"Happiness comes from your perspective," says Marianne Williamson. A recent study showed, to the astonishment of the researchers, that depressed people were depressed because they had negative thoughts, not that they had negative thoughts because they were depressed. This goes to show that you can train yourself to think more positive thoughts in order to change your outlook on life. But your government's priorities sure help. One country that has made happiness its national business is Bhutan. Bhutan has created the GNH Index and studies how happy its people are and what can be made to improve the situation of those who are not. Bhutan's search for happiness is not a recent endeavor since its 1729 legal code already stated "if the Government cannot create happiness for its [people, there is no purpose for the Government to exist." What a country!
And Denmark was crowned the world's happiest country in the 2013 World Happiness Report (not sure why Bhutan does not appear in the report), figuring at the top with the other Scandinavian countries, the Netherlands and Canada. Social support, gender equality, a culture of generosity, freedom to make life choices, good life expectancy, lack of corruption at the leadership level and a large GDP all contribute to making for a happy country.
Priorities, priorities!