Many well-meaning people think focusing on personal happiness in such a tumultuous time is self-centered, that our energies should be focused more on helping others. In fact, building our personal happiness muscles is one of the best ways to help advance whatever cause is near and dear to our hearts. Ginny Sassaman, author of “Preaching Happiness: Creating a Just and Joyful World” lays out in a very down to earth way how the science of happiness can help us find more joy AND greater effectiveness in our social justice work. 

Ginny Sassaman is the author of “Preaching Happiness: Creating a Just and Joyful World,” a collection of her sermons published in 2020. She is a writer, mediator, artist and activist. As a co-founder of Gross National Happiness USA and of the Happiness Paradigm, she has spoken on the connection between personal happiness and social justice coast-to-coast, and even in Costa Rica. Ginny is a member of the Unitarian Church of Montpelier, which invited her to deliver her first sermon in 2013. Since then she has delivered dozens of sermons at UU churches in Vermont, Massachusetts, Wisconsin and South Carolina. Ginny has a Masters in Mediation and Applied Conflict Studies, and a Certificate in Positive Psychology.

Happiness is not just an inside job. We are all also governed by systems, beliefs, paradigms – and measures.  Measures like salary, the price of gas or our weight not only guide many of our personal decisions but also can dictate sometimes wildly skewed public policy, like the Gross Domestic Product, or GDP, paradigm which dictates how success is measured much more than it should, and at too high of a price. This sermon highlights the need to adopt a more holistic set of measures for greater well being for all, and to step away from the GDP which is leading to economic devastation and undermining collective happiness and well-being.

Ginny is a co-founder and past president of Gross National Happiness USA, and is currently on the GNHUSA advisory board. In 2011, Ginny started the Happiness Paradigm as a platform for writing, teaching about, and advocating for greater personal happiness and systems change for well-being. She has been a speaker on these topics in Costa Rica; Seattle; Santa Fe; Charlotte, North Carolina, and  and city and state officials crafting a well-being index in Charlotte, North Carolina; and Burlington, Vermont.  Ginny has a masters in Mediation and a Certificate in Positive Psychology. She has brought her education, experience, and insights about happiness to Unitarian Universalist pulpits since 2013. In 2020, Ginny published a book of these sermons called Preaching Happiness: Creating a Just and Joyful World, a book the Midwest Book Review describes as “Deftly written, impressively informative, exceptionally thoughtful and thought-provoking.” Ginny is a member of the Unitarian Church of Montpelier, and is very happy to be back

 

Elizabeth Gilbert defines creativity as the relationship between a human being and the mysteries of inspiration. Others say, it is just making stuff. However it is defined, creativity is a vital aspect in every part of all our lives, from painting rocks on camping trips to parenting to designing transportation systems for the 21^st century.  Being creative is one of the most fundamental needs of human life. No wonder it is good for our health and happiness, and is key to building a more just and joyful world.

Ginny created the Happiness Paradigm Store and Experience, and is immediate past president of Gross National Happiness USA. She travels widely to present on the interconnection between personal happiness and systems change for well-being, including recently addressing the Gross Global Happiness conference in Costa Rica, and city and state officials crafting a well-being index in Charlotte, North Carolina. Her book, Preaching Happiness: Creating a Just and Joyful World is due in book stores on July 25th. also works as a meditation teacher. She is a member of the Unitarian Church of Montpelier, where she led her first service in 2013. Since then, Ginny has led services in local UU churches as well as churches in South Carolina, Wisconsin, and Massachusetts. She is always grateful to share the wisdom of happiness with UU congregations

Happiness expert Sonja Lyubomirsky has written that forgiveness is the most difficult happiness practice. Ginny has found in her happiness work that many people struggle with the concept – yet it is so important for our own well-being and happiness, and, again, can and must be applied to the much broader community to move toward peace. This sermon also addresses some of the myths of forgiveness.

Ginny Sassaman created the Happiness Paradigm Store and Experience, and co-founded Gross National Happiness USA. Just this past September, Ginny stepped down from her position as president.  Ginny has a masters in mediation and conflict studies; she now works as both a mediator and a meditation teacher, and as a happiness writer and advocate.  She is a member of the Unitarian Church of Montpelier, where she led her first service in 2013. Since then, Ginny has led services in local UU churches as well as churches in South Carolina, Wisconsin, and Massachusetts. In two weeks, she will be a presenter at a GNH conference for international business leaders in Costa Rica. She is always grateful to share the wisdom of happiness with UU congregations and other receptive audiences.

Probably everyone has had immeasurable numbers of deeply satisfying gratitude experiences – though likely, with little knowledge of how much good they were doing for their own well-being, much less the broader community, too. Yet, according to guest preacher Ginny Sassaman, an “Attitude of Gratitude” is so beneficial, it’s almost a requirement for anyone who wants to be happy and/or wants to make the world a happier place. Sassaman, an experienced lay preacher throughout central Vermont, and a national expert on happiness, will share the science and beauty of gratitude on October 28th.