ANTIZAC: A Joyful Prescription for the Unhappiness Epidemic

“ANTIZAC - A Joyful Prescription for the Unhappiness Epidemic “

The world’s first Joyologist, Pat Armitstead is an Entrepreneur, Humanitarian and a Humourist and has spent 43 years of her life in service to the wellbeing of others. It is to her credit, and testimony to her love of humanity that she has done this when the events of her own life have been strewn with adversity.

She has experienced betrayal twice, been close to bankruptcy, lost her first child, lost her home and business twice, is a cancer survivor and tolerated 3 years of domestic violence. She also had ten car accidents in an 18 month period....none her fault she assures us!

In the process she has become one of Australasias pre-eminent speakers and transformation agents of our time. Pat says “I did not learn about joy by studying joy. I learned about joy by experiencing pain, grief, shame and embarrassment. In a period of great grief and depression I chose not to be medicated. I became re-associated to what was not working in my life and committed to do what it took to restore my physical, emotional and spiritual self. I believed to be fully self-expressed required reclaiming my power and living into my full potential”

“To that end I wrote “ANTIZAC - A Joyful Prescription for The Unhappiness Epidemic “
ANTIZAC is not to be found in the Dictionary. Yet!
Pat Armitstead, the World’s First Joyologist offers it though, as an antonym for Prozac. With an impish grin she adds “This is not a bitter pill to swallow and most interestingly, no prescribing rights are required! A non-chemical alternative to Prozac it is intended to heal what ails humanity right now.´

What ails people the most in Pat’s opinion is not their illness per se but their habituated negative ways of being. Petrea King, Founding Director and CEO Quest for Life Foundation, Australia said once during a presentation at the NZ Mind Body conference 2008, that what ailed her “was not her multitude of surgeries to her limbs as a teenager or her battle (and win) with leukaemia.”

She once went on a trip and pulled all the ligaments in her knee. She walked on that leg and told no one for 3 weeks. She “did not want to be a bother!” That is sick she said and that is what ailed her!!

Offering solutions to an ailing community is about raising consciousness, developing our intuitive selves and offering into “what it is we see” as a result of that enhanced perceptiveness. It is about being a contribution. It is also about seeing people as great.

Dr Robin Kelly concurs, saying “Human beings are meant to be joyful, light-hearted and happy. And yet at the start of the new millennium we, in the so-called sophisticated Western world, are witnessing an overwhelming epidemic of unhappiness like never before. In recent years we have medicalised this unhappiness – in 2008, more than 164 million prescriptions for antidepressants were written by doctors in the USA! This in my humble opinion is silly – very silly. Because the roots of our problems are not chemical – rather they are to be found in our strained relationships with others, our world, and ourselves. We are in danger of losing sight of our souls.”

Pat intended her “prescription” to forge a path to reconnect with who we really are. She says it honors the multiple intelligence of humanity and the signature strengths of every individual. It hooks people back up to each other and sheds the mask that has kept us alone and separate. So, what’s in the prescription? It’s something Pat has been using all her life but only more recently gave a name.
A is for Amuse, and by this she means being the source of good humour. To be good humoured is to be appropriately responsive. The old adage “Humour in humour out” is all that is required. Identify your humour style and get confidant around using it. Be the source of goodwill.
N is for Nthuse! Pat says “We need to be the change we want to see.” This means tapping into our passions and exuding the energy and radiating the joy. We need to affirm people’s gifts and talents and provide hope and encouragement. Give everybody an A! (* see ref below)
T is for Trust. People perform to optimum when they are being rewarded for doing what they love in a high trust environment. Practicing the virtues and living in integrity is the foundation of this.
I is for Intuition. Foster you’re own and your teams intuitive nature. Reward the impromptu and unexpected acts of kindness, generosity and insight. Congratulate people for coming from first thought, the source of all genius is spontaneity!
Z is for Zeal. Enrol your team in a sense of eagerness to achieve the wellbeing of themselves and others. Have that roll out like ‘excessive fervor” and willingness to do all that it takes to achieve. This requires a focus on all aspects of wellbeing, including physical and emotional.
A is for Attitude. An attitude of gratitude is very attractive. It attracts abundance. Make the “customer experience focal point” one of gratefulness. You could even adopt a virtue a week (there are 100!) and have them as the weekly practice. Both staff and customers will appreciate the experience.
C is for Creativity. Each of your team have individual gifts that are not part of their job description. Find a way for them to be utilised to bring some joy to the workplace. To be recognised and honoured for individual contribution is pure joy and that energy is what your customer will receive.

The components of the prescription are not found on the chemist shelf. They are found in the soulful appreciation of the infinite love and diversity of all humanity. Pat says we are here to experience all the emotions, all the paradox and all the synchronicity. Our greatest calling is to be present to the needs of another and use our gifts and talents to craft something new in the face of lifes challenges.

Ben Zander, the conductor gives all his students of music an “A” on the very first day. But there is a condition, he says. All must write him a one page letter that begins “I got my A from Ben Zander because ….” Then they must outline all the paradox and synchronicty of their year in study, the highlights and the passion; they must tell him how they have come to love themselves! He holds those papers close when they are handed in and says “Now this is who I will teach”. He is delivering solely into their possibility!

Dr Robin Kelly goes on to say “Pat Armitstead is far from silly. Playful - yes; funny – rib-ticklingly so; and wise – as the wisest owl; but silly she is not. This short book is packed with surprising and valuable insights into her life’s work, packed with generous tips to help us regain our birth-right of joy. She shows us how we can become truly happy by helping others. Moreover, she shows us that if we make a commitment to be joyful and to share this joy with others, our lives flow more smoothly as we experience true spiritual health and wealth. Pat Armitstead’s ANTIZAC will sit proudly for many years to come in my waiting room bookshelf. I will prescribe it freely. “

ENDS

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