Monday, July 31, 2006

The Pursuit of Happiness

FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING JULY 31, 2006
INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:
"Individual commitment to a group effort --
that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work."
~ Vince Lombardi

"One generation plants the trees; another gets the shade."
~ Chinese Proverb

GROSS DOMESTIC SATISFACTION!
Have you ever considered the global impact of your happiness? Or how your well-being is affected by the state of the world? An organization called the New Economics Foundation recently released a report that indexes the planet's "happiest" nations, and the findings are surprising.

First, understand that the index was compiled based on consumption levels, life expectancy, and satisfaction, not upon national economic wealth indicators like Gross Domestic Product. The happiest place on Earth? The small Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, with an economy built upon agriculture and tourism. Where does the US rank on the list? Number 150 (of 178).

But wait, don't we enjoy a high standard of living and prosperity, with all manner of modern convenience? What gives? Apparently, our level of consumption does not directly relate to our degree of satisfaction. While we're all aware of this wisdom on at least a subconscious level, our society is constantly bombarded by the notion that the more we possess, the more we enjoy life.

But even if high levels of consumption made us happy, would it be worth what we take from future generations? The UK ranks 108th on the "Happy Planet Index," but if worldwide consumption matched the UK's levels, it would take 3.1 Earths to meet the demand! Something is clearly out of balance.

American astronaut Donald Williams once observed, "For those who have seen the Earth from space, and for the hundreds and perhaps thousands more who will, the experience most certainly changes your perspective. The things that we share in our world are far more valuable than those which divide us." What we are sacrificing in our search for material pleasures and economic growth are the human relationships that ultimately provide us the greatest joy and stability.

The pursuit of happiness is a universal right, but it is a privilege we share with everyone else on the planet. By building our relationships, both personal and global, we may yet reach a state of "civilization."

posted by The Office Grapevine at 8:38 AM  

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