{"id":18048,"date":"2022-03-18T15:01:39","date_gmt":"2022-03-18T18:01:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/?p=18048"},"modified":"2022-03-19T11:20:43","modified_gmt":"2022-03-19T14:20:43","slug":"what-is-happiness-for-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/index.php\/2022\/03\/18\/what-is-happiness-for-you\/","title":{"rendered":"What is happiness for you?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Some people associate happiness with sunshine (hello Mr. Trudeau\u2026 with your promised “sunny ways<\/em>“).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For some, happiness may be memories of snow and warmth by the fire\u2026 Perhaps with family, friends, or lovers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many, immeasurable sources of life happiness stem from their children, grand-children, nephews\/nieces, or young kids\/youth they love as educators\u2026 Bambi is using the latter in its broadest sense since we are all \u201ceducators\u201d in the “village<\/em>” that “it takes to raise a child<\/em>“.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet for others their perceived or\naspired happiness may be their illusion of power\u2026 or their wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Others can easily tell that their happiness is in (and because of) love… or because of their faith in a creator… and\/or in humanity too. Who knows? Perhaps the capacity to have faith and to nurture it may be related to the art of being in love with life (in its broadest sense), to give and hopefully to receive back love. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And what about moments of peace of mind, and even joy, despite a less optimal health or despite another adversity?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What about hope now and what is its role in happiness? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is hope an antidote to unhappiness\u2026 or a free-of-charge, ecological fuel of sustainable happiness?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can individuals keep their hope alive and be happy when they live in countries where they lack dignity and basic needs?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bambi is thinking specifically of Lebanon\u2026 and of Afghanistan.  Yes, both countries are now last in the list of “happiest countries<\/em>” in a UN-funded study, according to L\u2019Orient Le Jour<\/em>. Can you imagine Lebanon that low?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bravo to Finland (happiest\ncountry in the world for the fifth year in a row). Good results also for\nDenmark, Iceland, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. Good progress for Serbia,\nBulgaria, and Roumania, it seems. The worst results are in Lebanon, Venezuela,\nand Afghanistan (https:\/\/www.lorientlejour.com\/article\/1294054\/la-finlande-pays-le-plus-heureux-liban-et-afghanistan-derniers.html<\/a>). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With all due respect to Afghanistan, Lebanon\u2019s results are far from being glorious. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How could its people be happy when they struggle to survive on a daily basis?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s think of some examples of changes in people’s lives in Lebanon. For instance, the last time Bambi took a service-taxi in Beirut, it was in December 2019 during her last trip there. For LBP1000, you could go anywhere you wish from point A to point B (yes, this is less than CAD $0.83, at least on March 18, 2022). Today, it is over LBP40,000. Taxi and van drivers are also struggling like their clients (https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/International\/wireStory\/lebanons-taxi-bus-van-drivers-block-roads-protest-82619547<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another example of hardship to the people of Lebanon is that supermarkets now require a payment in cash money (credit or debit cards not allowed, it seems). People do not have access to their own savings or enough money\u2026 so imagine cash money! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyhow, to cheer us up from this survey, Bambi will conclude this post devoted to happiness (from a micro to a macro level) by sharing a French song she adores. It is by Mr. Christophe Ma\u00e9 and it is called \u201cIl est o\u00f9 le bonheur <\/em>[Where is Happiness?<\/em>] You can read an English translation following the song. Enjoy\u2026 and may everyone be merry (depending on his or her definition of happiness :)].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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