Life is short, there’s no denying it. And what is the purpose for any individual in living life? This is a question that has been pondered and debated since there has been language. Once you get to the point where just getting food is no longer the main activity on your daily agenda, you start to wonder just what is the point. I suppose that religion, and books, and plays, and songs, and TV shows, and movies, and paintings, and every other form of expression and communication that examines the nature of being,
exist because of this question. So what of it? Well, I am no robe wearing monk who spends a lot of time meditating on this but I will have to agree with the Dalai Lama on this one who counsels that happiness is the point of life. We exist to experience happiness. That is a simple and elegant answer, no? So how do you get to experience happiness? Well, that’s where it gets tricky again. For each individual the definition of happiness might be different. The Lama (big hitter the Lama) says that you will experience happiness by being selfless and doing things for others. We end our own suffering by letting go of the desire for the impermanent things of the physical world. I’m not saying that’s how it is because I still find the thought of riding a really nice bicycle to be very appealing and makes me happy just thinking about it! People do seem to be able to tell you whether or not they feel happy though, and it appears to be a pretty good indicator of how excited you are about being alive. So if the point is to be happy what does it take to make it happen? I’m not completely sure but I think I do have some clues. First, I think it’s important to find out where there are lots of happy people. Now, at this point you might be tempted to just ask them why they are happy but you wouldn’t get the same answer from any two people. Similar yes, but the answer for each person is likely to be different. No, at this point it’s better to just examine the circumstances in which these happy people live and you will have your “Aha!” moment. Fortunately all of this research has been done for us! You can read about it here. Do you know where the happiest people in the world live? The answer is Denmark. The United States did not even make the top ten. However, if you want to know where the happiest people in the United States are, you can read about it here. The short answer is Boulder, Colorado.
So, if the happiest place in the world is Denmark, what are the circumstances that the Danes live with? Socialized medicine and education, where everybody gets free education and healthcare, about 2% unemployment, and one of the highest GDP per capita of any industrialized nation. Yet, the average Dane only works about 37 hours per week! To top it off, the Danish culture embraces the idea of livable cities and communities that focus on people instead of cars. As a result, about 40% of the population uses a bicycle for transportation every day. So what does Boulder have in common with Denmark? Well, it’s not free healthcare. We know that for sure! There is public education but once you’re out of high school it ain’t free any more. So what’s the commonality? Boulder is focused on creating communities for people that include bike lanes and livable public spaces! Folks in Boulder place a strong emphasis on a healthy lifestyle that balances work and the rest of life. (Just like Denmark!) Happy people have figured out that working a lot makes you wealthy but it does not make you happy. Happy people have also figured out that if you are overweight and lethargic you probably are not able to really enjoy life the way you would like.
So the answer we are all looking for has been circling around us all along.
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