WORKSHOPS & AOH Six-Week Personal Course

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PREFACE 

In the 19th century, the pioneering psychologist William James once wrote, “How to gain, how to keep, how to recover happiness is in fact for most men [people] at all times the secret motive for all they do.” This seems reasonable. Certainly every major life decision is based on the underlying belief, consciously or unconsciously, that it will lead to greater happiness. Motivated by this belief, people may decide to marry, strive for wealth and prestige, struggle to buy a home and fill it with possessions, seek out endless entertainments, or take nice vacations. All these things can be seen as investments in a happier life. It seems there can be countless ways to seek happiness. 

But how effective are these approaches? A divorce rate of over 50% in America suggests that marriage doesn’t always do it. Neither does status or pursuing greater wealth (at least once you’re above the poverty line). Enjoyment of new possessions often wears off once the novelty is gone, and a vacation’s relaxing effects may be extinguished your first morning back at work by a conflict with a customer or co-worker. 

In fact, research by Harvard psychologist Dan Gilbert has shown that human beings are generally not very good at determining how to find genuine happiness. Why? In considering this, you might first ask, “Out of all the years I’ve spent on earth, how much time have I devoted to directly learning about happiness and ways to achieve it?” For most people, the answer is “very little” or “none.” That shouldn’t be too surprising. After all, did your parents sit you down one Saturday afternoon to teach you how to be happy? Or, did you take courses on “How To Be Happy” in high school? 

To this, one might respond, “Of course not! Happiness doesn’t work like that!” Well, as it turns out, happiness does work like that. With the birth of the new field of science known as “positive psychology” over a decade ago, happiness has finally become a legitimate subject of scientific investigation, for the first time in human history. And the explosion of scientific research on happiness in recent years has shattered some of the common misconceptions about happiness and how to achieve it. Here are a few: 

• MYTH: Happiness can be elusive or ephemeral, and often comes out of the blue, when you least expect it. It’s not something you can go after directly or cultivate intentionally. But if you assemble all the right conditions—the right spouse, family, job, wealth, lifestyle, etc.— then happiness arises naturally as a kind of by-product from all these things, or from pleasant circumstances and events. 

False! One of the most revolutionary findings emerging from this new field of science is the discovery that happiness is something can be learned, much like learning any other skill—and researchers have now identified a number of practical strategies and techniques that can be used to systematically increase your customary level of day-to-day happiness. These techniques not only “train your mind,” but also produce positive changes in the structure and functioning of the brain. 

• MYTH: Happiness is just about “feeling good,” and walking round with a silly grin on your face. Taking a course on happiness seems frivolous compared with working on the really important things in life, like improving your marriage, family, career success, wealth, or health. 

False! New scientific research has found some remarkable and surprising secondary benefits of happiness—it directly leads to greater success in every key area of life! In fact, increasing your customary level of happiness may be the most efficient way of simultaneously bringing about improvements in your health, relationships, career success, income, and more. 

• MYTH: Happy people tend to be shallow, even a bit stupid. As Gustave Flaubert once wrote, “To be stupid, selfish, and have good health, are three requirements for happiness, though if stupidity is lacking, all is lost.” 

False! Studies have shown that happiness and positive emotions increase creativity and improve mental functioning. 

• MYTH: Well, okay, maybe happiness leads to all of these personal rewards. But with all the problems and suffering in the world, focusing on increasing your own happiness seems self-indulgent and self-centered—it does nothing to help others or contribute to a better world. 

False! Studies show that unhappy people are more self-focused and selfish, while happiness naturally makes people more charitable, increasing a person’s willingness to reach out and help others. In this course you will learn about the inextricable link between personal happiness, kindness, and compassion—and discover some remarkable ways that your happiness can have a positive impact on your family, community, and society. In fact, if you are truly interested in helping to build a better world, it could even be seen as your duty to be happy. 

We invite you to learn more about The AOH Personal Training Course, a six-week program designed to increase your customary level of day-to-day happiness. This program presents a unique opportunity to invest in yourself—an investment that pays the priceless dividends of happiness, success, and maybe even a renewed chance to help make the world a better place. 

ABOUT THE COURSE 

The AOH Personal Training Course is a unique six-week program, offering a practical, science-based method of increasing happiness, using an approach that bridges East and West. The course is based largely on the groundbreaking international bestseller, The Art of Happiness, by H.H. the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, M.D., supplemented with extensive new information and practical techniques, drawn from positive psychology, neuroscience, and Buddhism. The course is designed to help you directly cultivate greater happiness and life-satisfaction, working privately with board-certified psychiatrist, 

Researchers have recently discovered that the benefits of happiness extend far beyond simply “feeling good.” Studies have shown that increasing your customary level of happiness will directly bring about a wide array of secondary benefits: including better physical and mental health, increased longevity, improved relationships (e.g. dating success, marital satisfaction), increased creativity, greater career success, higher income, and much more—it is essentially “one stop shopping” for achieving greater success in every key area of life! And while the personal benefits of increased happiness are certainly impressive, there are even greater rewards: Those taking the course will learn about the link between personal happiness, kindness, and compassion, discovering how cultivating greater happiness not only benefits oneself, but also one’s family, community and society. 

Take advantage of this rare opportunity to explore the AOH approach to happiness with Dr. Cutler, acquiring the knowledge and practical skills to bring about a sustained increase in your day-to-day happiness, reduce stress, and overcome everyday problems. Past participants have consistently reported the six-week course to be a very valuable and rewarding experience, an exciting period of self-discovery and growth. This can be your time to re-evaluate your life and what makes it truly worthwhile. 

COURSE DETAILS 

• A highly personalized private course, with a focus on applying the AOH principles and practices to your own circumstances, personal issues, and challenges in your daily life.

• Opportunity to work privately with Dr. Cutler, one of the world’s leading experts on happiness and a pioneer in the field now known as “positive psychology.” 

• The course includes five weekly private sessions by phone (50 min.) from the comfort of your own home or office. Both day and evening sessions available, including weekends.

• Learn the key principles and practices of The Art of Happiness, the main text for the course, a beloved classic that has been a source of help and inspiration to millions. Translated into 50 languages, the book has appeared on bestseller lists across the globe, including a remarkable 97 weeks on The New York Times Bestsellers list in America. 

• You will also explore new information, the latest scientific research on happiness, and additional practical exercises, expanding beyond the core material from The Art of Happiness. 

• Extensive AOH Workbook, sent by email as weekly handouts (PDF file), which list the week’s objectives, and discuss key ideas.

• The best of East & West: A unique program uniting modern Western science with ancient Buddhist principles and techniques—designed to benefit individuals from all backgrounds and faiths. 

Gifts: A  personally signed copy of the Art of Happiness book upon completion and a surprise gift.

Note: The AOH Personal Training Course is not intended as treatment for mental illness, emotional disorders, nor as a substitute for psychiatric treatment or mental health care. 

REGISTRATION AND COST

Tuition for six-week program: $2675 USD. This includes all course materials. 

TAX DEDUCTION: Scientific studies have conclusively shown that increased happiness (the skills you will learn in this course) can have direct work-related benefits: improving one’s performance at work, leadership skills, and career or professional success. If you are enrolling in the course for these reasons your tuition may be tax deductible. Please consult with your tax advisor about this. Upon request, written documentation of these scientifically verified work-related benefits can be provided. 

For further information, questions, or if you wish to register for the AOH Personal Training Course, please contact us by email at: helenwinters2@gmail.com

Upon receiving your request, we will promptly reply, and if there is an opening for enrollment we will send you information that will enable you to fill out a Registration Form and pay the course tuition (via Paypal) online.

Payment of the tuition fee is required at the time of registration. 

Once you are registered, we will automatically contact you to go over some preliminary information, such as the calling procedures for your private phone sessions, and arrange dates and times for your sessions that fit with your schedule. You will receive the course materials and Week One Handout a minimum of two weeks prior to your first phone session with Dr. Cutler, giving you ample time to prepare. 

IMPORTANT: Due to his writing schedule (finishing the remaining volumes of his Art of Happiness book series with the Dalai Lama) and his involvement in other projects, Dr. Cutler has only a very limited number of openings for enrollment in the AOH Personal Training Course. Thus, enrollment in the course is on a “first come, first served” basis. Dr. Cutler has some other upcoming commitments that will likely further reduce openings for enrollment in this private “one-on-one” training course as the year progresses. Therefore, if you are interested in enrolling in this course, it is highly recommended that you contact us as soon as possible, to inquire about availability. 

Give the “Gift of Happiness.” 

There is no greater gift than giving happiness. In response to your inquiries, Dr. Cutler has made Gift Certificates available for the AOH Course. This unique gift would be ideal, for example, for a student—in view of studies linking happiness with improved academic achievement and athletic performance. Or, as a college graduation gift, it would increase the graduate’s chances of later success across multiple life domains (e.g. career success, income, health, lower divorce rate, etc). If interested, please contact us for details.