What do you want to be?

Many people will say, I want to be happy.

The bad news is that 60% of your happiness is out of your control. Your genetics will determine 50 % of it, and 10% will be due to life circumstances.

The good news is that 40% is up to you. If you think that being happy is more than a cute cliche but a lifelong journey, read on.

In The Blue Zones of Happiness—Lessons From the World’s Happiest People, Dan Buettner brilliantly condenses years of research from experts in the field, thousands of studies and hands-on experiments into 250 pages of pure goodness.

If you won’t read the book, I am here for you, my friend.

If you ask ten people what happiness means, you may get ten different answers.

But Buettner’s approach to happiness is profound yet simple. He divides it into three categories, which he calls the three strands of happiness: pleasure, purpose, and pride.

While people and cultures are more inclined to one strand of happiness over the other, the world’s happiest people combine all three “P’s” to form a balanced, healthy, and robust form of well-being.

Pleasure

This strand of happiness is found in people who live in the moment, laugh with their friends and smile as if they don’t have a care in the world. They enjoy nature and the simple things of life. When asked, they can easily identify a moment where they felt joy in the last 24 hours.

The region of Cartago in Costa Rica is one of the blue zones of happiness and represents this strand of happiness.

I experienced this firsthand on a whitewater rafting trip in Costa Rica. Around us, there were mountains filled with greenery and flowers, waterfalls, the occasional colourful bird flying over our heads, and perfect weather.

Dumbfounded, I thought, if this is even a bit of what heaven looks like, it is worth it to be a good person. 

Even though this was over twenty years ago, I remember my exact thought. For me, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. For my Costa Rican instructor, it was just another day on the job.

While I was focused on my post-life aspirations, my Costa Rican fellow released a hearty “pura vida” with a huge smile. In simple Spanish, pura vida means pure life, but in Costa Rica, it’s a way of life: to live in the moment, cherish the little things, and find joy in nature and simple pleasures.

Something to think about…

When was the last time you lived fully in the moment?

When was the last time you experienced pure joy?

Purpose

For the last 40 years, Denmark has consistently ranked as one of the world’s happiest countries. The Danes enjoy a well-heeled welfare state, the highest percentage of national funds allocated to child care, the lowest levels of corruption, and free higher education ( in addition to a stipend).

All this sounds very nice and vanilla until I learned that Danes pay the world’s highest income taxes, to an extent that a garbage collector may take home a higher salary than a doctor.

This may be unthinkable in societies where socio-economic inequality is the norm, but Danes notoriously despise showiness and the “keeping up with the Joneses” mentality. Ambition and greed are frowned upon, and you will gain more respect by riding a bike than driving a BMW.

With little pressure to work at a job you don’t like, to buy things you don’t need to show off to people you don’t know, Danes tend to pursue meaningful careers that foster their talents, fuel their passions and reflect their life’s purpose.

Food for thought…

When you reflect upon your life, are you living your purpose?

If you could choose between a higher-paying job that doesn’t reflect your values and a lower-paying job that aligns with your purpose, which would you choose?

Pride

Singapore, a new nation transformed from a fishing village to an independent country in 1965, boasts thousands of high-rises, squeaky-clean streets, and more than 150 malls.

Singapore is emblematic of the third happiness strand, pride — satisfaction in what has been achieved.

Leaning on deeply held Asian values, Singaporeans were raised with a strong sense of right and wrong and what is expected of them as members of a family and a community. They are encouraged to follow the rules, study well, find a good job, and work hard. The school system is strict, and there is pressure to succeed.

This “simple” formula resulted in 1 in every 30 Singaporeans becoming millionaires. Nevertheless, this strand of happiness is not for everyone, and even young Singaporeans are starting to think otherwise.

It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but there is definitely something to learn from this young and wealthy country. Its residents still rank the lowest in the world for feelings of anger, worry, and stress.