The perfect card to draw today, the Queen of Pentacles. She is very down to earth, loving the abundance of the simple pleasures of life, and she loves to share with others.
I've learned a new word that describes the kind of happiness that can come from the enjoying and sharing those simple pleasures in life and sharing them with others. It's something the Danes call Hygge, pronounced Hoo-gah.
Demark is reportedly the happiest country in the world, according to the UN report on happiness. Not surprizingly because of their attitude toward what constitutes happiness, they seem to have done a lot of things right and hygge, which is defined as meaning cosy, well being and enjoying the simple pleasures in life I sure certainly helps I'm sure.
Hygge is a word that has it's origins in Scandinavia and Denmark, dating back to the 18th Century and it's something that is cultivated in a serious way by the Danes.
Meik Wiking in his book The Little Book of Hygge, is a beautiful illustrated study of why hygge brings the Danes so much happiness.
Meik Wiking, the CEO at the Happiness Research Institute and studies happiness. His TED talk explores the dark side of happiness which is very insightful.
Like the influential Queen of Pentacles, I believe Denmark is an example of how to cultivate happiness through the simple pleasures of Hygge.
4 comments:
The Dutch translation for Hygge is Gezelligheid. which means sociable, snugness, coziness and then all these words put together in one word.
I hope you will have a Gezellig and Hyggeligt New Year
Oh that's so good! I figured you knew this word Ellen! You know my grand parents were from the Netherlands...maybe why I can't get enough of all that Gezellig and Hygglight!
Wishing for you Ellen a great abundance of Gezellig and Hyggeligt New Year! :) <3
Enjoyed the video! Glad he emphasized that taking time for the comforts of simple pleasures doesn't mean you become a slug - instead, the happiness makes one more creative and productive! I would love to see Mr. Viking and Matthieu Ricard (a former biochemist and now a Buddhist monk often described as the happiest man in the world) sit down and have a conversation.
You might enjoy his TED talk (he has a heavy French accent, so you may need turn on the subtitles):
https://www.ted.com/talks/matthieu_ricard_on_the_habits_of_happiness#t-598680
Oh that's great! I'll be sure to watch. Thank you Bev for sharing it. I'm always exploring what makes for happiness! Today it's my Calico cat Lola with her affectionate personality and fluffed up tail.
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