...And the Pursuit of Happiness

I am lucky to work at one of the world's more respected organization--National Geographic Society. And this week, our "celebrities," the Explorers whose work we support, are at headquarters for the annual Explorers Symposium. During one of the panels, Dan Buettner, explorer and author of The Blue Zones and Thrive, spoke about the world's happiest locations and what statistics showed truly made people live a happier life. I was not surprised to see that social interactions, surrounding yourself with positive people, volunteering, and having a faith were high up on the list. I was especially not surprised to learn that among things that stress people out are a long commute time (those who know me know I've considerable commuting agita!).

In essence, the "happiest" places on Earth were not some tropical island, as I'd imagined. They were Singapore, Denmark, and a small Mexican border town. The Danes have a good work-life balance, the Singaporeans can rely on a secure, stable future without too great a socio-economic discrepancy among them, and the Mexicans enjoy six or more hours a day with family and friends. These things, among many other factors, make for healthy, happy living.

Needless to say, after the panel, I rushed to purchase the book online and discovered the "Compass Quiz", which I eagerly took. Much to my dismay (I was brutally honest in my answers) I got a C+. Yes, there's been a lot of stress in my life lately--none of my friends seem truly happy, the economy sucks, and the list could go on and on.

So in the spirit of pursuing my happiness, I plan to take heed to the result's recommendations: Toss Your TV Habit, Find a Faith, Sleep 7-9 Hours, Make Time to Meditate, Spend Smarter, Hang Out With Happy People, See the Sun. Everything I know I need to do, but seeing my low score is the impetus I need to get my happy back! I plan to retake that test in a  few months--and this time, ace that sucker!