Be happy. This is the mantra of countless songs, poems, bumper stickers, and even part of the Ninth Amendment. Our forefathers thought it was important for every American to pursue their own happiness, and now Grand Valley State University offers an opportunity for faculty and students to do so with the Happiness Club.

“People who have a happy and positive outlook have much better health than those who do not,” said Linda Yuhas, founder of the Happiness Club and director of compensation and employment service at GVSU. “They are much more successful in life, relationships (and) work. Whatever they take on…it just leads to a higher quality of life.”

The Happiness Club formed in May 2013 after Yuhas began looking for ways to expand on the workshops she lead on campus.

“I give workshops on happiness habits, how to develop habits to make you a happier person,” Yuhas said. “I want people to carry on the message, the importance of happiness. The Happiness Club was the result of that kind of thinking.”

Happiness Club meetings include a guest speaker and a group discussion. Meetings involve an array of activities such as creating vision boards, magic shows, the sharing of family traditions or explaining the benefits of play. At their next meeting, the club will focus on creating vision boards.

A vision board is a “visual roadmap of what you want to see happen in your life,” according to Sandra Jennings, co-leader of the club. Vision boards include a collage of images that an individual has hand picked from magazines or various printed medias.

There are no rules to creating a vision board, only that the images create positive thoughts and goals.

“My vision board is so sophisticated, it has six panels… One for every area of my life that I would like to see growth in,” Jennings said. “What we present in the Happiness Club are tools… All kinds of tools for being happy.”

The Happiness Club offers a positive environment for students and staff to be involved in. According to Yuhas, the purpose of the club is to raise people up and have members leave meetings happy and positive in order to have those feelings have a ripple effect on the people around them.

The club seeks not only to improve the quality of life for its members, but anyone in the community around them. When it comes to the everyday hustle and bustle of life, a positive outlook can be vital.

The Happiness Club is open to both staff and students. The next meeting will be on June 26 at noon in Room 1090 Zumberge Hall. For more information, visit www.gvsu.edu/events.