Gross National Happiness (GNH)
　Good morning, everyone.// I am sure you have heard the phrase “Bhutan, the happiest country in the world” at least once.// Today, let’s think about what happiness really means to us all.//
　Bhutan is a small mountain kingdom in Southern Asia.// It is located between India and China.// Mountains and valleys dominate the landscape of Bhutan.// Bhutan is one of the least developed and poorest countries in the world.// However, as we have said, Bhutan is often called the happiest country in the world.//
　In the 1970s, Bhutan’s king proposed an unusual method for measuring the country’s success.// Unlike traditional measures, like the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the king suggested Gross National Happiness (GNH).// Roughly speaking, GNH means to value spiritual well-being rather than economic wealth.// “How are you?”// We ask that question of one another often.// But how are we doing as a country or a society?//
　According to a survey conducted in 2015, more than 90% of the Bhutanese feel happy with their lives.// Thus, when the Bhutanese are asked if they are happy, most of them answer “yes.”// With the spread of smartphones, we are now able to connect with anyone at any time, but I wonder if we can really help and support each other by thinking of each other as family.// If you were asked the same question, how would you answer?//