My week was made complete last night when my Tango app finally allowed me to video chat with my oldest daughter who’s spending her spring break in Panama. The conversation on deck? Happiness. And I didn’t even realize (until this morning) that we are actually heading into International Happiness Day on Sunday, March 20th. You already know that I love these types of cosmic winks. ;-)
My daughter is a dance major and she’s part of a group who committed to teaching dance and movement to underprivileged children in Panama. Last night, she shared pictures of some of the beautiful kids she had connected with and it was remarkable to see how this life experience is already impacting her.
She was amazed by the fact that while many of the kids she served are orphans (with very little to hold on to in this world) they were most enthusiastic, playful and happy. And even beyond language barriers, they seemed to be joyfully delighted in the company of my daughter and her peers.
We’ve heard about this type of phenomenon before. And we know that many of the happiest people on earth are happy (typically) in spite of their circumstances. For example, Guatemala is one of the poorest countries in the world, ranking 118th in terms of GDP per capita, however, when it comes to happiness (as assessed and defined by a recent Gallup Study) they rank 2nd.
Panama also ranked very high in happiness, along with many other Latin American countries where poverty is not uncommon.
The study by Gallup measures what they call a “Positive Experience Index” and it attempted to quantify each country’s level of happiness. They surveyed adults in 143 countries and asked about the positive experiences that they had had on the day before.
Turns out that more than 70% of the people worldwide responded positively, reporting that they experienced a lot of enjoyment, smiled or laughed a lot and felt well-rested and treated with respect (the designated measures for this study) on the day before.
Not so bad. Apparently, we’re happier than we think we are. When asked to assess our levels happiness, the measures are not as strong.
The reality is, once basic needs are met, there are not huge variations in one’s level of happiness. People think that they need more (especially money) to be happy but turns out, not so much.
Even in instances where the most basic of needs are largely in question for many people, certain countries still fair very well on Gallup’s happiness index. So, it appears that happiness is indeed a choice.
I’m thrilled by the experience that my daughter is having and I look forward to seeing how it will continue to shape her.
She has truly been touched from having the opportunity to serve the kids of Panama. And from their happiness, she is learning to examine and question the source of her own.
By way of another cosmic wink, she happened upon this message (pictured left) on her Yogi tea bag a few days ago – while still in Panama, which reads, “The art of happiness is to serve all.”
May the spirit of the message from this quote be reflected in all of our work and may each of us be as committed to our choice for happiness as the spirited and beautiful kids of Panama.
Wishing you very happy Friday and a Wonderful International Happiness Day!!! :)
Owning Change Quote of the Week: “Happiness is a state of mind, a choice, a way of living; it is not something to be achieved, it is something to be experienced.” — Steve Maraboli
Monica Moody
Monica Moody
