2-20-2010
Ted,
I heard your interview with Laura Ingram on the radio this week. I went to Barnes and Nobles on Thursday and bought a copy of your book. I plan to pass it on to my son Trey, (who is in the mortgage business) March 8th his 45th birthday.
Would you be able to send Trey a email note for me to put in the book before I wrap it? It would be like a online book signing…..
Timing for such a book is ripe…our times are such much encouragement and business wisdom is in order. I feel lead to share a book that goes to the heart of the matter: “Mother Teresa and Me” (Ten Years of Friendship) by Donna Marie Cooper O’Boyle. There is a lot of the feminine side from Donna’s perspective but also much from the giving perspective side with Mother Teresa always closing with don’t forget “the Joy in loving Jesus” when caring for the poorest of the poor. You may be finding more Walter Scott’s entering your life and Mother Teresa is a priceless resource.

Thanks…
Janie Robertson

Ted – Thanks for this wonderful book. I am not a hockey fan – but I am a big fan of the “good life.” I am a student of positive psychology – and this book summarizes the science. A great practical approach to achieving life’s greatest and most elusive goal.

I heard this guy being interviewed on the radio a few weeks ago and he came across as a really smart, successful, and (obviously) happy man. Couldn’t quite place the voice but he was just ‘spot-on’ on all he said! So now Mr. Leonsis I am three chapters into your book – awesome stuff – can’t wait to finish! With dreams come the responsibility to pursue those dreams!!! My journey has now begun!

Ted, I just finished reading your book and all I can say Is what a positive outlook on life!!!! I will for sure follow your words of wisdom. I will just say thank you again for giving us such a good time in January!!! My brother-inlaw from Brooklyn invited my wife and I to a double header the Caps on Fri and the wizards Sat in one of your suites!!! I can only hope and pray that my brother-inlaw Is kind enough again to invite us we enjoyed Washington and the Verizon cntr!!!

Hello Ted-

I saw an inspiring keynote speech in November, 2009, titled “Delivering Happiness” by Tony Hsieh (CEO at Zappos Shoes) and have been reading other “Happiness” books, including “The Happiness Hypothesis” by Jonathan Haidt, recently. These were very good starting points on the subject of happiness. Mr. Hsieh provided an overview of successful approaches to work and life. Mr. Haidt provided a more analytical approach to happiness. These perspectives pushed me to explore the “happiness” concept further.

A few weeks ago I saw an interview with you where you discussed the premise of your book and your pursuit of happiness. I was compelled to read your book to learn more. It was easy to read and understand, prompted your readers to evaluate opportunities for sustained happiness in their own lives, and provided a blueprint for a successful work and home life.

You focused on some very important life lessons. It is easy to get caught up in your day to day life, ambivilent to what is happening to people around you. Your book focused me on positive times in my life where I was more involved in the community around me. I looked for new opportunities to apply your principles.

This past week I volunteered my time at a local community organization, went to an NHL hockey game, took my daughter to the park, and evaluated other happiness opportunities.

Thanks for writing this book.

Greg

Thanks for sharing. This is the first business/help book I ever bought or read. You are an inspiration. I am happier after just reading the book, and now it is time for me to get on with my list and to live without regret.

Please forward this to Ted

I am a fellow Greek American entrepreneur and national franchisor living in Orlando FL and would like very much to get together and have lunch with Ted and discuss a business alliance to see if we can do some philonthropic & other projects together.

I can be reached at 407-509-1449 Cell or 386-668-4018 Home.

Sincerely,
Chris M. Daskalakis
Founder & CEO
Mr. Fire Safety, LLC

Ted,

I love your book…I and not finished, but it has inspired me already to be a happier person for the sake of family and my professional career. It is so easy to get caught up in want we do not have and to see we must enjoy all that we do have. I am a Capitals fan too since 1980 and will always be behind them. Thank you for what you do…you have so many talents and it shows in everything you are involved with.

I heard you speak at Washington Business Journal event at Tysons Ritz Carlton in May. You generously gave everyone your book and signed each copy. I just finished reading the book last night. I read the end of it to my wife. You made both of us cry, describing some of the poor or crippled people you helped. Your heart is huge and you inspire all of us to do more for others.
I used to own one of the largest, most successful full-service real estate businesses in the Washington DC area. I think your success in business is phenomenal and well-deserved. I would love the opportunity to meet you. I had lunch today with one of your former partners in the Caps, Jim Cafritz. I told him how much I admired you. He encouraged me to contact you so this is it. I hope to hear from you. Thanks for making the world a better place. Ken Luchs

Mr. Ted Leonis
7600 Colshire Dr, Ste 110
McLean Virginia, 22102

7/5/2010
Subject: “A Spry 74”

Dear Mr. Leonis,

Sean, one of our 23 grandchildren gave me a copy of The Business of Happiness on Fathers Day. I am very impressed and inspired by your writing and by the time that I got to your Higher Calling Chapter, I was convinced that you should at least run for Governor of Virginia if not some higher office. Thank you for all the work that you did in writing this wonderful book!

I have experienced many of the same vicissitudes as you have in making and overcoming 98% of the mistakes that an entrepreneur can experience and survived them by Never Giving Up (available on Amazon.com) although I never hit it as big as you did and in addition, I lost a lot of my winnings, in the Internet meltdown in 2001.

In any case, I’m “off the bench” as “a spry CEO” (“name coined” by Melissa Castro of the Washington Business Journal in a recent interview) of Wave Energy Conversion Corporation of Ireland and I invite you examine material reflecting the potential for a “double bottom line” as well as thee real possibility, by my count, of fulfilling 7 of the 18 remaining open items on “Ted’s Life List”, specifically items 10, 15, 19. 33, 38, 95 and 101 almost, 40% of your objectives et me briefly explain:

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) 1.2 billion (~16%)of the Earth’s population, many of them living in coastal regions don’t have access to electricity or potable water and 3 million of these unfortunates die each year (7/minute, 24/7, 365 days/yr).

Mankind has the ability to substantively reduce and/or eliminate this tragic situation through the development and commercialization of the wave energy industry. See our ARPA-E petition to the department of Energy.

Mr. Leonsis, assuming that we have been able attract your attention with the foregoing introduction I would be honored to send you by email and/or “snail mail” (my book) follow up information, if you provide me with appropriate contact data. If you like what you see and read, I would then like to get together with you for a long lunch or dinner to explore a way that we together might work in pursuit of the “Higher Calling” on Mankind’s humanity. To his fellow

Sincerely,

Brian

Brian Cunningham
Brian@cunningham.net
Cell 301 365 0250

Thank you for your book. With my son and his friends leaving Langley High School for college in the fall, your accumulated words of wisdom is my graduation gift to them!

Ted,

I am contacting you on behalf of the Georgetown Club of Miami.
We would like to see if you may be available for one of our club events/activities.
I read you book last year and it has made a direct impact on my life as I have embraced the concept of widening my circles of relationships. Two of those include my high school and university alumni associations. I am now on the Board of of the GU Club of Miami.

Would appreciate it if you would write me above and i can provide you with more information. I know you are busy as hell, but I don’t mind reaching out and asking.

I’m SFS ’79.

Best,

Rick

Hi Mr. Leonsis,

I want to congratulate you for writing this book. I came to finding out about not too long ago because I work part time as a banquet server at an event in Tyson’s Corner Virginia where you presented your book and also signed it. I did not buy at the time because I was working but happen to glance at it and sparked an interest to know more about it. Also did not know if it would be one of those books about how you can become rich and stuff. I did not know if reading your book would leave me the experience like when you’re hungry and eat something that really you did not want to eat and end up feeling empty(still hungry) at the end. This is not the case with your book, so far I personally am finding it fulfilling, so it was well worth checking out from my local library.

Before I go on I most say what I really enjoyed about the book is your example of the tenets of happiness, you sharing what you have experience in life. I have to tell you that coming from a family that migrated to the US when I was of a very early age and having a difficult childhood due to my dad being an alcoholic most of his life and both mother/dad working two jobs. Also being the youngest of my two other bothers which in no way have served as role models or good examples, it has being very difficult for me all my life pushing myself to strive and reach my goals and be a productive person in society and not to mentioned the neighborhood where I grew up. I can relate to your growing up experience in New York and the environment around it. Thank god for my drive to want a better happier life, I have done okay to society standards and compared to my childhood friends and others who have lived and experienced the same conditions I have which have had far worse results. Yes, maybe I do not owe a Mercedes or have had one of those fabulous vacations others may share when talking at cocktail parties but, I am an optimistic person and try to smile each day and make the best of it, and that what makes me happy.

It is hard to push one self and like you mentioned what you experience upon your arrival at Georgetown about some kids that are raised with a silver spoon in their hands in order words, it can be very challenging and discouraging to always push oneself to accomplish things.
I can say, I had focus and had lost it but reading your book and almost finishing it, has help me regain motivation and restart the driving fire I always had and recapture my focus about accomplishing my happiness and goals. For the record, I am happy and do share the same belief you have that giving, being noble, humble, being grateful and generous is far more rewarding than owning a Porsche. So as far as being happy, I have being and have no regrets so far expect that wish I could remain more loyal to my goals.

As a young parent of two beautiful daughters and currently working two jobs to reach part of my goals, it can become hard and I had begun to lose faith in reaching my goals. After reading your stories about your experience especially the one with the higher calling really made me think of myself and envision my happiness and goals that have a higher calling . Just want to say thank you for taking time to share the experience and also pass along some of your knowledge to help someone. At the end is not how many people read and bought your book that matters, is how many people you helped with it and if its one, you have done part of your bargain with god that you promise that day with the airplane incident.

As for me my goals list is simple for the time being: spend more time with parents, read more, bring family more closely together, inspire my older brothers to do better, help support parents and family, continue on the path to being a role model or good example for my two daughters, be debt free, finish my associates and bachelors degree, get a better job, one day open my own business, continue to be noble, humble and help those in need, travel and retire some where in a warm climate country.

Mr. Leonsis, your story really touched and moved me because its so amazing to see how a kid with parents that did not finish school and also once thought by a guidance counselor not to be college material beat the odds and became someone very successful with a higher calling. I can really appreciate a book like yours.

Thank you
J Hernandez

Dear Mr. Leonsis,

I read your book with great interest, as I had one of the reckonings you mentioned you had. I was on Ethiopian Airline flight #961 that was hijacked and crashed in the Indian Ocean. I’m not only one of the survivors, but I came away with no permanent injuries. Out of 175 people on the plane, I’m probably a handful of the luckiest injury fee people.

During the time on the plane, when we knew we were going to crash, I did not reflect on what I would like to do differently if I survived. I thought all would be OK, and I would be fine. Both before that flight and while on the plane, I was very thankful for all the experiences I had had over my life, having traveled to over 60 countries and countless unforgettable experiences. If I were to die, I would have no regrets and would be grateful for the adventures up until that time.

After the crash when I learned I was one of the lucky ones, I got to thinking why. Why am I here, while so many others’ lives came to an end? I also realized I did not want to die. I really want to achieve something. Probably that is why I’m still here. Like you, I’m very much am an optimist, and that could be part of the reason.

Your six secrets are right on target as far as I’m concerned. Those are the things that really matter. Just to give back a bit and possibly show some self-expressions, here are some comments on the book.

On page 9-10, I too have my moments of reckoning of sitting on the park bench and drinking wine or go to the youth center. I don’t know why, but I was always attracted to a challenge and learning new things.

On page 43 at the bottom, there are a couple typos. “young people bringing” not “binging”

Also, at the bottom,……….”know how to use” not “know how use”

You mention throughout the book a “double bottom line”. I’m learning of companies that are somewhere between “no-profit” and “for profit”. They are called “low profit companies” and are chartered as such. I’m in Japan and met an old economic professor last week. He does a lot of volunteer work, and he mentioned the term “sustainable companies”. They all mean the same thing, as there is a double bottom line and what the organization is to achieve is far more important than a profit motive alone. This professor might get me into volunteer counseling, as I’m a Japanese speaking and many Japanese kids coming out of business school are struggling with where their future will take them. It should open a new community for me. I have had my role models over the years, and now it is time to give back.

On page 134, there is a typo. “and it did not take very long it all to go….” It should be, “not take very long at…….”

On page 138 the last line, there is a typo. The last word should be “then” not “than”.

On page 203 toward the bottom, there is a typo. “For someone journalists call…..” I think it should be “some”.

On page 207 in the second paragraph, there is a typo. “the earnings from his star turns in everything”. I think it should be, from his stardom returns in

On page 208 in the second paragraph, there is a typo. “just how many people you have you on your Buddy Lits,….” I think the red you should be deleted.

On page 234 in the middle, there is a typo. “….when some us might have a mansion and a fancy…” I think it should be when some of us might

On page 238 the line before the last paragraph, there is a typo. “….and if we can just get harness them, we’ll be okay.” I think get should be deleted.

On page 245, there is a typo in the first paragraph. “…..Ashley is a happy person because of way that she…..” I think there needs to be a the between “because of the way…”

On page 258, there is a typo toward the bottom. “……and should be proud of the fact of that she’s ….” I think this “of” should be deleted.

On page 261, there is a typo in paragraph four from the top. …..”I have known for more thirty years:…. I think it should be, “…known for more than thirty years.

On page 262, there is a type. “I promised God I would do, if I only I were….” I think the “I” should be deleted.

In the book you mentioned being stuck in traffic and reflected on the beautiful sunset while others were angry about being stopped. I wonder if we should do a study on what people (or we) are thinking when they (we) have to wait for something. It is our choice. We can make ourselves happy or miserable.

Lastly, about nine years ago, I had to make a career change and leave a large Japanese company and go out into the unknown. I left a career as a sales trainer. For me too, it was a great success. I learn that what I taught for over 20 years was extremely valuable, as I use it now in my current position, and I have filled factories with sales during a recession. Actually, I love recessions. When everyone else is depressed you can create great happiness by your perspective. People don’t die in recessions. They are not plane crashes!!

I have found all of what your write does bring happiness if you have the right perspective, and I guess we both do.

Thank you for your book and bringing more happiness into my life.

Best wishes,

Ron McFarland
Tokyo, Japan

I just started the 2nd section of the book, and have been telling everyone about it. I love the philosophy of not going for the money, but going for happiness or what’s important. I have been doing so much better helping my film co. get going, and realizing that the nature of the project – the humanity/cause/love – will get us farther than short term goals of trying to shake the money tree.

Ted,
My daughter recently graduated from Georgetown (volleyball-athletic scholarship) I wouldn’ t have been able to financially pay for it otherwise. I’m so grateful that she was able to attend such a great school. I stumbled upon your book in her pile of other school books. Just finished reading it. I’m 52 and have had a difficult time making lists. I tend to fly by the seat of my pants. My reckoning came at age 18. I have always felt I needed to write down more things including my journey through this life as well as my “bucket list” or life list. Thank you for the reminder to get back to matters that really make me happy!

Kurt