Happiness tips from Finland

 Recently, my work community faced tragedy.  In times of need, you can truly see people pull together.  Our community has been kind, generous, and caring during this time—which made me think, how do we hold on to these positive attributes longer? 

I turned to the country of Finland, which is one of the top-ranked countries in the United Nations World Happiness report.  The three categories that seem to stand out among the Finns are: 

1. Low social comparison 

2. Honesty and trust 

3. Time spent in nature 

4. 
   

The low social comparison struck a chord with me.  The first thing many of my students do when I return a test is to ask other students how they did on it.  No matter how I try to discourage this behavior, the students cannot help themselves. 

Honesty (more about honesty) and trust are a hallmark of Finland.  When psychologists left wallets on busy streets in Finland, 90% were returned to their owners.  Trust is built on small behaviors like these, and when you have a very honest community, trust is easy to build. 

The Finns also like to spend their vacation time in cabins in remote places.  Many of these cabins lack electricity, which promotes going to sleep when it gets dark and waking up with the sun.  Besides supporting good sleep habits (do not underrate sleep), spending time in nature also provides a calmness that is good for both your physical and mental health. 

The challenge for all of us is to stop comparing ourselves to each other.  When we do have success, keep it low-key.  Secondly, be mindful of situations that build trust.  Finally, while we might not be able to go to remote places, we can unplug ourselves from our electronics for a weekend. 

As always, I would love to hear your feedback. 

Hidden secrets to success

 

After the Super Bowl, I heard many football fans and analysts talk about the natural-born talent of Patrick Mahomes. While many of the top-rated quarterbacks are talented, fans often overlook the hidden factors that make the players successful. The fan only sees the final product, not what goes into making the person so successful.

I once watched a video of Tom Brady practicing in the off-season. His favorite phrase was “run it again.” Brady was persistent: He would continue to practice a play until it was perfect. He realized that fractions of a second might determine the difference between a touchdown and an interception.

Extraordinarily successful people also make great sacrifices to hone their craft. In the case of great athletes, they do not truly have an off-season. They are constantly working year-round to correct their weaknesses and continue to enhance their strengths.

Also, high achievers are persistent. While they have disappointments like the rest of us, they bounce back. Last year, Mahomes faced the disappointment of losing in the AFC Championship. He learned from that failure and this year delivered a different result.

Some people make it look so easy that you think it comes naturally to them. Just remember that these people have sacrificed, learned from failure, and overcome disappointments.