The Happiest Place on Earth

I am a Financial Consultant by profession and my work primarily is to advise my clients on how to manage their money to achieve their financial and personal goals in life. Its a mundane work if one sees from outside. But I revel on this work and have a great sense of gratification and fulfillment of what I do. I take immense pride that my clients has chosen me as a trail by which they wish to reach their cherished dreams in life.

But, even though my advisory is related to money and the growth of it, I always believe the outcome of that monetary growth is invariably intangible. That the culmination of attaining those prospective goals must always be happiness of inner soul and mind.

A recent report on World Happiness Update 2016 published by Sustainable Development Solutions Network for the United Nations, ranks 157 countries by happiness levels using factors such as per capita GDP, healthy years of life expectancy, social support, freedom to make life choices, generosity, trust, having someone to count on in times of trouble and freedom from corruption in government and business. The report actually startles us. According to it, none of the World's top 10 economies, ranks among the Top Ten Happiest Countries. In fact China, the world's second biggest economy stands at 83 in terms of that happiness index. India's rank is at miserly 118, lower than neighbours Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, or for that matter even countries like Iraq, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and many miniscule nations.

Among many countries one worthy mention is Bhutan, which stands apart in terms of Happiness quotient. Bhutan is the first and so far only country in the world to have officially adopted Gross National Happiness (GNH) instead of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as their main development indicator. The GNH Index takes into consideration the countries cultural and spiritual values while developing and measuring the impact of socioeconomic development policies in areas such as : Physical, Mental & Spiritual Health; Social, Community, Cultural & Ecological Vitality; Time-Balance; Education; Living Standards and Good Governance.

The GNH concept has inspired a modern political happiness movement through the contribution of several scholars, economists and politicians around the world, evolving into a concept of socioeconomic development model. In July 2011, the United Nations passed resolution that was adopted by General Assembly, placing "happiness" as the global development agenda.  

 

Bhutan, called Switzerland of Asia, with a size of Kerala and population of Aligarh, is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, in neck-and-neck with India's growth rate (2014-2017 GDP CAGR of 7.55% against India's 7.57%), inspite of huge landscape disadvantages. India imports large amount of hydropower from Bhutan.

Bhutan has been able to find a perfect balance of moderisation and economic growth with ecological and cultural preservation. It has one of the most stable ecosystem in the world with virtually no environmental damage. It has world record of planting 49,000 trees in 1 hour and has a constitution that calls for 60% land to be under forest cover. The ruler of Bhutan, King Jigme Singye Wangchuk step down from monarchy in 2006 by himself and pave way for the country from absolute monarchy to be a democracy in 2008. A country, where the crown prince plays basketball with local kids in royal courtyard and feels safe to walk down the streets, Bhutan's unique strategy has presented a solution to globalization, where strengthening of the economy, comes with preservation of thousand years of ecology, culture and tradition. Bhutan is the "Happiness Garden" of the world.

In Honour of Their New Born Prince, Bhutan planted 1 Lakh Trees for Better Future