Global Happiness…

A very merry International Day of Happiness to the whirling world! Seeing the concept of “happiness” erupt today on Twitter, I was reminded of my trip this past fall to the Kingdom of Bhutan — where I spoke at the Royal Palace about disability and spirituality for an international conference on Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness Index. It was a true honor to witness scholars, Buddhist monks, activists, and comedians gather high in the Himalayas to assert that happiness requires a holistic approach and mindfulness is more than just a modern-day gimmick to sell merchandise (to divorce it from ethics and virtuous action is problematic). I was also very fortunate to have the opportunity to speak privately with His Majesty, the Dragon King of Bhutan — whose enlightened views on happiness greatly impressed, humbled, and inspired me.