Through an inspiring journey across the globe, a Dutch couple is on a mission to make the world a little happier. Not by telling people how to be happy, but by motivating them to discover what happiness means to themselves.
Tjerk and Alissa both quit their job two months ago to discover the world’s best kept secrets on happiness.
“We set up Happiness around the Globe because we aim to better understand what fundamentally drives us human beings. Why do we do the things we do? What motivates us? What makes us happy? How do we define happiness?,” Tjerk said.
To answer these questions, the two are traveling to 25 of the happiest countries in the world. They don’t simply visit the 25 countries ranked highest on one happiness index, but selected the 25 countries based on multiple indexes, scientific research, recommendations and, as Alissa says, “a good portion of gut feeling”.
She explains that they don’t claim to obtain scientific statistics or academically proven theories, but “just want to collect personal stories behind the numbers and gather unique definitions of happiness”. With a background in positive psychology and a coaching practice in Amsterdam, she seamlessly integrates the latest scientific research in their approach.
Universal happiness: we all are one.
The most obvious, yet satisfying finding for the couple is that happiness is important to everyone. Some of the most heard components of happiness definitions are: family, health, security and safety. Like the basic needs described in the theory of Maslow, just in a different order.
What is most fascinating to the couple up until know, is that everyone acknowledges the importance of others. Everyone wants to be part of something larger than themselves. Be part of a community.
In Iceland, a beautiful but cold and isolated island, the entire population is one large community on its own. In a country with approximately 300.000 inhabitants, everyone looks after one another. An inspiring example has been the story of a father who had to take care of his ill son, and needed some financial aid. It had been broadcasted on the television, and even though not everyone knew the man directly, they all helped without hesitating. This same community also poses a real dating challenge: because everyone is related somehow Icelanders often need to use an app when dating to find out if he or she is not too closely related.
Happiness in South Africa is also built upon communities. In a country full of contradictions, barriers and differences, there is a connection between people stronger than kryptonite. Even though there are over 2000 different languages in South Africa, Ubuntu is a word they all know by heart. Ubuntu is South African philosophy that in its most basic form means “human kindness”. It is often also translated as “humanity towards others”, but is often used in a more philosophical sense to mean “the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity. Simply said, it means that a person is a person through other persons.
The fifty-five-year-old lady named Szinsi is someone who applies this philosophy. She’s a single mom of three who’s living in a desolated rural village near East London. She teaches children English and lives in a small house without almost no furniture, decoration or electricity. Most of her belongings are shared with relatives or neighbours. As she describes, “happiness is being able to go to work, having food and a shelter. In the end, it’s all about being together. We will always help one another. Food, money, love. We share everything”.
So, whereas people of all the countries they visited so far are in need and search of happiness, how the inhabitants approach it is quite differently.
Different approaches for the same happiness pursuit
In most of the Western countries, there is a hunger for more and better. People are not easily satisfied. Tjerk and Alissa found out that in Switzerland, many people are focused on behaving according to the societal standards, which happen to be very high in Switzerland.
According to Tjerk, they aren’t extremely happy.
“We feel that the Swiss are moderately happy and content. They seem to be very focused on behaving appropriately and creating a safe and secure future, and seem to rely a lot on financial prosperity,” Tjerk said.
They live less in the present, a phenomenon known in most western countries.
“Even though people in Europe spend loads of money on mindfulness apps, yoga practices and self-help books, and have the desire to live more in the present, it’s not [yet] in their nature,” Alissa said.
Whereas in countries as South Africa, Nicaragua and Costa Rica most people seem to be automatically living in the moment. They don’t even really know how they do it. It’s just inherent to who they are. Every single Nica they’ve spoken with, gave them the same piece of advice: “Don’t think too much. You don’t want to hurt your head”. According to them, you don’t need to do anything else but live day by day, because you don’t know what tomorrow will bring.
Happiness in Costa Rica
When the couple did their upfront desk research, they found out that Costa Rica is the world’s happiest country according to the Happy Planet Index , and the country came 12th in the 2017 World Happiness Report.
“Whereas these rankings are on to something and it’s definitely something the Tico’s can be proud off, they are limited. Global indexes inevitably include certain indicators and exclude others. We realize that in many countries, there is still a battle on income inequality, poverty and safety going on,” Alissa said.
Many of Costa Rica’s current statistics are of course already very impressive compared to other countries: no army, the great amount of GDP invested in education, the high life expectancy (blue zone) and the usage of renewed energy.
So how did Tjerk and Alissa experience happiness in Costa Rica?
“It’s easiest, and of course obvious, to use the words Pura Vida to describe our happiness experience in Costa Rica. It is the concept that Ticos live by daily and bears a very profound meaning to them that really inspires us. Essentially, it’s living life simple and peacefully”. When you say, hear or see ‘Pura Vida’, the facial expression of the person changes and a smile is drawn on their face.
What’s most impressive to the couple, is that it seems like Ticos deliberately choose to live a relaxed, uncomplicated life and not worry too much. Despite the relative financial prosperity of the past years, many Ticos don’t seem to be seduced by the [rushed] Western culture.
The couple spent some time in Guanacaste, the highlands, the Caribbean coast and the capital center, and discovered an important similarity: “regardless of the location, culture or social status, everyone stresses the importance of being with the family”. And this stretches beyond blood-related family.
No matter whom they talked to, all were willing to share some pretty good tips with the couple on the Pura Vida lifestyle.
“For us, it’s this way of life we are eager to learn. Where there are numerous self-help books written about how to live an uncomplicated and happy life, the Ticos simply don’t know any better” says Alissa.
Alissa van der Voort worked as a psychologist and coach, while Tjerk Klompmaker worked as a consultant at KPMG. They recently started their search and have a whole journey ahead of them. Up next, they will be discovering Kenya, Vietnam and Thailand.
See also: PHOTOS: Costa Rica hosts World Meeting of Blue Zones
See also: Expats in Costa Rica happiest in the world, says new poll
