August is “Happiness Happens” Month - Vivien Schapera

Once upon a time, just before the turn of the century, a secret society of happy people started celebrating happiness with “Admit You're Happy Day,” on August 8, 1999. How cool is that! One of Vivien’s favorite topics is “happiness” and one of Vivien’s favorite books is The Art of Happiness by Howard Cutler and the Dalai Lama, so discovering that August is “happiness happens” month totally delighted her.

The wording is interesting, isn’t it? Happiness “happens.” We don’t have to try to be happy. Instead, we can ask ourselves “when does my happiness happen?” and then we can go from there. How liberating.

Finding your happy place is not an indulgence. Vivien would go so far as to say it is an essential need. After Neil was diagnosed with a cancer that would require management for the rest of his life, Vivien observed his lab results closely and noticed that after being in nature, Neil’s results were consistently better. Consequently, she arranged for several trips per year to places with either wildlife or breathtaking scenery.

We don’t need to wait to feel happy and then figure out why. We can easily reconstruct the precursors by taking a moment to ask ourselves: “When was I happy? What were the circumstances? Who was I with? How can I regenerate that?” and then, we can take time to reflect, allowing the answers to flow into consciousness. There are likely to be several answers. Some will no longer be available, some will be logistically complicated and some will be Goldilocks solutions that could work out just right.

How does Vivien know this? Because the answer appeared to her when scrolling through her August photographs. What’s in these photographs? For one thing, travel photos – trips to exotic shores like Southern Africa and the Azores, but also gorgeous domestic options like visiting foodie friends in Boston and exploring the lakes of Michigan. For another, shots of get-togethers with loved ones. Last, but not least, Vivien’s garden is designed to come into its full glory in the month of August. The annuals reach their zenith, boasting a cornucopia of color and abundance.

Looking at photographs is illuminating – they reveal what matters to you, what you care about. In fact, Vivien used this insight when she was feeling particularly stressed. Having spent her life with an extremely disciplined schedule of appointments and classes, a major source of tension comes from watching the clock day in and day out. To remedy the situation, Vivien uploaded 22 photos to her watch so that when she looked at the time, she would see a favorite memory or a loved one. Her set of photos includes beautiful travel scenes, exciting wildlife images and, of course, her darling grandchildren. Now when she glances at her watch, the frisson of anxiety has been eclipsed by a dose of happiness.

Put this all together and August naturally feels like a “soft” month, a happy month. It is the month when many people take vacations, spend more time with family and friends, enjoy long evenings sitting outside viewing the sunset. What is empowering, is that these words “happiness happens” have been arrived at brilliantly. Now the question is “can we let happiness happen to us this August?”

Vivien Schapera is an award-winning Teacher, Practitioner and Writer living in Cincinnati, OH USA. In private practice for over 40 years, she is also the founder of three schools, and the author of numerous blogs, vlogs, and books, including Everyday Magic, The Complete Guide to Crystal Surgery and her most recent 2026 publication, How to Establish and Maintain a Strong Client Base a handbook for people who want to earn a living doing what they love. For more information, visit www.CrystalHealingTechniques.com.

Photos by Neil and Vivien Schapera.

Article published in The Relatable Voice Magazine - August 2026. Download the full magazine at https://www.relatable-media.com/the-relatable-voice-magazine.