My dear friend and happy guest Lionel Ketchian,is a man who walks his talk. “I don’t need anything to make me happy,” said Lionel. “I’ve been happy for almost 18 years. When you’re happy, you become loving and even healthier”.

Ketchian remembers how he felt when his happiness streak began. “I was aware I was happy. I said to myself, ‘This feels great, but how long will it last? What’s going to take this feeling away from me?’ I knew it would be hard to hold onto at the time,” Ketchian said. “It’s a skill that you practice. Like going to the gym, you sort of build your happiness muscles.“

Being happy is a state of mind and a choice one has to make moment to moment. “When you’re happy, you’re better able to solve problems,” Ketchian explained. “To me this is common sense. When people succeed, the mind can be a beautiful place to live. Happiness is when our bodies are at equilibrium, and we have control of the thermostat. Happiness is emotional competence.”