FOR what it is worth, yesterday should have been the happiest day of the year. It was International Day of Happiness, a day celebrated every year since it was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012. In Fiji, UN bodies continue to preach the need to encourage people to be happy.
Given the fact that a day has been set aside for us to celebrate happiness, yesterday should have been arguably one of the happiest days for people in Fiji.
And that is simply because of the fact that people were expected to celebrate that emotional aspect of our lives yesterday.
Yesterday should have been a day when everyone was happy. Whether that actually happened is another story.
For whatever reason people were happy, it would have reflected in how they lived yesterday.
It would have reflected in their actions and in how they performed at work and at home.
It is interesting though that there is even such a day set aside by the UN. Perhaps there needs to be more awareness created about this day.
It should be about encouraging more people to live life to the brim. It should be about releasing happiness and allowing it to envelop every part of our daily lives.
The impact of that on our lives personally will undoubtedly be positive. The roll-on effect on our communities and eventually our nation can only be good.
But happiness isn’t just about smiling. It should include joy and laughter, and should come from the heart so to speak.
It should be about our appreciation of the joys of life.
For instance the two drivers who parked their buses at the top end of Tovata in Nasinu yesterday to drop off passengers just before 7pm frustrated other drivers who could not get past them.
Despite other motor vehicle owners tooting their horns, the two drivers did not move their buses for some time, effectively blocking an important road junction.
But because it was a day to celebrate happiness, one probably would have expected other drivers to cage in negative energy and maybe switch on a favourite song while waiting for the two selfish drivers to move their vehicles.
The owners of the bus company that services this route may need to consider talking to their drivers about this, because one thing is certain, the two drivers do not own the road.
As UN resident co-ordinator and UNDP resident representative Osnat Lubrani said, the development of the Human Development Index (HDI) back in 1990 was important to inform policies within countries.
“It is a good thing for countries to have an index that helps to reflect on where they rank on the Happiness Index,” Ms Lubrani said.
“Such reflection can inform policy action that can contribute in various important ways — whether it is to resolve conflict, eradicating poverty, or combatting all forms of inequality and exclusion.”
We hope you all had something to be happy about yesterday.
