<p>"A child growing up in the Costa Rican countryside is surrounded by some of the most beautiful and biodiverse landscapes in the world. The government of this tiny Central American country aims to keep it that way. But preserving this land of tropical rainforests isn’t Costa Rica’s only accomplishment. The government ensures all citizens have access to health care and education, and the country actively promotes peace around the world.</p>
<p>So when the New Economics Foundation released its second Happy Planet Index, a ranking of countries based on their environmental impact and the health and happiness of their citizens, the No. 1 spot went to Costa Rica, population 4 million.</p>
<p>The United States’ ranking: No. 114.</p>
<p>What can our neighbor to the south teach us about happiness, longevity, and environmental sustainability?</p>
<p>“Costa Rica enjoys a privileged position as a mid-income country where citizens have sufficient spare time and abundant interpersonal relations,” says Costa Rican economics professor Mariano Rojas. “A mid-income level allows most citizens to satisfy their basic needs. Government intervention in the economy assures that all Costa Ricans have access to education, health, and nutrition services.” Costa Ricans, he added, have not entered the “race for status and conspicuous consumption.”…</p>
<p>This part of the article especially is important: </p>
<p>“It is not surprising that social capital should be falling in the U.S.,” Abdallah says. “Americans work the longest hours in the Western world and have the shortest holidays. All their time is spent making money, rather than building social bonds, which are just as important to well-being.”</p>
<p>Interesting article, Nsm. Your quote has a corollary here on CC among students who spend all their time obsessing about their GPA rather than the quality of their experience.</p>
<p>OMG, I love Costa Rica. The prettiest place I’ve ever been. And the people were so nice - not just “your tourism dollars are supporting me so I have to be nice to you” but actually nice. If the roads weren’t horrendously hair raising I’d go back every year.</p>
<p>One interesting note: Our hotel suite had a small fridge and microwave, so we wanted to pick up a few provisions at the grocery store in case we wanted to just “cook in” one night. At the grocery store in La Fortuna, there were NO pre-prepared foods! No cans of soup or spaghettios, no frozen or boxed or microwavable meals, no frozen pizza. I think that is a very positive statement about their culture.</p>
<p>If I am not mistaken, Costa Rica also has the classification as the healthiest and longest life span. This would be hard to quantify, but I’ll bet that “happiness” plays a huge role. (I also think their taxes are obscenely low or non existent…this would certainly make me happy!</p>
<p>I am envious of the Costa Ricans and Europeans who live life more simply - less stuff, less scheduled activities, fresh and simple cooking. We should all take a lesson from them.</p>
<p>Think how nicely your days would start if you could sit on your patio every morning drinking fantastic coffee, looking at the mountains in the backgroud, with the sound of monkeys in the distance, looking at toucans and other tropical birds in the trees…</p>
<p>I guess I feel fortunate because I do sort of start my day that way, except substitute a lake with ducks and geese for the mountain and toucans. Sunny and 70 today.</p>
<p>Our family has been to Costa Rica a couple of times and have certainly enjoyed the culture down there. When we were staying in Tamarindo, we went to a great little restaurant called Stella’s. We went three times during our week stay. Our last night we told the waitress that we were going home the next day and look forward to coming back in the future. Later that night, the phone rang in our hotel room and it was the waitress calling to wish us a safe trip and how much she enjoyed meeting us. Not sure that the servers at Appleby’s in the US are doing this. Another time we were driving up to Monteverde on this dirt road for about 40 miles. The road is quite desolate and my daughter needed to go to the bathroom. We drove by a little stand that was selling drinks. We asked the lady if she had a bathroom and she took us into her humble home and my daughter used their bathroom. Very sweet people.</p>
<p>I think that wonderful though it can be to live in beautiful surroundings (and I live in a very pretty city), what brings happiness is having lots of supportive friends with inner beauty and having the time to enjoy those friends and other things that make one happy. I feel grateful to have that time, and would prefer the friend-filled and interesting pursuit-filled life I have to making lots of money and having lots of expensive stuff.</p>
<p>I’ve been developing the idea that the key to happiness is security. Your home may be small, your food simple, and your future prospects limited, but if you feel assured that you won’t lose what you have, you can be happy. On the other hand, a mansion, gourmet meals, and unlimited opportunity that are tainted with the fear that they could be snatched away by your employer’s whim or an illness can be sources of great anxiety.</p>
<p>I will second that, Mantori, and add another key - gratitude. The people I see who are the happiest are those who view what they have with gratitude. I take my mom, dad, MIL, and two other elderly people for their appointments. My MIL always focuses on what she has been given - thank heavens we have such good doctors, aren’t I lucky I have insurance, boy I am grateful I have you to take me to my appointments. My dad - who is a great guy - can become such a grumbler. As we always say about my MIL, you could give her a pile of s*** and she would say she was just thinking of getting some to fertilize her flowers. </p>
<p>So - the practice of gratitude is key and I think as a nation we tend to grumble.</p>
<p>My H did a study abroad there when we were dating. Practically had to crowbar him away from the place when he was done with his program. Said the people were nice, the food was good, the quality of life was unbeatable. </p>
<p>Made my day!
I’ve been trying to have that attitude throughout my day, every day. So much of all this is perspective. As wonderful as Costa Rica sounds, you do end up taking your baggage with you no matter where you go. It would be nice to set some of it down and leave it, even at home.</p>
<p>(Here in NYC, there is a public announcement reminding everyone to report abandoned backpacks, boxes, suitcases, etc. because of possible terrorism. Of course it’s a real problem, but it’s starting to look like a metaphor for what’s wrong with life here. Sorry for the non-sequitur.)</p>
<p>Thank you, NSM, for the article and many thanks to all who posted on this thread! It made my otherwise cp@ppy day bearable and even put a smile on my face :)</p>
<p>What are you waiting for? If life is better here, stay here. If it’s better there, why wait?</p>
<p>I’m not being snarky. I’m just raising the philosophical question, if life is better somewhere else, why wouldn’t you just go there immediately?</p>
<p>I don’t know about you, but my idea of happiness is my work, not my leisure. I’d much rather be in a lab or plant trying to figure out how to build a fighter jet’s stabilization system then just wasting my day away on a beach.</p>