![\"Alumna](\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Alaska-Michelle-240x300.jpg\")
\u201cThe common thread through all the interviews is that happiness is a choice,\u2019\u2019 Wax says. \u201cIt\u2019s something that\u2019s internally created and not something a person, material item, or circumstance can bring to you long term. I\u2019ve interviewed people from all different ages and occupations and lifestyles, and they have all made a choice to create and choose happiness every day. But that definition of happiness isn\u2019t one-size-fits-all; it was as unique as they are.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
In addition to the interviews and beautiful scenery, the documentary includes easy-to-understand scientific research about how the brain is wired and how people can use that information to increase their happiness.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope people will tap into ideas and different ways of thinking, change their perspective, embrace new ideas, and re-evaluate how they\u2019re processing what\u2019s going on around us,\u2019\u2019 she says. \u201cEven a small tweak in our actions and thinking will create more long-term fulfillment.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
After what has been a universally difficult year due to the pandemic, people are looking critically at their lives, their values, and seeking to nurture greater resilience, she says.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had an incredible journey, that I felt was almost stamped on my soul,\u2019\u2019 Wax says.<\/p>\n
From Cookie Boss to Happiness Pioneer<\/strong><\/p>\n A native of Dover, Massachusetts, Wax majored in management at UConn, with a concentration in entrepreneurship. After graduation, she created a cookie-catering company called Kitchen Millie, named after her grandmother. It grew from a side business to a permanent one, with prominent clients.<\/p>\n She later formed a second business, The Local Fare, which coached and guided startup food companies.<\/p>\n Although both companies were thriving, Wax was haunted by a sense of emptiness.<\/p>\n \u201cI wasn\u2019t in a dark, dark place, but I found myself stressed out easily and with lots of self-doubt,\u2019\u2019 she says. In 2019, she sold both businesses and turned her personal quest into the American Happiness Project.<\/p>\n She found many people struggle with questions like, “Do I matter?” and “Am I making an impact on the world?” Many people envision happiness as something they\u2019ll achieve when they meet the perfect mate, buy a nice house, or get a promotion, she said. It is something many see as a distant goal. But a quest for happiness should start today\u2014and it doesn\u2019t have to begin with a life-altering event.<\/p>\n \u201cThe documentary features interviews with people who all went through a tough time and overcame a challenge with a positive mindset,\u2019\u2019 she says. \u201cMany of them emphasized the importance of bringing back into focus what they can control in their lives, versus what\u2019s happening in the world.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n Pandemic Increased Demand for Mental Wellbeing<\/strong><\/p>\n Over the last two years, the American Happiness Project has offered workshops and programs to corporations and universities.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause of the pandemic there has been an even greater demand for companies and schools to offer mental-wellness programs and our business has grown throughout this time,\u2019\u2019 Wax says. \u201cWe\u2019ve seen a demand for more long-term programs that focus on how to implement a happiness path once you understand it. We\u2019re adding value by providing strategies to make it work.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n Although there are coaches who promise life-altering advice, Wax believes she is one of the few that showcase typical Americans while offering practical advice to approach change.<\/p>\n \u201cMy programs are definitely customizable because everyone\u2019s definition of happiness and fulfillment is different,\u2019\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Main-Promotional-Image-300x150.jpg\")
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