Connection is the predictor
Meaningful relationships shape well-being, resilience, and long-term health more than income, status, or ambition.
Every gathering is live-streamed worldwide. Join us from anywhere, free on Skool.
Join OnlineWhy We Gather
The Power of a Circle
For over eighty years, researchers at Harvard have studied what makes a life go well. Their conclusion is quiet and radical: the single strongest predictor of happiness, resilience, and even physical health is the quality of our relationships.
We grow faster together
A good idea stays small until it is spoken aloud. In a circle, insight becomes conversation, conversation becomes practice, and practice becomes a new way of living. We do not just learn about happiness. We grow into it, side by side.
One conversation can shift everything
A small, honest space where you are met as a whole human ... where a stranger can quietly become the friend who changes your life.
Wonderful things happen when we come together.
The Practice
Sixty minutes teaching the art of happiness, health & wealth.
01
A warm welcome
Everyone is welcomed like an old friend. A quick round of introductions, a heartfelt hello to our newest members, and a moment to land fully in the circle before we begin.
02
A practical tool
Each gathering shares one evidence-based practice or insight to deepen the art of happiness, health or wealth. Simple, memorable, and ready to use the moment you leave.
03
Real connection
Small-group reflection where you can speak or simply listen. We are stronger together: one member's experience can become another's breakthrough.
Voices from the Circle
What people leave with.
"I came searching for connection and left with real friendships. For the first time in years I feel like I belong somewhere ... and my confidence has followed me into every part of my life."
"One conversation in the Circle changed how I see myself. I stopped waiting for permission ... my relationships softened, my business grew, and I finally feel at home in my own life."
"I did not know a monthly gathering could hold this much. I leave lighter, more grounded, and reminded that I am not alone in what I am building or in what I am healing."
Part of Something Bigger
What Started Here Is Going Everywhere
Something quietly extraordinary began in Lakewood Ranch. A small circle of people sitting together, telling the truth about their lives, and discovering that the science of happiness is not complicated, it is simply rarely taught. That circle is now growing. We are working behind the scenes to bring the science of happiness to every city, every state, and every corner of the world. Not as a trend. Not as inspiration. As a movement. One circle at a time. One city at a time. Until every person on this planet has access to what we have found here: that happiness is not luck, it is a practice, and it is changing the future of humanity.
It started here in Lakewood Ranch. The next circle could be in your city.
Our Story
From One Question to a Global Movement
It started with a question I could not stop asking. Why do some people flourish while others, despite achieving everything, still feel empty? I spent 26 years studying human behavior, forensic psychology, and human performance. I wrote four books, won a weightlifting championship, and competed on a world stage. Then I studied happiness directly under Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar at Harvard. What I learned changed my life and my purpose.
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Icreated the Happiness Circle because this science is too important to stay inside academic halls. Every person deserves access to it. So I started a circle right here in Lakewood Ranch. People showed up. Strangers became friends. Lives began to shift. What began as one small gathering became proof that when people come together with intention, transformation follows.
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And now it is growing. City by city. Country by country. What started locally in Lakewood Ranch is becoming a global movement. We are just getting started. This is not my circle. It belongs to everyone who shows up, and to everyone who will carry its light back into their own communities, sprinkling happiness forward.
Meet Your Guide
Nevriye Yesil
Nevriye Yesil
Founder · Author · Coach
A quiet steward of the Circle. Here to hold the space, not to fill it. Nevriye brings together academic rigor, athletic discipline, and lived experience to guide each gathering with warmth, depth, and evidence-based practice.
M.A. Happiness StudiesInternational AuthorGerman Weightlifting ChampionPodcast HostPhD Student of Dr. Tal Ben Shahar
Listen to the Podcast →
"Happiness isn't about getting everything you want. It's about loving what you have and being grateful for it." - Nevriye Yesil
My mission is simple ... to sprinkle happiness into my community, and let it ripple out into the wider world.
A Deeper Journey · Signature Retreat
Ready for Your Next Era?
For people who know they're meant for more ... more alignment, more fulfillment, more meaning, and a deeper connection to themselves and the life they're creating.
Step away from the noise. Come home to yourself.
- Dates
- Oct 26 to Nov 1, 2026
- Format
- Small-group immersion
- Enrollment
- By application only
Apply Today →YourNextEraRetreats.com
Upcoming Themes
A taste of what we'll explore together.
- GratitudeGratitude helps you see what's there instead of always noticing what's missing.August 22, 20269 AM US EST · TBA
- Special Live Event
BECOMING BEFORE DOING
You are your biggest asset.
The one line that changed my life: to do more, you have to be more first. Join me live for a podcast with Casey James, one of Canada's leading network marketing experts and my personal mentor, for a raw and honest conversation that changed not just my life but how I run my business. Casey will be joining us live from Canada for a Q&A so bring your questions.
September 11, 20269 AM US ESTHybrid: join us in person or watch the live stream from anywhere in the world. - EnergyThe energy you carry determines everything you build: your relationships, your business, and the life you're creating.Reservations opening soonComing soon
- PresenceBe in the here and now, not stuck in yesterday or lost in tomorrow.Reservations opening soonComing soon
- Happiness RitualsSmall practices that bring more joy into your everyday life.Reservations opening soonComing soon
Future dates announced as we get closer ... RSVP to be the first to know.
Join the Circle
Join the Circle Wherever You Are
Connect with us in person at our Lakewood Ranch gatherings or join our online circle and practice together from anywhere in the world. Our circle is free to attend and open to everyone ... men and women ... who are ready to explore the science of happiness and flourish in every area of their life.
Local Circle
Join the Happiness Club
Be the first to know about upcoming gatherings, weekly newsletters, and invitations to special events. A space where strangers walk in and leave as friends. That is the power of community. Free to join. Leave anytime.
Global Circle
Join from anywhere
Not in Lakewood Ranch? Join our free online circle and never miss a moment. Watch live from the comfort of your home and keep practicing the art of happiness, health, and wealth.
- ...Live stream of every monthly gathering
- ...Weekly prompts and reflection tools
- ...A global community of like-minded members
- ...Free to join on Skool
By joining our club, you agree to get notified about upcoming events by the Circle and the Happiness Leadership Institute. See our Privacy Policy.
Come to the Next Circle
You Belong Here
You're reserving a seat for
Gratitude
August 22, 2026
9 AM US EST
TBA
By reserving your seat you agree to receive updates about upcoming Happiness Circle gatherings from Nevriye Yesil and the Happiness Leadership Institute™. You may unsubscribe at any time. See our Privacy Policy.
Or write to info@happinessleadership.institute
Get in Touch
Have questions?
We'd love to hear from you. Send us a message and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
Go Deeper
Ready for More Than Once a Month?
The Happiness Inner Circle meets every Saturday morning at 9AM for live coaching, real conversation, and science-backed tools for every area of your life. Small group. Intimate. Transformational. Everything recorded so you never miss a session.
Happiness Circle Worldwide
Your Circle. Everywhere You Go.
Wherever life takes you, your circle travels with you. The Happiness Circle is coming to cities around the world. When you visit a new city, find your people. When you move, bring the circle with you. And if your city does not have one yet, be the one who starts it.