Costa Rica is considered the happiest country in the world. No wonder, the sun is always shining there, isn't it? LIFEcoach Maike van den Boom has an interesting thesis: "We always find a reason why others are happy. be happy and we can't in our particular case - even if it's just the weather." By the time we get to lucky country number three at the latest, though, we're in trouble with the weather: Iceland.
Maike van den Boom: "They sit on their little island in the dark for six months at an average annual temperature of 5.4 degrees Celsius. Can someone tell me why they're happy?" The expert wanted to find out for herself and set out to visit the 13 happiest countries in the world and ask the people there about their happiness formulas. Find out what came up here!
The exciting thing for Maike van den Boom was to find out that all the people named similar values: "As different as these cultures are, when it comes to happiness, they all say the same thing. And that usually has to do with how you live your life, what your priorities are and what you find important. Actually, happiness is nothing more than the values you live by every day."
These values can be broken down to two pillars - you and your fellow human beings. But what else did people say? Maike van den Boom: "You should never be sad, but always think positive. You must give meaning to your life - only then can you be satisfied with yourself. You should never be mediocre, but always give the best of yourself."
Happy people are real go-getters and work hard for what they want. They take their freedom to set up their life the way they want it. Maike van den Boom: "Happiness engine number one is super strong and says: Take the freedom to set up your life the way you want it! If you want to live a happy life, that's exactly what you're aiming for."
Maike van den Boom thinks that most people plan all kinds of things in life: "We plan what we want to do later or where we might move to. We plan all sorts of things and think that happiness will come all by itself. By accident, so to speak. But unfortunately nothing happens by accident, even with happiness. You have to work for it. You only have one life. So go for it! That's the message from the lucky countries."
Of course, there are always plenty of reasonable reasons not to do something. But the most reasonable reasons are the most dangerous excuses. So don't betray your dreams! If you have an idea, make it happen! A mission is when you do it despite all counterarguments!
So now you can and should only do what you feel like? Well, there's one small catch: other people are the key to your happiness. People all over the world are convinced of that. Maike van den Boom: "People who maintain even a really deep relationship with another person are also better protected against chronic and mental illness and memory loss, according to long-term studies."
So good relationships not only make you happy, they also keep you healthy. However, according to the Experting, "If your aspiration, purpose, vision, or goal has nothing at all to do with other people, benefits no one else, and contributes nothing to the community, then you won't be happy in the long run. Then the beautiful picture shatters."
We can't separate the "I" from the "you" - so a strong vision that has the potential to make you happy serves not only you, but also those around you. So if you are looking for your meaning here on earth, make sure you become meaningful to other people. Maike van den Boom: "At the end of the day, isn't the core of happiness that we create wonderful moments for other people? Create wonderful moments and touch people with what you do. It's not that difficult."
People influence each other permanently. That's why you are important - with everything you do, for every person you meet, everywhere and at all times. Maike van den Boom knows: "Moods rub off. If you make the best of yourself, you'll make the best of those around you."
Just imagine what the world would look like if all people were free to develop their own personal potential to become meaningful for other people. Maike van den Boom: "How would we live together then? How would we treat each other then? What would our world look like then?" Be important to yourself and to others! Every person has the spark of happiness in them. You need to go around and ignite it in everyone. Become significant! Be important to other people.
