Returning to Dallas after a life-altering trip to Bhutan, Gretchen was asked to sum up her trip in a bullet point. Annoyed by the insanity of asking someone to condense a life-altering experience into a few words, she mysteriously found herself replying. . . .
“The entire time I was in Bhutan, I never witnessed anyone yelling or being unkind. No one ever treated me rudely or like an outsider. People were genuinely concerned about whether I was happy and what I thought of Bhutan. What I learned was that, inside of happiness, there is no room for hatred, violence, or warfare; there is no space for anxiety, depression, or suicide.”
And, not surprisingly, that got Gretchen to thinking. What an irony that folks in America are so profoundly unhappy in spite of all of our wealth and resources. Whereas folks in Bhutan and other poor countries are often blessed with a resilient joy and peace that transcends their circumstances. How was this possible?
And, not surprisingly, that got Gretchen to remembering that everywhere you look in Bhutan you see prayer flags, prayer wheels, temples, and monks. Many of the prayer wheels have a bell that rings every time it is spun. And the Bhutanese are serious about praying for the health and well being of all sentient beings. So, people in Bhutan, where the global happiness movement was launched, are constantly reminded all day long—visually and auditorily—of happiness and the interdependence of life.
And, not surprisingly, that got Gretchen to wondering how she could create such a system here in America. And, on June 14, 2017, a mere 44 days after returning from Bhutan, daily happiness messages were born! Happiness quickly evolved into resilient happiness, that quiet play of joy that comes from deep inside and is more resistant to the winds of change. As a coach and practicing Buddhist, the messages further deepened to explore mood, emotion, mindset, and mindfulness. And, with the arrival of the global pandemic, the messages have focused on both serious and playful ways to keep sane in an insane world.