Scandinavian life philosophies for a long, happy, and meaningful life

Scandinavian life philosophies for a long, happy, and meaningful lifeScandinavian life philosophies for a long, happy, and meaningful lifeBenjamin Franklin once said, Happiness consists more in small conveniences or pleasures that occur every day, than in great pieces of good fortune that happen but seldom.Finland, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden are ranked among the top happiest places in the world. With a focus on balance and connection, each country has developed its own way of living life to the fullest.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreMillions of Scandinavians enjoy a healthy work-life balance, high standards of living with less pressure, less stress, and more time for everything they enjoy and love doing.Looking for a lifestyle change?Use some of these Scandinavian life philosophies to change your perception about living a meaningful and fulfilling life.Rethinking the keys to happiness.LagomLagom(pronounced lar-gohm) is is a huge parte of the culture in Sweden.It means Not too little. Not too much. Just right.This single word encapsulates the entire Swedish socially democratic philosophy on life that everyone should have enough but not too much.The concept encourages an overarching balance across our lives everything in moderation.At the office, professionals who work hard?- ?but not to the detriment of other parts of their lives?- ?are following thelagomideal.Rather than burning yourself out with a 60-hour working week and then getting stressed, lagom encourages balance and living somewhere in the middle.Other features include frugality, stress reduction, striking the perfect balance between work and play and focusing on environmental concerns and sustainability.The archetypical Swedish proverb, Lagom r bst, literally means, The right amount is best but is also translated as Enough is as good as a feast and There is virtue in moderation.You are probably exercisinglagomis many aspects of your life already.For Swedes, lagom is a lifestyle, a habit of mind. Theres an internal mindset of acceptance and contentment in Sweden. Thats part of the secret to being happy?- ?dont obsess about it.The philosophy of lagom is beautifully simple, and offers an alternative to the idea of always landseeking the next best thing.Anna Brones explains in her book,Live Lagom Balanced Living the Swedish Way, Applying a sense of lagom to our everyday lives?- ?in what we eat, what we wear, how we live, how we work?- ?might just be the trick for embracing a more balanced, sustainable lifestyle that welcomes the pleasures of existence rather than those of consumption.HyggeIn both Danish and Norwegian,hygge(pronounced as hoo-guh) means to give courage, comfort, joy.In Denmark, hygge is more than just a word?- ?its a central part of the culture.Its about giving your responsible, stressed-out self a break to live in the moment and enjoy your immediate en vironment.It is about enjoying life with friends and family, cherishing the moments. It is about grabbing hold of these moments and making them special. Not rushing through an activity so to move on to the next, it is about taking your time and enjoying what is before you now and not what is to come says Sofie Pedersen, in her book,Keep Calm Hygge A Guide to The Danish Art of Simple Cosy Living.Hygge is a feeling closely tied to being relaxed, happy, content and at peace with oneself. It is the absence of all pretence and worry.If you take time to lose yourself in a book, take a walk, ride a bike, share a meal, enjoy your favourite TV show with friends and family, or play board games, you are already practising hyggeIts the pleasure of simply being.You cannot hygge if you are in a hurry or stressed out.Hygge is about an atmosphere and an experience, rather than about things. It is about being with the people we love. A feeling of home. A feeling that we are safe, that we are shiel ded from the world and allow ourselves to let our guard down, writes Meik Wiking, in his book, The Little Book of Hygge Danish Secrets To Happy Living.The hygge lifestyle open to anyone. And its one of the best ways to practice self-care that feels sincere.LykkeLykke (pronounced loo-kah) is simply the Danish word for happiness.Copenhagen is probably the most Lykke place in the world. At five oclock in the afternoon everyone leaves work, rides home on their bicycles, does two hours of creative play with their children, goes out to do a random act of kindness to a stranger who wants to be left in peace, lights five candles and then settles down to watch several episodes of a Scandi-noir TV thriller about some psychopathic paedophile on the loose,writesMeik Wiking, author ofThe Little Book of Lykke Secrets of the Worlds Happiest People.Happiness isnt a destination, its a habit.Its what we do to make everything else in life awesome. And to be truly happy, you have to be actively involve d in the direction of your life.you are the only person alive who has sole custody of your life. Your particular life. Your entire life. Not just your life at a desk, or your life on the bus, or in the car, or at the computer, says Anna Quindlen, author ofA Short Guide to a Happy Life.Strive to install experiences of gratitude, gladness, moderation, accomplishment, feeling successful, feeling that theres a fullness in your life rather than an emptiness or a scarcity to live life to the fullest.No people can be truly happy if they do not feel that they are choosing the course of their own life, states theWorld Happiness Report 2012.The report also found that having this freedom of choice is one of the six factors that explain why some people are happier than others.SisuEtymologically, sisu (pronounced see-soo) comes from a Finnish root word that implies inner or inside. In Finnish culture, its about adopting the attitude of persistence and determination.Sisu is not momentary courage, but the ability to sustain that courage. It is a word that cannot be fully translated. It defines the Finnish people and their character. It stands for the philosophy that what must be done will be done, regardless of cost,accordingto Finlandia University.Its often described as stoic determination, the tenacity of purpose, grit, and resilience. Its a form of courage that is presented in situations where success is against the odds.Its about persevering your way through challenges.It is a compound of bravado and bravery, of ferocity and tenacity, of the ability to keep fighting after most people would have quit, and to fight with the will to win,The New York Timesexplained in 1940.Sisu is doing whats necessary even when its difficult.Sisu may be a Finnish word, but its a universal trait, says Joanna Nylund, author ofSisu The Finnish Art Of Courage.Closing thoughtsLife is unpredictable, but strong life philosophies can guide the way.A great lifestyle accrues benefits over time. Take time to enjoy lifes journey.You cannot be really first-rate at your work if your work is all you are, says Anna Quindlen.Embrace and practice some of these philosophies in your everyday life and, maybe, youll find out why Scandinavians are ranked as the happiest people in the worldThis article first appeared on Medium.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people