Continuing the weekend, first, the University of Hawaii volleyball team lost to UCLA in the championship game. Look for UCLA to repeat next year. Had a nachos and beer, a follow-up to Cinco de Mayo.
What is the the most important matter in your life? Some might say family, others mention wealth, world peace, freedom, security, and hundreds of other notions. Something called happiness appeals to me. I am today very happy, and on the verge of Euphoria #4. While on the recent Seabourn cruise I almost attained that state, but never quite reached it.
On this Sunday I can especially mention one other difference between 15 Craigside and the Seabourn Odyssey, or any cruise ship...spirituality. 15C is "owned" by the United Church of Christ, with our older sister, Arcadia, which has been around for more than half a century. There is a definite undertone of religiousness. Nothing overwhelming, but more services related to what churches do. Cruises are very secular.
What is happiness? An emotional state of joy, satisfaction, contentment and fulfillment. Clearly, however, it varies from person to person.
The Proceedings of the National Academic of Sciences found that people who were happier live longer, although they focused on optimism as the key parameter. The English Longitudinal Study of Aging got more specific. Happier people don't just enjoy life more, they're like to live longer, too. These people are 35% less likely to die in the next 5 years. This last sentence means the world to me, for I think I only have 5 years left.
- Hedonia: is more personal and derives from pleasure.
- Eudaimonia: is derived from seeking virtue and meaning.
- But psychologists today have suggested a third component that relates to engagement.
There is a World Happiness Report of the United Nations, using data from the Gallup World Poll. Finland has been ranked the happiest country six times in a row.
| Rank | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | 🇫🇮 Finland 7.8 | 7.8 |
| #2 | 🇩🇰 Denmark 7.6 | 7.6 |
| #3 | 🇮🇸 Iceland 7.5 | 7.5 |
| #4 | 🇮🇱 Israel | 7.5 |
| #5 | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 7.4 |
| #6 | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 7.4 |
| #7 | 🇳🇴 Norway | 7.3 |
| #8 | 🇨ðŸ‡Switzerland | 7.2 |
| #9 | 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 7.2 |
| #10 | 🇳🇿 New Zealand 7.1 | 7.1 |
- It is possible for your face to instantly go numb when you suddenly walk into a gust and the wind chill factor is minus 25C. If I were to live here for any length of time, I would purchase one of those helmets worn by luge competitors. The plastic covering your face and overall protection of your ears should work. Then, if you slip on an invisible layer of ice, there will be protection when your head hits the pavement.
- I'll have fond memories of Helsinki, for it is here, after my fourth Olympic city (Seoul, Barcelona, Munich) of this trip, where it occurred to me that the only hope Hawaii has to overcome what some are predicting to be a terrible economic future, is to host Hawaii Sustainable Expo 2020: Visions for Blue Planet Earth. We need to transcend current attitudes and transform our thinking.
- I went to Finland specifically to meet with educators on why their system was outstanding. This was 13 years ago, and today, their education system is considered to be the best in the world. Some reasons.
- Emphasize equity over excellence.
- No standardized testing system.
- Children begin school at 7.
- All teachers need to have at least a master's degree, and they are respected at least as well as doctors, corporate executives and other leading positions... and maybe more so. In short, somehow they have orchestrated a society that attracts the best and brightest into teaching. And they are paid no better than those in the USA.
- Fosters cooperation over competition, teaching teamwork and collaboration.
- Says a Finnish philosopher and psychology researcher, we don't...:
- ...compare ourselves to our neighbors.
- ...overlook the benefits of nature.
- ...break the community circle of trust (lost wallets are returned).
- Hawaiians have the longest average lifespan in America.
- Ranked as the third safest city.
- 90% graduate from high school and 29% from college.
- 61% exercise frequently, second in the nation.
- 59% eat fresh produce frequently.
- Fresh fish is abundant. Over 250 sushi restaurants in Honolulu alone.
- 90% have health insurance.
- High percentage of veterans.
- Plethora of museums, monuments, zoos et.
- 39% are Asian. But there is a diverse heritage with festivals and cultural celebrations, and all are equal.
- Beaches. Kauai has 50 miles along 113 miles of coastline. An they can be white, black, green or red.
- Incredible nature, physical and psychological.
- Laid-back lifestyle.
Someone sent this to me a long time ago, and has long been on my desktop. Ideal moment to show it.
A final video that also has lingered on my desktop for a while...what keeps us healthy and happy.
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