Finland's been named the happiest country on earth four years in a row.
Could the Finns’ daily diet of saunas, vodka and frolicking in the snow as naked as the day
they were born be the reason why?
Apparently not.
According to a Finnish
philosopher, the Finns' joie de vivre is down to how they deal with rough patches and tough times:
“Nobody goes through life without tragedies, so being able to accept the situation is helpful. In Finnish culture, if someone asks how you are, it’s okay to say, ‘I’m not okay’. Being able to tolerate unhappiness, in the long term, is good for happiness.”
In a
nutshell: being more open about your unhappiness is one way to become happier.
Reality is, this openness is not what a Brit like me is known for.
Brits are more stiff upper lip. Grin and bear it. Fall into line and struggle on.
This attitude stretches back centuries.
And it could be part of the reason it took me so long to admit I wasn't happy in my job.
I thought swallowing my feelings and seeing things through to the end was the right thing to do.
Perhaps I even thought it
was noble or "character-building".
I only started to see light at the end of the tunnel when I acknowledged to myself (and then others) how down in the dumps my job made me.
Put another way: things started to improve when I embraced my inner-Finn (minus the vodka).
So in case it’s helpful to hear:
If you think your job is all blather and bulldust, there's nothing wrong with saying so.
Acknowledging this is one step towards
your own peace of mind and happiness.
And starting to make some changes (big or small) is the next step.
If you’d like some help with this, the link is below.
Time for me to wrap this up and head out.
That's all for now.
- Tom
p.s. Whenever you're ready, here are the ways you can connect with me