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WHAT IS A SILVER LINING ? by Anna Sizorina
The best thing that could have happened to me during the COVID-19 pandemic was to join a wonderful group of FAWCO members to pursue happiness and well-being . In the spring of 2020 , Christine Riney , the initiator of the Women ’ s Circle in Hamburg , invited me to participate in a positive psychology course — the Happiness Project . The project was called to life by Christine and Danielle Kuznetsov ( AWO Moscow ), FAWCO health co-chairs at the time .
The online course was offered by Professor Laurie Santos , who teaches at Yale University . She explained different misconceptions about happiness , expectations , and features of the mind that hinder us just being happy . We watched videos , read , and did tests . We discovered that happiness is grounded in PERMA : Positive emotions , Engagement , Relationships , Meaning , and Accomplishments . These five elements constitute the model of happiness developed by Martin Seligman , who postulated that active development of one ’ s own PERMA elements would increase mental health , subjective well-being , and vitality .
We practiced PERMA , meeting once a week with wonderful FAWCO friends connecting from the US , South Africa , Finland , Germany , and Russia . At this point , I must admit I was new to this group , I knew only Christine , and it took some time to feel at home in the virtual environment . With Danielle and her fine leadership , we discussed what we learned and how we felt during the first summer of the pandemic , being physically separated from each other and our friends and relatives worldwide . The spirit of connection created positive emotions ; sharing our accomplishments and realizing individual growth motivated us to follow the pathway of happiness and created new shared meaning . I realized that happiness could be learned .
Happiness expanded my curiosity and creativity . In the spring of 2021 , as part of the Women ’ s Circle project , I offered the online workshop “ March into Happiness .” Together with AWCH members , we learned that happiness might mean different things to different people . It is rooted in experience and our capacity to feel happy . Happiness does not require stability ; it is a transient state , and while for some it may be a goal , for others it is one of the stops on the road called life . We are happy when people who are important to us are around and when we feel valued and understood . We are happy when we belong .
Happiness is about reconnection . In November 2021 , at the FAWCO Regional Meeting in Vienna , I stood at a booth with gifts , talking to my neighbor … when somebody said , “ I know your voice . Are you Anna ? We were in the happiness course !” I looked up and saw Lauren Mescon ( AWC Amsterdam ) standing in front of me . We smiled and hugged
36 THE SILVER LINING