The first day of spring always makes me very happy, so I was thrilled to discover that March 20th is also the official “International Day of Happiness”. It was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012 to recognize that the pursuit of happiness is a fundamental human goal.
I love the idea. But how do you create more happiness in your life? And not just tomorrow, March 20th, but on an ongoing basis?
Once our basic needs are met, there seems to be little correlation between your bank account and how happy you are. We’ve seen this over and over again in our travels around the world–people with very little often seem to be much happier then their North American counterparts who have so much more.
Why? To be honest, I’m not sure. But I think there are a few lessons we can steal from the happy people here and around the word.
- Connections. The happiest people in the world feel well connected to other people. They have strong families and strong community networks, whether it’s through their work, church or neighborhood. Want to be happier? Choose to engage in a group activity. Call up a friend. Organize dinner. Want more ideas? Check out the “International Day of Happiness” website.
- Purpose. Humans are goal driven organisms. You need a reason to get out of bed in the morning. We need to feel like we are contributing to the greater good. In his book, Healthy at 100, John Robbins discusses how people in cultures who live long, healthy and happy lives, have a function in their communities. They had purpose – things like child care, carrying water, and mentoring the young. There was a reason for them to get out of bed in the am.
- Gratitude. There is no better balm to the soul then being grateful for all that is going right in your life. In fact, daily gratitude is one of the things that happened in my year of choosing to be happier.
So this Friday, on the first day of spring, during this sunny and warm March break, grab a buddy, give them a hug, and have a good chat about what you are grateful for.