Another Royal Wedding?!

At this point, there is no question that I absolutely love weddings, but a Royal Wedding can send me into a verbal frenzy in seconds.

And then there's Bhutan, a tiny country for which I have a lot of admiration.

Combine the two, and it's a very exciting day. I'm happy to report that the beloved king of Bhutan enjoyed his own royal wedding this week, and he, too, married a "commoner." Could this be a new royal trend? It certainly appears to be!

The bride is a pilot's daughter and has been treated to a tour of the country recently, as she prepares for her new role as Queen. She will be the King's only bride, he says, which is in stark contrast from his father, who has four wives. King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck, is the son of the famed king who, in the 1970s, revolutionized the way leaders worldwide think about their countries' success by measuring gross national happiness, rather than gross domestic product.

Granted, this wedding was a far cry from the huge buildup and incredible excitement of the Royal Wedding of the century this past April, which saw viewers from around the world. This wedding only included members of the royal family and the country's onlookers.

Ahhh, weddings. They're such joyous occasions, and I love, love, love the benefits of modern media which make it so easy to follow the weddings of splendor that I'm quite sure I will never have as I don't have millions of dollars at my disposal. However, if it is possible to achieve some level of happiness through another's, I believe these two weddings have provided just that- a reason to celebrate a beautiful union, with full support of those around them--and around the world.

Finding The Meaning Of Happiness

I caught up with a friend of mine, Kevin, yesterday, and we began talking about my last post and the idea of what makes people happy.

Here are Kevin & I just before leaving for
South Dakota a few years ago

Generally, our conversations either begin or end with a discussion about life and what makes people tick. Kevin is one of those people who is constantly dreaming big. Whether that be dreaming of a better world for everyone in it or of a new fantastic plan he has come up with for himself. Honestly, I wish I could dream like that, but I often find my creativity comes up a little short of thinking of a new business idea every day.

When talking with him yesterday, we got on the topic of good ol' Bhutan and how the idea of finding happiness, or defining it in some way, could be a blog in and of itself.

So here's what I'm wondering: what brings you happiness? I mean pure, unadulterated happiness. The kind of joy that comes from seeing your mom's open arms at long last after a week at summer camp as a kid, or perhaps being able to sit down with the one you love at the end of a long day and share a smile.

Here's where I'll interject with a small brag about my awesome boyfriend. I'm perfectly happy curling up on the couch with a movie and a bowl of popcorn, and I'm so glad he enjoys the same. I love the comfort that comes with being able to get dressed up and go out, but also being able to show up on his doorstep in sweats and disheveled hair after a long day.  It's good to know I can just be unapologetically...me.

So there's one example about what makes me happy, what about you?

Seriously, I'm really interested to see what you have to say, so please share!

Maybe I'll Move to Bhutan

...Okay, not really, but it's an interesting thought.

Bhutan is dwarfed by China and India, to be sure

Remember back in my first post when I mentioned I sometimes fill my head with thoughts of the happiness situation in Bhutan? That wasn't a joke, I really do think about the relatively small country in the heart of the eastern world.

A while ago, I was watching a video on Ted.com, my favorite source for fascinating videos and new ideas, and I couldn't help but smile when Chip Conley began speaking about the little plot of land full of Buddhist monks and beautiful views.

Back in the 1970s, a teenage king, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, came up with a rather revolutionary idea for measuring a country's success: why not measure success in gross national happiness as opposed to gross domestic product or some such other material measurement. This is no easy task, of course, because how does one go about measuring happiness? It's such a subjective topic, so defining happiness and what creates it can be difficult.

Think about it, though, what does really matter in life? Is it the fancy new car, or is it perhaps the cute little girl sitting in the back seat singing along to her favorite Sesame Street song? Is it the mansion on a hill, or is it the beautiful family you've built who lives in it?

Me? I'd take the family and love over a new car and huge home any day. After all, what good are those things when you have no one to share them with?

This is a photo of a Buddhist monastery in Bhutan...
That's a view I could handle every morning!

In the Ted.com video, Conley mentions an author who suggests happiness is the difference between having what you want, and wanting what you have. I love this. Try asking a child where they see themselves when they're grown up. What do they typically say?  "I want to be an astronaut, and I will be married and have lots of kids." They don't usually say, "I will be a senior accountant making lots of money so I can buy myself an iPad and end up divorcing my husband (or wife), then engaging in a nasty custody battle over our kids who drop their expensive toys all over the house."

Ok, maybe I took that a little far, and I'm certainly not suggesting that all senior accountants feel that way or that everyone ends up in such a rut, but how often do you hear of that situation these days? 

It's certainly interesting that the GDP takes into account how many nuclear warheads a country has as well as air pollution and TV shows that glorify violence, but doesn't account for the integrity of our public officials, health of our children, or the strength of our marriages. Do you think that's a little off? I do.

So maybe I'll move to Bhutan, or at least dream about it. Here's to happiness, may we all end each day with a smile.