Bhutan is often referred to as "The Happiest Place on Earth," and the Bhutanese government has long taken steps to preserve its citizens' culture and a simple, peaceful, uncomplicated way of life, which resulted in its long being closed off from modern methods of technology and travel. A large part of Napoli's story is devoted to examining how the old and new ways of life are being balanced to achieve the greatest Gross National Happiness. But an even larger theme is how this culture of happiness infiltrated and changed Napoli's own life.
Ever since finishing the book, I've had my head in the clouds, and my mind turning over these new words and images and ideas, trying to find a way to fit them into my day-to-day.
(East or West, this lady is fierce. Can't you just see her on Advanced Style?)
"The Himalayan air, the very notion of Gross National Happiness, the exercise of [writing down] three good things--the cocktail of them had convinced me to embrace the moment before me, now, to appreciate it for what it was, but not to hold it so tight that I never let it go. For another moment would occur, and then another." -Lisa Napoli, Radio Shangri-La
Gross National Happiness is something that I feel we need to pay more attention to here in the States. It's sad that we ignore it as we do.
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way. It reminds me of that quote by the Dalai Lama circulating on FB:
Delete“Man...sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then he dies having never really lived.”
I think placing more of an emphasis on happiness as a definition of success would cut down on this kind of mentality.
Oh that sounds great. I love the images you chose.
ReplyDeleteI agree - Bhutan is just fascinating! I love the photos. I rarely add books to my TBR list anymore because there are so many already, but this sounds really good.
ReplyDeleteSue
Book By Book
The more I hear about Bhutan, the more interested I am. Those photos are stunning!
ReplyDeleteI found this book fascinating as well. I had never heard anything about Burma before reading it and certainly the concept of Gross National Happiness had somehow passed me by. I really enjoyed how this book brought all that to light for me.
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