The Happiest Place on Earth

Nope, it's not Disneyland. 

Decided to revisit this whole "happiness" concept I've recently been bombarded with by the media- news, Oprah and blogs.

Just watched an Oprah episode of "The Happiest People in the World."

DENMARK!

Although they pay 50-60% in income tax...

• Free healthcare
• Free education
• 1 year paid maternity leave
• Focus on childcare, they leave babies outside while napping
• Unemployed are provided for by the government for up to 4 years after losing his/her job
• Success is measured by work/life balance and creativity
• Salaries are more or less the same so people choose professions which interest them
• And get this. Girls are not obsessed with this notion of "weddings" but focus on maintaining healthy marriages. 

And why can't we get our act together? (Although I consider myself pretty apathetic to healthcare issues. I'm all for it. That's it)

Maybe we can take cues from Costa Rica (one of my top 5 places I've visited and want to revisit)

"Hmmm. You think it’s a coincidence? Costa Rica is one of the very few countries to have abolished its army, and it’s also arguably the happiest nation on earth."

"What sets Costa Rica apart is its remarkable decision in 1949 to dissolve its armed forces and invest instead in education. Increased schooling created a more stable society, less prone to the conflicts that have raged elsewhere in Central America. 

I’m not antimilitary. But the evidence is strong that education is often a far better investment than artillery."

The Happiest People-The New York Times

*Also advocated by Greg Mortenson in his Three Cups of Tea. (NY Times Bestseller but over-hyped in my opinion.)

I know I'm such a nerd but this is what happens when you're almost 24 and you read the news everyday. Gross.