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As this is being written, snow is falling on March 1 in Four Seasons. What an unusual, beautiful sight! Hopefully, when you are reading this Board message, our weather has become more seasonal, the temperatures are higher, and the sun is shining. All of us want to be happy, but how do we accomplish this? In 1938, Harvard researchers, Marc Schulz and Robert Waklinger, embarked on a decades-long study to find out: what makes us happy. Contrary to what we might think, it's not career achievement, money, exercise, or a healthy diet. The most consistent finding through 85 years of study is this: Positive relationships keep us happier, healthier, and help us live longer. Researchers at Brigham Young University, who examined the results of 148 published longevity studies, concluded that when it comes to living a long life, having a large social network matters even more than exercising or losing weight. A study by psychologists at the University of Illinois and University of Pennsylvania found that the most pronounced difference between happy and unhappy people was not whether good or bad things happened to them — it was their level of social connection. One could call this "social fitness." Relationships affect us physically. You feel invigorated when you believe someone has really understood you during a good conversation. A choice to cultivate warm relationships can boost happiness and success in life. Our social life is a living system, and it needs exercise. It's good to take stock of our relationships and be honest with ourselves about where we are devoting our time, and whether we are tending to the connections that help us thrive. In our lives, there are several keystones of support: 1. Safety and Security: Who would you turn to in a moment of crisis? 2. Learning and Growth: Who encourages you to try new things, to take chances, to pursue your life's goals? 3. Emotional Closeness and Confiding: Who knows most things about you? Who can you call on when you are feeling low? 4. Identify Affirmation and Shared Experience: Is there someone who has shared many experiences with you and who helps you strengthen your sense of who you are? 5. Help (both Informational and Practical): Who do you turn to if you need some expertise or help solving a problem? 6. Fun and Relaxation: Who makes you laugh? Who do you see a movie with? Don't be afraid to reach out to people in your life. Whether it's a thoughtful question or a moment of devoted attention, it's never too late to deepen the connections that matter to you. Four Seasons continues to be a place where everyone can develop meaningful relationships. Strangers become neighbors, and neighbors become friends. Lastly, a reminder about our Annual Membership Meeting this month: There are three candidates for the three open Director positions. All three candidates are current Board incumbents. This may create the impression that returning your ballot is not important. This is NOT true. It is very important that we achieve a quorum of 50 percent + 1 or we must adjourn the meeting and start over again at an additional cost to the Association. Therefore, please remember to sign your ballot and return it on time. Message from the Board of Directors 2 | Four Seasons Hemet Herald | APRIL 2023 | Sincerely, and on behalf of your Board of Directors, Barbra Balser, Cliff Post, Tony Criscenti, Roxy Snider, Fred Kydd, and Mary Reyna Jim Crase President