Testimonials
“Heather Kemper came by the Ambassadors recently. Yeah, she’s the Director of Development for Miriam School & Learning Center and yup, she is a board member for the O’Fallon Chamber of Commerce. She’s also a co-founder of 100 Women Who Care in St. Charles County. But does any or all of this make her happy? I would say, unequivocally, yes!
Ostensibly, Ms. Kemper’s goal is to help nonprofit organizations expand their mission. But really, she does this by helping all of us individually expand our missions. Sneaky, huh? Heather knows that happy people are dedicated to service to others.
Heather’s focus was on happiness. It seems like a simple thing, yet it can be elusive. Are you gladsome? Are you Grumpy or Ted Lasso? At least 50% of our happiness quotient is intrinsic. We were born with it. It’s our “set point.” However, only 10% of our personal satisfaction is due to circumstances. Remember that.
A full 40 percent of our glee is intentional. This is the part that we can control. Let’s do that, please. Here are a few simple things: healthy lifestyle, exercise, purposeful control of our thoughts. Mindfulness. But these are just the foundations. Heather believes that the primary factor in fostering happiness in ourselves is service to others. That’s truth.
Heather gave the Ambassadors a Happiness Survey to complete during her talk. I’m happy to report that—like the residents of Garrison Keillor’s fabled Lake Wobegon—we are all way above average. We are, as you may know, a club dedicated to the betterment of our community. We’re relatively happy because we are a service organization.
That’s the key. If rich people could buy happiness, they would. Many of us might think that we can increase our happiness with money. We buy stuff, we go places, we do things. That’s fluff.
Humans (like most of you reading this) are hardwired to give to other people. True happiness comes from helping others. So, find your true purpose, help others, and live happily.
The glee abides.”