, using leaf, as an object to focus of self
3)Hopes and fears from the yearlong workshop
4)What is Happiness – individual reflection followed by sharing in Continue reading →

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Randy Taran

3 Keys to Lasting Happiness

Posted in Huffington Post, Sharing Your Gift    |    October 12th, 2011    |    What do you think?

From the Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/randy-taran/the-key-to-happiness_b_1004566.html

If you had to choose three keys to lasting happiness, what would they be? For me, those keys are gratitude, connecting with others and giving. It is not rocket science, although science has proven how these habits can make you live longer, enjoy better health and get more joy out of life.

Gratitude: A simple practice of writing down or otherwise reflecting on a few things you are grateful for has huge benefits. Psychologists Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough have researched that gratitude is the “forgotten factor” in happiness research. The benefits of expressing gratitude range from Continue reading →

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Randy Taran

Steve Jobs: A Message for Future Leaders

Posted in Huffington Post    |    October 6th, 2011    |    What do you think?

From the Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/randy-taran/steve-jobs-a-message-for-_b_997675.html

I am saddened to hear of the passing of Steve Jobs. The legacy he leaves is one of innovation, inspiration and the boldness to channel one’s passions to change the world. At the commencement speech for the 2005 graduating class at Stanford, he told three brilliant stories, which inspire us now and can shine a light for generations to come.

1. Connecting the Dots:
Steve Jobs dropped out of Reed College, but continued to drop in on courses he found interesting, sometimes without even knowing why. He stated, “If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later.

Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking Continue reading →

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Randy Taran

5 Steps to Happiness

Posted in Uncategorized    |    September 14th, 2011    |    What do you think?
From the Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/randy-taran/steps-to-happiness_b_957876.html

Some people set New Year’s resolutions, but I find this season, as school starts again, to be a perfect time for new beginnings. Right now I am thinking of setting some intentions, and I invite you to do the same.

As the autumn leaves fall, consider shedding old habits that no longer serve you. It’s a great time to focus on who you are and what practices will grow your happiness. What are the attitudes that will move you along? Here are five ideas that can make a difference:

1. Choose something you want to focus on. It could be getting more exercise, connecting with nature, taking a course you’ve been interested in or making regular time to connect with someone you love. By the way, that someone could be you. What are you longing for? Continue reading →

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Randy Taran

Cultivating Happiness by Expressing Your Authentic Self

Posted in Huffington Post    |    August 10th, 2011    |    What do you think?

From the Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/randy-taran/master-public-speaking_b_921681.html

So many of us hold back who we really are. It can be downright scary to reveal our true selves, whether to new people we meet or even in existing relationships. Aligning our inner life with our outer expression is one of the true paths to happiness. Here are some ways that can help get us there.

First some back-story: I personally find it challenging to reveal my inner self, especially in a public arena. This weekend I had to face those fears head on — public speaking … not just once, but twice! The first time was answering questions from the audience after showing a film I created and produced, Project Happiness. It’s about a topic I care deeply about: Young people exploring the nature of lasting happiness. Answering questions from people who share the same concerns as I do was well within my comfort zone. I was not thinking about how I sounded, or about any mistakes I might make — it was about sharing information with people who might benefit from it. My “inner critic” had left the room and it felt great. (more)

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