"To be of use in the world is the only way to be happy." Hans Christian Andersen
If you want to live a happy life, start packing your bags. In case you missed the news, the World Happiness Report declared Norway the world's happiest nation. The United States was listed at #14.
Also found in the top 10 countries known for happiness: Denmark (#2), Finland (#5), Netherlands (#6), Sweden (#10). The Happiness Report measures "subjective well-being, i.e. how happy people are and why, according to the BBC. The report has been published for the past five years during which the Nordic countries have consistently dominated the top spots, the BBC added.
Are these happy attitudes due to Ikea, lingonberries, Skagen watches and Camilla Lackberg's novels, or do these countries know something we don't?
It may be the education systems, healthcare, gender equality, and gorgeous scenery. It could also be as simple as an afternoon spent having tea with a loved one while talking and laughing, if the Danish concept of Hygge (HOO-gah) is believed. At the heart of hygge is "an experience of belonging and a sense of connection" writes Louisa Thomsen Brits, author of "The Book of Hygge." Hygge can be found in a cup of soup, candlelight, handwritten notes, and pleasant aromas, said Brits, adding "and really comfortable pants." Danes believe in compromise, rituals, social awareness, and homes being places of solace, according to Brits.
If you're interested in learning more about hygge, check out Brits' "The Book of Hygge" or "The Little Book of Hygge" by Meik Wiking. Or book a flight to Copenhagen.
New books to read in April:
Fiction
David Balacci - The Fix
Donna Leon - Earthly Remains
John Sandford - Golden Prey
Lisa Scottoline - One Perfect Lie
Jeffrey Deaver - The Burial Hour
Mary Higgins Clark - All By Myself, Alone
Steve Berry - The Lost Order
Stuart Woods - Fast and Loose
Elizabeth Kostova - The Shadow Land
Non fiction
Anne Lamott - Hallelujah Anyway
Mai Der Vang - Afterlands (poems)
Mary Gaitskill - Somebody With a Little Hammer (essays)
Sarah Gerard - Sunshine State (essays)
David Grann - Killers of the Flower Moon
Michael Wallis - The Best Land Under Heaven
Mayte Garcia - The Most Beautiful
April is Black Women's History Month, Jazz Appreciation Month, Library Snapshot Month, Mathematics Awareness Month, National Card and Letter Writing Month, National Humor Month, National Poetry Month and School Library Month.
April Days
3 -Boston Library anniversary, opened in 1854
4 -Birthday of Dorothea Dix, 1802, Conversations on Common Things
6 -National Fun at Work Day
9-15 -National Library Week
10 -Break Up of the Beatles, 1970
12 -National Drop Everything and Read Day
-National Bookmobile Day
13 -Birthday of Samuel Beckett, 1906, Waiting for Godot
14 -Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck) published, 1939
17 -International Haiku Day
22 -Earth Day
23 -First Public School (Boston Latin School) in U.S. opened, 1635.
-World Book Night
24 -Library of Congress anniversary, 1800
27 -Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day
* * * * *
If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to Read With Enthusiasm. It's easy. Look for follow by email at the top right corner of the blog. Submit your email address. You'll receive a follow-up email to activate your subscription. Thanks!
No comments:
Post a Comment