So ... what the heck is SSOHP?
The Secret Society of Happy People was formed in August 1998 to encourage the expression happiness and discourage parade raining. (Parade-rainers are those people who don't want to hear your happy news).
Somewhere between The Ed Sullivan Show and The Jerry Springer Show talking about being happy became politically incorrect. We're more comfortable airing our dirty laundry than telling people we've had a happy moment.
The Society believes happiness is contagious and that when more people talk about happy events and moments, it will be chic for everyone to do it.
The Society gained international recognition in December 1998 when it challenged Ann Landers for discouraging people from writing happy holiday newsletters to enclose with their holiday cards.
Since then the Society has:
*Announced the Ten Happiest Events and Moments of 1998 - 2003
*Identified the Thirty-One Types of Happiness
*Declared August and August 8th as Happiness Happens Month and Day -- Did your governor give us a proclamation?
*Organized voting for the Happiest Events, Inventions, and Social Changes of the Century
*Declared January 19-25, 2003 as first Hunt for Happiness Week
*Presented the first Happy Campaign Trails Award in November 2002
*More than 1.8 million people have contacted the Society through the web site and snail mail
*More than 6,000 people have become Not-So-Secretly Happy Members
"Don't Even Think of Raining on My Parade: Adventures of the Secret Society of Happy People" (PJ Press, June 2001) chronicles the Society's amusing journey from the beginning to present and identifies the types of happiness through insightful stories and witty pieces.
The Society has been featured in People Magazine and has been included in articles in Ladies Home Journal, Harpers, SELF, Redbook, Glamour, and New Age Journal. Founder Pam Johnson was on Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher. Hundreds of print and broadcast outlets throughout the world have covered the Society including CNN, The Associated Press, the Washington Post, the Dallas Morning News, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, and the Los Angeles Times. Parade named the Happiest Events, Inventions, and Social Changes of the Century as the Best List of the Century.
The Secret Society of Happy People is possible because of the following not-so-secretly-happy people:
Founder - Pamela Gail Johnson
Logo Designer - David C. Perry
Webmasters - Bob Wieland, Terry Pope, Garry Schwartz, Brian Hammer, Andre Friedman
"31 Types" Graphic Designer - Bruno Novi
© Copyright 2004 Secret Society of Happy People
All rights reserved.
SSOHP Website: http://www.sohp.com/
