The most important thing is to enjoy your life — to be happy
Vol. 4, Issue 12
THE GOOD NEWS
The happy place
The World Happiness Report was published last week and for the eighth year in a row, Finland was named the happiest country in the world. Denmark, Iceland, Sweden and the Netherlands rounded out the top five.
“Nordic countries like Finland continue to benefit from universally available and high-quality health, education and social support systems. Inequality of wellbeing is also low,” Ilana Ron-Levey, managing director at Gallup, said.
The happiness rankings aren't just based on wealth or health. Household size, making social connections, sharing meals with others, having somebody to trust and believing in kindness were also powerful factors.
As for the U.S., it didn't fare so well. Political polarization and declining rates of happiness and social trust caused America to be listed at 24, its lowest ranking yet in the annual report.
John Helliwell, an economics professor emeritus at the University of British Columbia and a founding editor of the World Happiness Report, offered some encouraging advice Americans can take to heart.
"Look seriously at the people with whom you are working, with whom you are living, who are on your streets, and put on a rosier set of glasses when you're dealing with them," Helliwell said. "And that'll change your behavior in traffic. It'll change your behavior in political discussions. It'll change everything."
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Better late than never
Sometimes parents will buy gifts for the holidays -- maybe even months in advance because the items were on sale -- and then conceal the presents in the perfect hiding spot, one where the kids will never look. But after a long year of birthdays, school concerts, vacations, colds, doctor visits, sporting events, bills and report cards, mom and/or dad might not be able to remember where they hid those gifts so many months ago.
Apparently, this happened to Tim King’s parents back in the 1970s. The Lombard, Ill., resident was remodeling his parents' bathroom a few months ago, tearing down walls, as you do, when he discovered a present wrapped in vintage Disney paper. And it had his name on it.
Would you open it? Of course, you would. So did King:
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What a fun job
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THIS WEEK IN (POSITIVE) HISTORY
On March 26, 1987, August Wilson's play "Fences" premiered at the 46th Street Theatre in New York City. It eventually won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, four Tonys and three Drama Desk Awards.
On March 27, 1912, two Yoshino cherry trees were planted on the northern bank of the Potomac River Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C. They were part of the Japanese government's gift of 3,000 cherry trees to the U.S. Each spring, the trees blossom, putting on a stunningly beautiful display.
On March 28, 1990, Jesse Owens, the first American to win four track and field gold medals at a single Olympics (1936), received the Congressional Gold Medal.
On March 29, 1973, the unmanned U.S. space probe Mariner 10 became the first spacecraft to visit Mercury.
On March 30, 1858, Hyman L. Lipman received a U.S. patent for a pencil with an eraser attached.
On March 31, 1889, the Eiffel Tower opened.
On April 1, 1976, Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs launched Apple Computer in the garage of Jobs' parents' house in Cupertino, Calif.
On April 2, 1917, Jeannette Pickering Rankin, the first woman elected to Congress, assumed her office as a representative from Montana.
THIS WEEK’S FUN HOLIDAYS
March 26 is National Nougat Day, National Spinach Day, Live Long and Prosper Day and Wear a Hat Day
March 27 is World Theatre Day, National Spanish Paella Day, American Red Cross Giving Day and Manatee Appreciation Day
March 28 is World Piano Day, National Black Forest Cake Day, National Hot Tub Day, Children's Picture Day, Eat an Eskimo Pie Day and Respect Your Cat Day
March 29 is World Marbles Day, National Lemon Chiffon Cake Day, National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day, National Pita Day, National Smoke and Mirrors Day and Mermaid Day
March 30 is National Doctors Day, National Pencil Day, National Virtual Vacation Day, Keep Moving Forward Day, Pillow Fight Day and Take a Walk in the Park Day
March 31 is World Backup Day, National Baked Ham with Pineapple Day, National Bunsen Burner Day, National Clams on the Half Shell Day, National Crayola Crayon Day, National Farm Workers Day, Anesthesia Tech Day, Dance Marathon Day, Eiffel Tower Day and Transgender Day of Visibility
April 1 is International Fun at Work Day, International Tatting Day, National Greeting Card Day, National Sourdough Bread Day, National Trombone Players Day, April Fool’s Day, Edible Book Day and Reading is Funny Day
April 2 is International Children's Book Day, National Ferret Day and National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day
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HOW TO SPREAD JOY/KINDNESS
* Smile at the people who serve you every day. Light knows they probably deal with a lot of difficult customers.
* Open doors for everyone. Even if the act is unacknowledged, it will be noticed.
* Hold a closet swap with your friends — everyone gets a new wardrobe for free.
RECOMMENDED SUBSTACK
MY LITTLE ONES - PAST & PRESENT
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"When asked if my cup is half-full or half-empty, my only response is that I am thankful I have a cup." --Sam Lefkowitz
MOMENT OF GRATITUDE
Thanks to SariSe, the World Happiness Report, Advisory Board, CNN, The Associated Press, Tim King, Instagram, People magazine, Misty Lee, 60 Seconds Docs, the American Library Association, The Moonlight Reader Society, History.com, This Day in History, Britannica, Time and Date, On This Day, the Library of Congress, IMDb, Famous Birthdays, This Day in Music, National Today, National Day Calendar, Holidays Calendar, Faber-Castell, YouTube, the Owl Research Institute, "Random Acts of Kindness: 365 Days of Good Deeds, Inspired Ideas and Acts of Goodness" by Brenda Knight and Becca Anderson, Between a Rock and a Card Place, Emily Charlotte Powell, While I Was Drawing, Counting Beans, Canva and Deposit Photos for art and story suggestions.
The title quote is by Audrey Hepburn.
KEEP IN TOUCH
Read a positive/uplifting news story lately? Have an inspiring quote you want to share? Or do you just want to let me know about some of your favorite simple pleasures?
I will add an extra element that's my favorite thing about Spring: the return of the sun!
I didn't expect the weather in the Netherlands to be so damn depressing in the winter but then the first spring sunny days come and it's such a mood booster.
I guess we're still a pretty happy country though seeing the first ranking 😊.