Ode to King Jigme Singye Wangchuk (King of Bhutan)

I admire your introduction of Gross National Happiness (GNH) as a form of governmental importance. I have read all of the benefits it has brought your country and as an American Idealist with inspiration from your policy I set foot into the world with a plan to achieve high GNH for all countries on Earth. Dedicating my life to this endeavor, I have a lot of time ahead of me to devote to helping our planet be happier by spearheading initiatives through business, media, and world organizations. I have written papers on how businesses have to take a stand in their role in GNH and how they can practically integrate happiness into their daily organizational culture. In the media, I have been talking with TV executives over the past few years about a show that teaches the audience how to be happy. Finally, in the future I plan to perform happiness exercises with the World Bank, the UN, and many other world organizations. With your introduction of GNH at the governmental level, I have been able to point to the benefits you have brought your people as evidence that happiness is something we must put at the forefront of our society in order for there to be peace on Earth. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for your insight to inaugurate such a fundamental human experience as a top priority.

How to Live in the Moment

When I give talks on happiness a lot of people are interested in how I have achieved living in the moment. It took me six months of constant practice, but eventually I was living in the moment. When I realized I was living in the moment 100% of the time, I felt an enormous lift of stress come off my shoulders. Below I outlined some practical tips on how to train yourself to live in the moment.

1) If you notice yourself thinking about something in the future, like a decision you have to make, directions you have to find, a phone call you have to make, etc., then schedule a time 10 minutes before you absolutely must make that decision. This way, you know you will address the issue, you know when you will address the issue, and it does not permeate every moment of your life until then.

2) Also, if you notice yourself preoccupied with something in the past or future that is not an "action item" like #1, then reel back your thinking like a fishing rod so you can be back in the moment.

3) If you are bored in the moment or don’t like being in that moment for whatever reason... then you use all of your senses to get every possible morsel of experience, thinking, or learning, whatever that moment has to offer.

Remember it takes time, persistence, and patience to actually achieve living in the moment. When it happens, it is worth it and you will never go back to not living in the moment!