Good New Pilipinas reported recently that Filipinos are one of the happiest people on Earth according to the 2009 Happy Planet Index (HPI) published by the New Economics Foundation. The Philippines ranked 14th, up 3 places from last year.
Costa Rica is the happiest place in the world, followed by Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Guatemala, Vietnam, Colombia, Cuba, El Salvador, Brazil and Honduras. You can see the complete list or report here.
You will notice that developing countries ranked top on the Happy Index while the so-called economic super powers such as the France (#71), United Kingdom (#74) and the United States (#114) ranked low.
It means that economic growth or superiority does not translate to happiness. Yet, we all make the mistake of holding our government and ourselves meet that standard to be properous. What's important is discovering that neither wealth nor government can ever be the source of true happiness.
For further reading, click here.
(image from Good News Pilipinas)
"We have the allusion that if things will get better then we will be happy. And the idea is if you are not content with what you have then you will not be content with what you want." ken boa (sermon on the mount podcast)
ReplyDeletethanks for the post jason..
Vikki,
ReplyDeleteNice quote from Dr. Boa. Ill see him this weekend for a short meeting. Ill tell him that his podcast reached the Philippines. Thanks.
Jason
ofcourse, filipinos can cope with anything. sadness can turn to laughs. only filipino can do that. considering that filipinos are very cheerful.
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI have to agree that you Filipinos have a much deeper and genuine happiness than most westerners.
I have been a short term missionary to the Philippes for over 11 years now and have experienced so much happiness amongst your people that I have never been able to experience in my own country.
I feel often so very isolated coming back to my own place in many ways because I cannot find the same deep connection with people here that I am suppose to be able to relate to so much better and yet don't because we just don't have this in our country.
My prayer has been over all these years that you will never try to follow us western Christians even though I know so many of you really to desire this.
Why? because what you have is so much better than what we have.
I don't want you to believe that what we have is so much better because it isn't.
So many of us Christians in the west are suffering in ways you don't know about - isolation, even isolation amongst our brothers and sisters.
YOU have the gift of 'community' that we still only can dream of here and that can keep someone happy in the mist of struggle. We don't have this in the west and most of us don't know how to do it.It is hard to explain but here you are doing life so much on your own and nobody seems to care. Churches have to make 'programs' and organise people to 'care' but many of them fail because when you just care because it is a 'job' it is not from the heart and so it won't last.
So be proud of the fact that you are who you are as I know there are many thousands if not millions of Christians who would love to be part of a community that can share life with its joys and sorrows like you can.
Keep your eyes on Jesus and follow Him - not the western church!!!
God bless you!!!
Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting the site and for the wonderful comment! Very encouraging. I like what you said Filipinos "have a gift of community." Very true!