When Laura Lavigne signed a lease on the Center for Happiness' Ballroom in 2011, she was aching for Community. Her kids were growing up and she could feel a painfully strong yearning for more Connection.
She was not sure how it would play out but she knew that for sure, the first things she needed a container. Very soon, the Ballroom became a beautiful, welcoming, safe container for ... whatever wanted to happen. As the months passed, Connection happened as a small group of passionately supportive people started to gather regularly at the Center for Happiness for workshops, classes, or a piece of chocolate and a hug. Barely a year later, the Happiness Sprinkling Project was born, and then one late Tuesday night, again yearning for Connection, Laura launched the 90-day Gratitude Attitude Challenge, on Facebook. Within days, another community was born, online this time. After 90 days passed two things became obvious: 1) there was no way 90 days were going to be enough (the group still exists, grows and thrives) and 2) Laura had a knack for creating fertile containers for Community. Since then, new communities have been formed, each with its own Form of the same mission: to bring Joy, Ease, Community and Kindness to anyone that crosses their path. Countless lives have been enriched, deep friendships born and nurtured as the lines between online and off line have become beautifully blurred. |
I felt a real sense of joy when I entered the center last night. You have created a very special atmosphere and space for people to come together. It was like a warm light of happiness overcame me. Thank you for that.“
“I don’t know what life would be like without the 90-Day Gratitude Group or without the Center for Happiness” “I love all my concerts and I put my heart into my singing always. But sometimes there is a special gathering of people, or the place and time simply evoke a certain atmosphere that makes my songs seem more natural and right. All those things happened at the Center for Happiness. I just talked as if I were talking to a friend in a coffee shop, telling stories and mentioning whatever came to me in the moment. As I sang it felt like every one of us was living inside the notes and lyrics. It occurred to me about halfway through that what I was experiencing was the sensation of a roomful of people having no separation between us. I remember telling the audience about this – though I do not know if I articulated it very well at the time. That probably didn’t matter, because they knew already” - Michael Tomlinson “I love The Center! The feeling I get just walking through the doors is amazing, not to mention how I feel after I have taken one of the classes that I am very quickly becoming addicted to! You have created a wonderful place and I am so very happy that I found you!” “Thank YOU for touching people’s lives the way you do with your loving energy. Without you and your creation of the Center for Happiness, this, and all other happiness “adventures,” would not be possible.” |