Celebrate the International Day of Happiness with Music

 It's coming! The International Day of Happiness is March 20, 2021. 

Optimist International will kick-off the day with the Music Makes People Happy OptiForum. This upbeat opportunity is free to all Optimist Club members via Zoom. Registration is required at this link: https://bit.ly/3ewLSfM. 

The Music Makes People Happy OptiForum will feature inspiration by Bill Myers, a third-generation Optimist Club member, Emmy Award-Winning actor, musician, and producer. Bill will share stories of how music shaped his life and career in a positive way. 

Participants will also see the winners of the first-ever Musical Happiness program. The top three winners in the musical and vocal categories will be announced. You may watch their submissions on YouTube by searching for #OptimistMusicalHappiness2021or clicking on this link: https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/optimistmusicalhappiness2021. 

Optimist Clubs are encouraged to host a simple project for the Day of Happiness. It might be as simple as turning your Club's Facebook page into a Happiness wall by sharing uplifting notes of encouragement or perhaps sending an email chain of happy stories to each of your Optimist Club members.. 

If you reside in a community that has been able to relax its COVID restrictions, perhaps your Optimist Club might set up a happiness wall in a local park and ask people to write what makes them happy on a post-it note. Be creative and have fun. 

Most of all, be a #happyoptimist. 

Optimist Club members tell us why they #ChooseOptimism

Please double click to enlarge. 

Optimist International President Mark Weinsoff has asked the organization and its members to be more positive and more optimistic. He says, "We're on a mission to convert Optimist International from a service club organization to an optimistic organization that focuses on service to youth."

His method is to share the teachings of Martin Seligman and others who study and promote positive psychology. President Mark says that doing the following will make you and your Optimist Club a more inviting club, bring more fellowship to the group, and leave the individual feeling better state of well-being because of optimism:

Optimism – Hope and positive vision

Purpose – A cause to support

Engagement – A meaningful way to participate

Relationships – Interaction with positive minded people

Accomplishment – Satisfaction of making a difference

The video captures some of the reasons Optimist Club members from around the world say that they #ChooseOptimism

#ChooseOptimism on election day

It is election day in the United States. This symbolic day is the foundation of democracy. It's important that every citizen makes their choice for the representatives that will lead and govern the country. 

As members of an Optimist Club, it is important that we do something else. Today, and every day, we must choose optimism. Optimism is faith in today and hope for what can be. We must lead always with the positive and the positive will come to be. Our thoughts become our words. Our words become our actions. Our actions become our habits. Our habits become our character. Our character becomes our destiny. 

If you are in the USA, please go vote. 

If you reside in this universe, please choose optimism; make it your destiny. 

Choose optimism: Optimists are resilient leaders

October 8, 2020... We're going to be wearing masks for the foreseeable future. 

Communication is more difficult when we are wearing a mask because the mask hides our facial expressions. How do we convey friendliness and sincerity when our smiles are hidden behind cloth? How do we build rapport, indicate confusion, or convey good - or bad - intentions when nonverbal cues are not visible? 

Because Optimists are resilient, we have some mask-wearing communication tips to share: 

1) Use your mask voice. We mentioned that cloth is covering your smile and it is also muffling your voice. Individuals must speak louder than they normally would just to be heard. They must use different inflections to convey emotions including, but not limited to delight, confusion, and agreement. 

2) Be an active listener. When mouths are hidden, speakers can't tell if their audience is listening. It's up to the listener to nod and give verbal cues, like "Mm-hmm," or "Go on," to their partners and teammates. 

3) Smile anyway. The act of smiling can be seen in your eyes and that will convey sincerity and friendliness. Practice smiling with your eyes so the crinkling feels more natural. 

While wearing a mask may make us feel closed off, adding these communication tips will help both speakers and listeners be more open, available, and communicative. 

Choose optimism: Optimists are resilient leaders and know how to communicate.

Reference: "How to build rapport while wearing a mask, " by Dustin York

Plan today to be an Honor Club

What is the single best idea you can have for your Optimist Club this year? As the new administrative year gets underway, we think of all the ways we may serve our community, increase our fundraising, and share fellowship. We even think about how we can change our outlook so that we will always #chooseoptimism. The best idea that we can have is to plan today to be an Honor Club. 

An Optimist Club that achieves Honor Club status is doing all that it can do to build a legacy that will make an impact in its community today and for years to come. By performing service projects, adding members, and reporting its progress to Optimist International, an Optimist Club becomes an integral and uplifting part of its members' lives. Optimist International encourages every club to take the steps to be an Honor Club. 

Please watch the video to see what an Optimist Club should do every year to be its best. 

The California flag is raised in St. Louis

The new administrative year began on October 1. This year, as every year, a flag ceremony was held at the Optimist International office in St. Louis, Missouri to raise the state flag of the newly installed International President. Attending virtually was the Immediate Past International President Adrian Elcock of Barbados. Attending in person was the 2020-2021 International President Mark Weinsoff as the flag for California was raised at 4495 Lindell Blvd.

This video samples the day plus a little bit more.

   

President Mark asks us to #ChooseOptimism and help our organization become a group of optimistic clubs that serves the youth and our communities. 

If you are new to this page, please visit Optimist.org to find an Optimist Club near you and join today.