I was listening to a podcast recently and came across the acronym GNH. Huh?
GNP I know. GNI, yes. But GNH?
(quick refresher: GNP = Gross National Product, GNI = Gross National Income … for those of us with mom brain!)
GNH stands for Gross National Happiness.
The government of Bhutan has been using this measure since the early 1970’s and implemented it in their constitution in 2008. It is different from GNP because it values collective happiness as the goal of governance, by emphasizing harmony with nature and traditional values (they go on to define it in various domains and pillars). Definitely Google it to find out more — I found it to be incredibly fascinating!
It got me to thinking about success and how we measure it. There are so many ways, individual to each human on this planet. How much product did you sell? How much money do you make? Where did you go to school? Where do you work? Do you own a house? How many items did you check off your to-do list today? Did you get out of bed this morning? Did you save a life? Did you stay alive? Did you make someone smile?
When you really think about it, it’s amazing the wide spectrum of variance it has with regards to each individual. Not only does it depend on your occupation (i.e. medical professional vs. Target employee) and living conditions but also your current state of mind and mental health. For a doctor, saving a life might be the measure. For someone suffering from depression, just getting out of bed might be a measure of success. For someone in war torn Ukraine, getting through another day alive might be the ultimate measure.
OK, so those are more extreme examples, but when we look at our own lives, it’s interesting to reflect on how our measure of success has evolved over the years. I remember when I used to be so focused on income, what type of job I had, did I complete all these tasks, did I get that 10 mile run in, etc. These days it feels a lot more simple. Did I stay present with my son? Did I do something for myself? Did I find myself in a generally happy state?
Ahhh, happiness. That’s the key, right?
“Success is just happiness. When you are happy, that is success.”
~Jimmy Fallon
How do you measure success? And what can you do to thrive more in your own personal GNH?