The United Nations, for the 8th year in a row, says it’s so.
How is that even possible? Half the year it’s pitch-black, the food involves pickled herring experiments gone wrong, and their national pastime is roasting themselves in a sauna until they’re medium-rare, then jumping into a frozen lake. That’s not happiness, that’s hazing.
Meanwhile, we’re out here thinking joy requires palm trees, tequila shots, and Instagrammable sunsets. We chant “treat yourself” like it’s a sacred mantra, then wonder why our credit card balances are as bloated as our waistlines.
The Finns have cracked the code:
- Trust your neighbors and your government. Imagine that.
- Be content with enough, not obsessed with more. Crazy idea, right?
- Use nature as medicine. Walk in the woods instead of doom-scrolling in bed.
- Sweat it out. (Yes, even your excuses.)
Maybe happiness isn’t about margaritas on the beach. Maybe it’s about living in a place where you don’t constantly suspect the guy next to you is trying to scam you.
So yeah — Finland proves happiness doesn’t need surfboards or umbrella drinks. It just needs a little trust, a lot of simplicity, and the courage to sit in the heat until you can’t take it anymore, then jump headfirst into the ice.
If that’s not life in a nutshell, I don’t know what is.