HAPPINESS (Part 3)“Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.”~Buddha

Dr. Patrick Lau was born in Hong Kong and immigrated to the U.S. after high school. He retired from the VA Northern Indiana Heath Care System where he served as Chief Radiologist and moved to Florida with his wife in 2011. He was an active member & contributor of IACA and ICMA while in Indiana. Dr. Lau is also a scholar of art and literature and a prolific writer, he has been a dedicated columnist for Indy Asian American Times since 2010.

Many studies have found that social engagement is most strongly linked to happiness. Companionship offers a comforting sense of belonging that boosts overall life satisfaction. Gathering together with friends is one of the best ways to increase happiness. Also, surrounding ourselves with happy and content people will enhance our mood and make us happy. Being compassionate for the people in our lives and knowing that we are, in return, cared for is, in fact, one of the most significant predictors of happiness. David G. Myers, PhD, says, “There are few better antidotes to unhappiness than close friendships with people who care about you.” Friends celebrate with us our successes, as well as support and encourage us during our trying times. Researchers have found that having a network of social connections and support improves our immunity system against infection, reduces our risk of cardiovascular disease and decreases mental decline as we age. For both men and women, marriage increases levels of happiness regardless of income or age. A study by Seligman found that almost all happy people are in a romantic relationship. In fact, people in steady relationships are, by and large, happier than singles. George Sand once said, “There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved.” Relationship also offers the significant meaning and purpose of our life leading to happiness. According to a 40 year study on child rearing practices conducted at Harvard, those children who were hugged and cuddled more grew up to be the happiest.

Holding a grudge and nursing grievances can negatively influence physical and mental health. They can deter positive emotions including contentment and satisfaction. One of the best ways to curb such feelings is to foster forgiveness. According to Michael McCullough, PhD and Robert Emmons, PhD, forgiveness decreases the power of bad events to generate bitterness and resentment. Forgiveness, in fact, can transmute bitterness into a neutral feeling or a positive feeling, consequently enhancing our happiness and bringing back our life satisfaction. Forgiving individuals are generally happier with the less likely possibility of hatred, anger, depression, and hostility.

People who endeavor to achieve a goal or accomplish a mission are happier. Committing to pursue our goals enhances happiness because: it offers a sense of purpose and efficacy; it gives us the feeling of control over our lives; it augments self-esteem and self-confidence; and it inserts meaning to our lives. The best way to enhance our continuing feelings of happiness is to realize our strengths, talents and life purpose and to share them with other people.

Research led by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, PhD, found that we enjoy the greatest satisfaction while we are thoroughly engaged in and focused on meaningful activities. We should seek tasks that challenge us without overwhelming us. In other words, if we are intensely involved in attempting to achieve a goal, or

an activity that is demanding but well suited to our skill and ability, we experience a happy state that Dr.

Csikszentmihalyi refers to as “flow.” In a state of “flow” we lose our self-consciousness while we are entirely absorbed in an activity- intellectual, social, or physical. We know that we are in “flow,” when we lose awareness of time; we are not thinking about ourselves; we are not interrupted by irrelevant thoughts; and we work effortlessly.

Religious or spiritual people tend to be happier. Studies at Duke University’s Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health, found that people who pray and attend religious services on a regular basis are less likely to have hypertension, anxiety disorders and depression, and they are more resilient to failure, impediments and tragedy; thus religion positively affects our physical and mental health. Religious people are happier; this is probably due to social connectedness, having a sense of purpose in life as well as being more satisfied with life than the non-religious. Religious organizations and churches furnish people with sturdy social support as well as opportunities for making new friends, socializing and community service.

Engaging in spiritual practice provides us with greater life satisfaction. According to Andrew Weil, M.D., spiritual practices do not necessarily involve religion. They include activities that make us feel more alive, more connected to others and to nature, less isolated and more comfortable with change, such as walking in the woods, sitting in a park, bringing flowers into our home and admiring them, listening to music that is inspirational and uplifting, admiring a painting and so forth. Spiritual and religious prayer facilitate us in practicing meditation, which can calm our mind and body, reduce stress and anxiety as well as promote positive thinking. Conclusively, both religion and spirituality can offer us perspective, hope and sense of meaning. Religious and spiritual people are happier, healthier, live longer, cope better and recover from illness and injury faster and have more satisfying marriages.

Researchers found that by exercising 20 minutes three days per week, will improve our general feeling of happiness by 10-20%. Regular aerobic exercise reduces the incidence of depression and enhances mental well-being. A study at University of Oxford showed that activities that made people happy are sports, music and dancing, particularly group dancing. Physical activity enhances happiness because: it makes us feel in control of our bodies and health; it can distract our mind from worries and negative thoughts; it causes our brain and body to produce endorphins, chemicals that can trigger a positive feeling, and help us feel more peaceful and happy; it reduces stress, anxiety and depression; and it boosts self-esteem.

IACA & IAAT Exhibit a Hit at the International Festival 37th Annual INDY INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL

took place on Nov 22-24, 2013. As central Indiana’s largest and oldest pan-ethnic celebration, it was hosted by the Nationalities Council of Indiana and showcased Indiana’s ethnic diversity, celebrates our unique ethnic traditions, and encourages cultural exchange.

Indiana Association of Chinese Americans ( IACA) and Indy Asian American Times(IAAT)’s presence at the International Festival was highlighted by historical photos and histories featuring a royal visit a century ago, Prince Pulun ( Nov 10, 1874 - Jan 21, 1927) who was the nephew of the Chinese emperor Cixi and heir to the throne visited Indianapolis in 1904 during his trip to St. Louis World’s fair. Volunteers were on hand to answer questions and meet people who were interested in the stories. In additional to photos show, there were also free giveaway items throughout the four-day affair.

IACA and IAAT are proud to be part of the International Festival, and the interactive booth is a

Thanksgivning Turkey with all of the fixings!

hit with visitors year-after-year as they had a chance to meet more people and learn about themselves. The ‘Explores, Visionaries and Heroes’ theme not only matched this year festival, but also engaged the Chinese immigrants, both the earliest settlers and the newest arrivals, in appreciating the rich history of Chinese in Indiana.

Chinese students from local universities also operated booths, selling bracelets, fans and other handcrafted items from China. They enjoyed reaching out to other cultures through the festival and liked the interest from the community.

This was my first international festival and I was very impressed at the diversity. I had no idea we had so many different cultures here and not to mention there’s a good mix this year of new performers and vendors and old standbys that people like to see.

We would like to show our gratitude to each one of the volunteers for their support. It’s a great experience and look forward to 2014 festival.

印州华报和华美协会亮相国际节

第37届印州国际节与11月22至24日举行，这是印第安纳地区最大，历史最悠久的多民族庆祝活动。 展会由印第安纳民族理事会主办，旨在鼓励多元文化，庆祝各民族传统并鼓励各民族和文化间的交流。印州华美协会和印州华报在这次国际节上设立

展台，将1个世纪前中国皇家访问印州的故事和图片第一次全面展示出来。展览讲述了清朝贝子溥伦（1874年11月10日-1927年1月21日）在1904年带队参加圣路易斯世界博览会之际，造访印州，与当地华人见面的历史故事。展台准备了可供人了解的小册子，并有志愿者在一旁解答问题。这样互动的形式充分满足了访客了解中国和

印州渊源的欲望，并淋漓尽致的展现了”开拓者、远见家及英雄们”的主题，而这一主题与今年国际节倡导的精神不谋而合，非常应景。前来观看了解这段故事的华人都对能了解到这段有意义的历史啧啧称赞。当地大学的中国学生也设立了展台，展示并出

售中国特色工艺品及各种礼品。他们很享受各文化间交流的机会和由此带来的思想碰撞。笔者是第一年参加印州国际节，展会的文化多

元化及各民族间的友好交流给我留下了深刻的印象。印州华报和华美协会也借此机会感谢志愿者们

的支持。期待明年的国际节更精彩。

Visitors to the IACA/IAAT booth

Parade of Nations on Stage

IACA leading the parade of Nations

Silk Road Ensemble Dancer

IAAT 2013 Thanksgiving Party Cold weather didn’t put a damper on the holiday

fun at the Indy Asian American Times (IAAT) Thanksgiving dinner for staff and their family members on Dec 1st. By the time dinner began, the house of Agnes Wolverton, President of China Journal Indiana, Inc had started getting crowded, full of joy and mouth-watering aromas. .

The evening kicked off with speeches by Hu Peiyi, Managing Director and Treasurer of IAAT and Agnes welcoming everyone’s attendence. They recalled the development of IAAT and appreciated the staff’s hard work and families’ support. Chen Liying, IAAT Vice President and Zhou Shaoyu, IAAT Bloomington Region Director also showed strong encouragement for continued teamwork. Page editors Henry Fu, Li Hong, David Chang, as well as photographer Yin Hong and Publication Assistant Zachary Kim each shared their own life and work experience in Indy and expressed their appreciation to be part of the team.

The real spirit of the party, however, came from the students and teachers from Purdue, IU, and IUPUI who also attended the party. The students are in charge of their own pages featuring their life and

study in Indiana. Kong Nan and Geng Kaitian, two Purdue students, introduced their first self-directed documentary movie, entitled “Us”. Earlier this year, Purdue launched Voice magazine, seeking to provide Purdue’s 4,000 Chinese students a forum for expression on campus. Li Tingyu, Season Wang and other IU students shared how they work together on articles in Bloomington. The combined contribution of individuals allows the students to see the progress and motivate them to share more about their life in Bloomington.

The party also brought many of IAAT’s reporters together, including Lily Jia, Lucy Huang, Wang Lu, Sunny Yu, etc. They said it was great to finally meet each others after having read their articles and reports so many times.

It was a jovial occasion, filled with laughter. From a must-have turkey made by the host to a wide range of delicious Chinese dishes brought by those in attendances, it was truly a meal worth waiting all year long for. We are thankful for each other’s support in our shared effort to make IAAT better!

IAAT Sports reporter Lucy Huang, 黄昱 addressing the team

Indy Asian American Times Community 社区 2013 年 12月 13日 星期五6 Friday, December 13, 2013

Indy Asian American Times Web Site: www.indyaat.org Email: editor@indyAAT.org China.journal.indiana@gmail.com P.O. Box 852, Carmel, IN 46082-0852