A few months ago, I read a great book called Thrive: Finding Happiness the Blue Zone Way by Dan Buettner.  It was a fascinating book that describes many factors that can contribute to one’s happiness.  The author traveled to 4 of the happiest places in the world to find out what they are doing differently there.  He traveled to Denmark, Singapore, Mexico, and San Luis Obispo, California.  In the USA Today there was an article ranking the world’s happiest countries.  Here is the list:

1. Denmark
2. Finland
3. Norway
4. Netherlands
5. Canada
6. Switzerland
7. Sweden
8. New Zealand
9. Australia
10. Ireland
11. United States
12. Costa Rica
13. Austria
14. Israel
15. Belgium

Denmark

So, what can we learn from Denmark and other nations and places with high happiness quotients?  Here are some ideas from the author of Thrive:

The Community you choose to live in should have some or all of the following:

• Economic freedom
• High employment rate
• Tolerance
• Quality of government
• a lot of community space
• Limit shopping hours
• Limit the workweek
• Support the arts
• Encourage walkability
• Grant maternity leave
• Educate teens  about birth control
• Have sidewalks everywhere
• Quiet surroundings
• Walking distance to activities (parks, churches, etc.)
• Safety
• Status equality

The Workplace you choose should have the following:

• You should make sure you choose the right job for you.
• Avoid long commutes – ideally walk or bike to work
• Limit your workweek to 40 hours (or less)
• Don’t skip vacations
• Enjoy happy hour with co-workers
• Seek out the right boss – approachability, provides regular feedback, establishes clear requirements, delegates control, practices good listening, offers recognition, earns your trust, considers your best interest
• Employ yourself
• Teach others

Your Social Life should include some or all of the following:

• Upgrade your social network – cultivate relationships with those who are trustworthy, funny/fun, and who you can have a deep conversation with and who are not consistently lonely or depressed
• Join a club
• Create a group/club of people with similar interests
• Reconnect with your faith
• Marry the right person (Someone with humor and compassion, someone with similar interests as you, try marriage training, give nice reminders/compliment, be realistic about the joys of parenthood)

Your Financial Life should consist of some or all of the following goals:

• Pay off your house
• Enroll in savings or investment plans
• Avoid credit cards
• Create a giving account
• Invest in experiences, not things

Your Home should consist of the following:

• Only one TV in your house
• Cancel cable
• Own a pet
• Create a meditation space
• Designate a “flow” room: a room to use your talents or pursue your interests
• Create a pride shrine
• Grow a garden
• Let the sunshine in
• Paint rooms based on the mood that color creates (e.g., yellow = energy/bright mood, green = soothing/relaxation
• Optimize your bedroom for sleep

In order to find happiness within Yourself, you should do the following:

• Create a personal mission statement: Gifts + Passion + Values = Calling
• Find a purpose partner
• Develop arts appreciation
• Find a hobby
• Develop your people skills
• Volunteer

In Conclusion, he says you should try to:

• Set reasonable goals for your life
• Seek out a place to live where people are already thriving
• Choose a community where you can live out your interests
• Find a modest house in a neighborhood of other modest houses, with neighbors you can call friends and sidewalks that let you walk where you need to go
• Recognize your purpose in living each day
• Take time to appreciate the arts
• Find a job that you love without worrying too much about the salary
• Find a hobby that fuels your passions
• Take six weeks of vacation no matter what
• Set your life up so that you’re physically active every day
• Spend six hours a day with your husband, kids, and a handful of true friends
• Meditate, pray, or nap daily
• Call your parents

What are some strategies you use to find more happiness in your life?