International Day of Happiness
On March 20, people around the world will take steps to be happy and promote happiness for everyone. The initiative began in 2013, adopted by the UN. It was a campaign that began due to a consciousness that happiness should be a personal goal for everyone. It’s a basic human right. The American forefathers identified the pursuit of happiness as a right in the 18th century, and the UN finally got on board. In 2013, Ndaba Mandela and Chelsea Clinton, children of international political figures, kicked off the first celebration at the UN. In 2014, Pharrell Williams took over. Make sure to check out what Google does on March 20. Last year, Pharrell would randomly pop up in the search engine and dance.
Defining Happiness
Miriam-Webster defines happiness as “the state of being happy” or a “pleasurable or satisfying experience.” Synonyms include words such as pleasure, contentment, and well-being. These things are a bit subjective. When asking people how to measure happiness, scientists ask two questions:
- How happy are you with your life as a whole?
- How happy are you now?
Unfortunately, no one can really tell you how to be happy, but they also can’t tell you that you can’t be happy. Philosophers have tried for generations to find the secret to happiness, but it is an elusive concept that depends on so much more than just life status or money. Some people can be happy through circumstances that might crush another.
World Happiness Report
Scientists have tried to measure the happiness around the world. The first report was issued in 2013, In 2015, Canada ranked in the top 10 happiest countries in the world. Other countries that showed a great deal of happiness were Switzerland, Iceland, and Australia. These researchers did find that the global recession affected a country’s happiness score. Nicaragua and Ecuador showed increases in their happiness score, coinciding with their coming out of a recession. The World Happiness Report for 2016 will be released on March 16. It should be interesting to see where Canada places this year.
Get Involved
In 2015, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, “The pursuit of happiness is serious business.” The UN offers a few ideas on how to take action on International Day of Happiness:
- Do what makes you happy
- Spread happiness
- Tell people about the day
- Celebrate the day
- #internationaldayofhappiness to find what others are sharing
At dayofhappiness.org, they recommend sharing the day with others. Happinessday.org is the official site of the initiative, and they have a number of resources and information promoting happiness in your own life and in the community. One campaign asks you to cheer on happy heroes and take part in the day. At Happiness International, they have a happiness planner. It’s offered free to help you select your action plan toward being well.
Make March 20 a day of happiness. It’s a Sunday, which means most people will be off work. Do something that creates satisfaction in your life. Just for one day. If you find you aren’t happy with your life in general, ask yourself what you could do to be happy. Use the spring to make one change. Take a class. Make a friend. Pick up a hobby that helps you relax when you’re not a work. Change your attitude. Only you know what is going to make the difference in your life. Only you can take the steps toward your goals.
Remember that your happiness is part of something bigger. Human connection is one thing that has been found to increase happiness and satisfaction in people’s lives. When you are connected to friends and family, you not only increase your own well-being, but theirs as well. Share positive messages to those you love to defeat the feeling of isolation that has become so predominate in today’s culture.
