Through
his research, Buettner identified specific themes and lifestyles that helped
instill a happier and more contented way of living. In Nicoya, Costa Rica for example, lives Don
Faustino, a 102 year old man who takes a weekly bus ride to a local farmers
market and purchases fresh food for his large extended family. Even at 102 this Cost Rican man see’s himself
as the patriarch to many generations of relatives, he has a purpose in life,
and a strong bond to family, simply put, Don Faustino has a sense of self. A sense of self, is one of the Six Thrive
Centers or life domains that Buettner explores in his book, Thrive. Buettner suggests in Thrive,
that through these life domains we have the potential to find happiness. Along
with the concept of Self, Buettner identified five other Thrive Centers which are the core ideas behind happiness; Community, Workplace, Social Life, Home and
Financial Life. I look forward to delving into the specifics
of these Thrive Centers in upcoming posts.
I
found an interesting article today titled, "The Happiest People," written by New York Times columnist, Nicholas D. Kristof. According to Kristoff, the World Database of
Happiness, (yes, there really is such a thing) ranks Costa Rica as the #1 happy
place amongst 148 candidates. In his
article, Kristof offers up the idea, that Costa Rica ranks high on the chart of
happiness and contentment due to dissolving it’s armed forces in 1949, to
instead invest in education. I love the notion of gaining intelligence,
avoiding conflict, and getting happy! The investment in education has resulted
in an improved Costa Rica with many societal successes, such as, gender
equality, improvements in health care, and environmental preservation, as a
result, a happier society.
To find Happiness, I offer the compelling idea of searching
for a purpose in your life. At this
point in time, my kids are my purpose. They deserve all I can give, however, I
do long to find another equally deep purpose at some point in time, and I am currently
starting my search. I believe participating in something of social importance, which
affects the greater good of mankind, could be a brilliant start. I suggest the
idea of volunteering one’s time as a means to finding more happiness and contentment.
Who knows, one hour a week at the local food bank could lead to Nirvana. Education seems to bring happiness as well, when we
feel smart, we feel better about ourselves, and that is something we all
want. So, take a class, consider
finishing your degree, learn how to knit, crochet, play guitar, or find a cure
for cancer, what ever it may be, just learn.
My
thoughts wander back to Don Faustino, and how important he felt at age 102
getting on the bus for a trip to the local farmers market. He seemed to find
happiness in the simple task of buying fresh food for his loved ones. So, I end
with two final thoughts, while cooking for your family tonight or working hard around
the house for your wife, think of Don Faustino, and know that you are forging a
path to happiness and contentment with your giving and sharing of yourself. And lastly, think about a trip to Costa Rica, I know I am.
Good sources! Are you reading the Blue Zones book?
ReplyDeletePlease include a link to the NYT article you mention. If you go to my blog, there's a post with info on how to create links in Blogger.
As for your book sources, MLA citations at the end of your post would be helpful.
Finally, what questions do these sources raise for you? You have suggested/offered some ideas about your issue, but remember that our purpose (at this point) is exploratory. What puzzles and confuses you? What are you still wondering about? Posing questions within your posts is crucial for achieving the exploratory purpose.
I look at the world a bit differently than most but completely understand your point about money. Is money truly going to find happiness? With Americans so fragile and not reflecting on themselves or their surroundings we find it difficult to find happiness. I think that Amazon has found a true gold mine in selling books about happiness. I wonder how Don Faustino has lived all these years and found happiness within his self? I wonder in one of the most poverty ridden lands that Don still finds himself being a care giver instead of a care taker. Is this the basis of happiness? What does America need to learn from the third world country that have nothing but can still find happiness? What a great gift of a man that worked so hard and is surrounded by so much love.
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