“ Inspirational English ” talks to Shamash Alidina , one of the founders of the Museum of Happiness .
Hi Shamash . Can you tell me how you came up with the idea of the Museum of Happiness ?
Several things came together that gave me and my co-founder the idea . Firstly , I saw an advert by a fizzy drinks company almost promising people happiness if they bought the drink . That seemed untrue to me . Secondly , I met a volunteer at an event whose parents built and managed the Museum of Nonsense ( Nonseum ). And thirdly , I discovered that depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide .
Putting all these facts together , I googled museum of happiness and found nothing . So my co-founder and I decided to work together to create the world ' s first museum of happiness , based on our values of kindness , creativity , community and mindfulness .
You believe that “ Happiness arises from ' we ', not just ' me '”. Can you share with our readers about an event that you organised and what positive impact it has had on the community ?
A few weeks ago a homeless person came to the canvas cafe to enjoy a cup of coffee , as the cafe offers ' pay it forward ' coffees .
He then noticed the Museum of Happiness at the back and walked in . We had a free drop in meditation class happening . The man was shivering with cold so a couple of people offered him their scarf and a blanket . Then the
Shamash Alidina is the author of the book “ Mindfulness for Dummies ” and founder of “ Teach Mindfulness and Happier World ”.
The Museum of Happiness is a nonprofit organisation that provides an experiential adventure , where people of all ages and backgrounds can learn more about the essence of happiness and well-being . By using interactive exhibitions , workshops and events , they offer sciencebased techniques that people can implement into their everyday lives . The team believes in the following principles :
• Be as much volunteer run as possible - give from the heart for the joy of giving
• Don ' t spend too much time fundraising - trust people will support us along the way to be self-sustaining
• Be accessible to all , whatever their financial position - offering free or donation places when we can afford to do so
For more info :
ShamashAlidina . com MuseumofHappiness . org Facebook . com / shamashalidina Twitter . com / shamashalidina
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