Eric Weiner, a former NPR correspondent and author, travelled to a number of countries including Denmark, the Netherlands and Switzerland which were ranked high on happiness by the World Database of Happiness. His goal was to find out if the people living in these countries were as happy as the database claims and to learn what he could do to improve his own level of happiness. He captured what he learned in a book titled, The Geography of Bliss. At the end of his book he said the thing that keeps coming back to him again and again was something he was told by a Bhutanese scholar: “There is no such thing as personal happiness. Happiness is one hundred percent relational.” Mr. Weiner goes on to say, “Our happiness is completely and utterly interwoven with other people: family, friends, neighbors… Happiness is not a noun or a verb. It’s a conjunction. Connective tissue.” In other words, happiness can’t be achieved by focusing only on ourselves. Rather it comes from our connection with others–by being with, talking with and doing things for and with others.
Maybe I need differentiation between happiness and pleasure. When I do things that are pleasant for me, how do I define my feelings? When I sit on my back porch with a cigar and a cup of coffee and watch birds and squirrels, and sometimes deer, frolic, it is pleasant, enjoyable to me but not my neighbor, I think I’m happy.
When I’m at the beach and I sit in the sand and enjoy a sunset, or a sunrise with yet another cup of coffee, I smile and I am happy (I think).
About the relationships, when I’m with my wife as we enjoy whatever it is we are enjoying, I do understand that I am happy, and contented for the most part.
But, ahh, that rainbow makes me smile and I feel _______ ?
Maybe I’m just too easy…