Harmony Around the World: Important Lessons from the World’s Happiest Place: Finland
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This year Finland once again topped the World Happiness Report. It ranked number one out of 156 countries. Happiness levels were evaluated based on criteria such as life expectancy and social support. Not only did Finland rank number one, but the next happiest country fell far behind Finland’s winning scores.
Jokamiehen Oikeus is a Finnish phrase that means “everyman’s right.” In Finland that means that anyone in the country – whether living there permanently or just visiting – has the legal right to walk freely in nature. And Finland has some beautiful nature to enjoy.
Home to almost 188,000 lakes, Finland is known as the “Land of a Thousand Lakes.” The natural aquatic beauty is surrounded by exquisite forest land. Finland is actually over 70% forest, giving it more wooded land than any other European country. With so much untouched area available, Finns are able to explore often and find much happiness in the countryside.
When hiking in Finland, you have the right to roam anywhere in the countryside. The lakes are free for non-commercial fishing. Even private land is open for exploration, but the Finns are always respectful of their neighbors. It is customary to alert a land owner before heading onto their property and to always leave nature untouched. Finns are careful to clean up behind themselves and do no damage on their treks.
Although most other countries don’t allow open exploration of privately-owned lands, and there are fees associated with visiting many parklands, there are still abundantly beautiful areas to go if you want to get lost in exploration and rev up your happiness.
What type of land do you like to explore most? Quiet forests? Waterfall hikes? A trail up to a summit? A city street? No matter your choice, get out and get moving. You’ll be happy that you did!