The Egyptian Gazette, Thursday, April 18th, 2019

Be a Lotus

Are you going through a a really difficult phase of your life?

Do you think the circumstances of your life are unbearable?

Are crushing financial problems preventing you from reaching your potential?

Do you have to deal with extremely difficult people?

If your answer to any of these questions is a “yes”, simply BE A LOTUS. Yes, you read this right. Just be a lotus.  Why a lotus?  Let’s explore it together.

Be self-sufficient

The lotus flower, referred to as water lily, is an extremely beautiful bowl-shaped flower with broad, flat leaves that float above water. It is both ornamental and sweet smelling and is surrounded by circular green leaves called lily pads that float around it in a spectacular scene of beauty and color. Unlike other delicate flowers, a lotus requires no special care since it grows naturally in ponds, lakes, slow-moving streams, and even swamps.    A lotus, then, depends on no one; is self-sufficient and self-providing, are you?

Be grateful for what you have, be yourself

The Lotus actually starts its journey of growth deep under the mud, in the dark bottom of the water until it makes its way to the surface.  The flower gracefully extends out of the water and blossoms into fifteen white, pink and sometimes blue oval shaped petals that spread open to savor the sun rays.  The lotus shares its beauty and perfume with the world while we humans fail to count our blessings and feel grateful for them. Instead, we keep complaining about our hard circumstances and allow them to shackle our progress in life. Can we be a lotus in this sense?

Be strong and transcend your limitations

Despite its splendor and elegance, the lotus flower thrives in the mud; it can grow in swamps and live in muddy or even contaminated water.  However, you will always find it spotless clean and untouched by impurity.  Its leaves shed the dirt away and never allow themselves to get smeared or spotted by it.    Can we humans be that immune to our surroundings?  Can we rise above our circumstances and origins and transcend the ugliness of the real world and keep thriving and moving on by sheer will and inner strength?   Can we be a lotus in this sense?

Be compassionate and generous

During the day, a lotus is out and about; it is there in its colorful splendor in the middle of lovely green pads sharing its beauty with the beholder.   Together, they provide shade and shelter to tiny water creatures which cling to them.  It is not only the spectacular scene of beauty that makes the lotus a unique flower, but the unconditional protection and providing for other creatures as well. Can we be generous to others like a lotus is? Can we provide another human being with protection, care or maybe just a little sympathy that will help them move through life knowing that there is someone to lean on?  Can we be a lotus in this sense?

Be wise, detached and self-caring

With sunset, the lotus closes its leaves to protect its curious flat seedcase center from night predators.  It is wise enough to shut the outer world away when it has to only to have a new birth with the next day, are we humans that wise?  Can we decide when to leave everything behind and retreat into ourselves to nourish and recollect our energy to face the world anew?  Can we be a lotus in this sense?

The Lotus as a Symbol

In Ancient Egypt

It is no wonder the lotus flower is one of the most unique symbols of almost all the ancient cultures of our planet.  In ancient Egypt, the lotus is symbol and icon in the mythology and legends ; it is widely depicted in ancient Egyptian art symbolizing the process of rebirth and regeneration of the dead upon entering the underworld.  It also symbolized the sun itself, and was thus closely associated with Atum-Ra, the Sun god and later with Nefertum, god of perfume.  Even more, it was used to symbolize our splendid Upper Egypt.

As an art motif, the lotus was widely drawn in sacred places throughout ancient Egypt.  It ornamented the tops of pillars in temples; it was there in the tomb Hieroglyphics, engraved on walls, depicted on papyrus, and it proudly topped the  thrones and headdresses of the pharaohs.

In Buddhism

A lotus symbolizes purity of the body, the tongue, and mind.  According to Buddhism, every human being has the potential to become perfect and enlightened, as long as he/she is keen on reaching the light.  The analogy of the human self to a Lotus is clear as while rooted in the mud, its flowers blossom above the muddy waters of earthly desire.  It is also symbolic of detachment as drops of dirty water easily slide off its petals.  Many Hindu gods, and the Buddha himself,  are depicted sitting or standing on a Lotus to symbolize the ability to overcome the pain that prevails in the material world and to transcend it and be enlightened, just like the Lotus flower.

Be a Lotus

Delicate and beautiful as it may appear to be, a lotus flower had gained its reputation as strong, pure, generous and perfect throughout cultures and times.  It also has its scientifically- proven medicinal benefits but let’s save this for another time. For now let’s just try to be as graceful, strong, pure, loving and generous as a LOTUS.

Scaring the horses

 Scaring the horses:

 'I am proud of my accent and will not change'

By Dr Laila Abdel Aal Alghalban

Professor of linguistics

Faculty of Arts

Kafrelsheikh University

The battle of accents

"Anonymous hard right accounts attacking my accent again saying l am thick etc, I will reiterate I am proud of my accent and will not change!" So tweeted Angela Rayner, the Shadow education secretary of the British Labour party, about her northern accent. She says that her accent is who she is and it is important that she is genuine in representing her constituency and getting their voice heard as a part of the British linguistic and cultural landscape. Similarly, Afro-American communities have long taken pride in the way they speak and try to maintain their accents as that reflects their non-ending battle with inequality and racism. Most of them have resisted all attempts to "whiten" their behaviors including the way they speak.

    In contrast, many posh speakers in Britain and even those who copy them globally have also reported that they are also bullied by other people simply because it happens that they sound posh. Talking about accent bullying and discrimination while my daughter and I were busy cooking on a lovely Friday, she told me that Oprah once said in an episode of her famous show that she was bullied back in school by other Afro-American students as they claimed that " she speaks  and acts like a white girl," which was never her intention as it came so naturally to her. "I remember being intrigued by that comment, as I know she mentioned it to empower people to be authentically who they are, no matter what others say or do, and not to be afraid of showing their true colours," said my daughter.

    Throughout history, the battle of accents, dialects and languages has been a non-ending one between social, racial and even religious parties. The way we speak is the first and instant indicator of our identity. It reflects various things about us: our background, affiliations and aspirations. These perceptions also have social and financial implications. Copying a prestigious dialect or accent enables people to get highly paid prestigious jobs and social prestige or snobbery by being members of a given social group. And in so doing they simultaneously fall victims to discrimination by other groups. Thus, whether your accent is standard or substandard or regional, you will meet offenders or snobs. So, why is accent  such a sensitive topic, provoking such strong reactions and  how is it related to social prestige?

A language is a dialect with an army and a navy

 The concept of the standard language has nothing to do with the language itself. The criteria of the standard are completely extralinguistic in nature. Any language, dialect or accent can be the standard, provided its speakers enjoy sufficient economic and political power. Truly, "A language is a dialect with an army and a navy," said one of the audience of lecture by the prominent sociolinguist Max Weinreich. So, the standard is a dogma created by the powerful to serve their interests and is largely impacted by the dynamics of language in society.

For airs and graces 

When people go the extra mile to stick to the standard language, dialect or accent, in pursuit of being part of the powerful community that speak the powerful standard, they aspire to gain what sociolinguistics  calls " overt prestige" or snobbery. However, the tides of postmodernism and the current seismic changes in the attitudes towards the standard accent or dialect in Britain and many countries worldwide, which allow for the rise of the substandard dialects, have given momentum to a special kind of prestige, termed "covert prestige" or reverse snobbery.

      Accordingly,  in proudly sticking to her northern accent, Angela Rayner is seeking  covert prestige which is motivated by a deep, anti elitist desire for shattering linguistic stigmas and embracing one's " sub-standard" accent as a symbol of self embracing, self acceptance, equality, diversity, and sense of belonging to regional communities, among many other things. Seeking covert prestige in politics proves so rewarding. People vote for the candidates who  belong to their community, and accent or dialect is  the top signifier of that sense of belonging. So, politicians get more empowered by aligning with the common people and sub-standards. 

   Teenagers and millennials, also in search of covert prestige or reverse snobbery, tend to defy the standard and anger the stiff upper-lipped gatekeepers. The changes millennials make have impacted the spoken and written varieties alike in a daring, unprecedented fashion. Following a sociolinguistic change from below, young British royals are also cautiously aspiring to a covert prestige without scaring the horses. Prince Harry's accent,  for instance, manifests various forms of millennial English such as glottalisation. Pop culture and substandard dialects or accents have increasingly become associated with affluent figures, social media influencers and young, bright icons. This makes them a magnet to an increasing number of speakers and grants them a wide social acceptance and prestige. One of my colleagues once told me that many well-heeled  and highly educated Egyptian teenagers and millennials are currently shunning the overt prestige associated with their prestigious Cairene Arabic and "try to copy many forms in the accents and dialects of the lower classes and even slum areas in an attempt to sound more fashionable, and  boost power and self-confidence!" They probably find prestige in using vulgar forms as a message to anyone that they are strong and even offensive, if needed.     

Nostalgia for the young self

Many people definitely remember being "slightly ashamed" of their regional accent when they were younger. "I shifted to the mainstream accent to fit in," said an informant of one of my studies on dialect shift cycle. "But as I got older, I subconsciously switch back to my parents' dialect, and it became a great source of nostalgia for me; embracing it was embracing my identity," he added. Thus, the pursuit of covert prestige is gaining momentum and seems to engulf the standard dialects and accents, and scare the horses who guard them and their overt prestige or snobbery.

   Finally, let's stop judging people by their accents, dialects or languages. The beauty of life lies in diversity and we should not be terrified by that or pigeon hole those who sound differently. Let's enjoy listening to other tones, rhythms and sounds coming from the miraculous instrument called the human voice and let everyone get the kind of prestige they desire. 

صباح التفاؤل

This post is written by Dr. Asmaa Elshiekh, lecturer of English literature, Tanta University. Thanks for sharing dear friend. 

صباح التفاؤل

أصحو من النوم اليوم مبكرة نوعا ما عن عادتي.. أكشف الستائر الثقيلة ذات اللون الأحمر الداكن عن نافذة غرفتي حتى يغمرها نور الصباح.. واذا بعصفور صغير ذو لون رمادي يقف مطمئناعلي حافة النافذة الخارجية.. يحرك رأسه الصغير يمينا ويسارا ويفتح منقاره الطويل الرفيع مترنما بصوت عال رنان وكأنه يبعث بإشارة أو يرسل برسالة ما.. تسللت من وراء النافذة كي أراقبه عن كثب واستحثه على البقاء.. ولكن هيهات.. لا أدري كيف لهذا الصغير أن أدرك وجودي... ارتجف من موضعه وانطلق سريعامحلقا بجناحيه الصغيرين في عالمه الحر الفسيح.. تعجبت كل العجب كيف يصدر هذا الشدو الجميل الذي يدوي في الفضاء من هذا المخلوق الصغير الضعيف.. كم تمنيت بقاءك فترة أطول كي أتمتع بصوتك العذب والنظر إليك.. على أية حال شكرا يا صغيري على لحظة السعادة التي منحتني إياها وعلى الابتسامةالتي رسمتها على شفتي في بداية يوم جديد.

Egyptian Gazette, April 11th, 2019

Deep Down

I rummage in my bag for a pen. The employee waiting for my signature looks furiously at me under her reading glasses. I get more nervous and it takes me longer to find the pen when I think about how many pairs of eyes behind me are staring indignantly at me.

Oops… this is red, the one I use to correct students’ papers. Now I have to delve deeper into the bag to find a blue one. The fidgety steps behind me in the queue sound like war drums. Sooner than I expect, I will hear words darting at the back of my head like arrows.  I swear to myself that the moment I get home I will turn my big fat bag upside down on the floor and throw away all the items that crowd it and make any attempt to find anything a nightmare.

As I walk home, the strap of the bag cuts deep into my aching shoulder. I remember my mother complaining: “You took all your books to school when you were young. I tried to convince you to leave the ones you don’t use every day but you always insisted.” Having all my books and notebooks made me feel secure then. I retained that habit when I got older. The things I loved made me feel safe and I kept them close: my favorite  books,  the fountain pen my uncle gave me, the gold chain my father gave me when I was twelve, the huge fur coat my husband bought me in America and piles and piles of things that fill the rooms of my house . My handbag is no exception. I have surrounded myself with memory-infused baggage and carried it around with me. I have always felt safer knowing I have everything I need at hand. With years’ worth of accumulated stuff, I feel heavier, shackled and entangled in a web from the past and now is the time to get rid of the extras. I need to live lighter, feel lighter. I will start with my handbag.

I open the door, throw the hot keys and my sun glasses on the coffee table and decide to skip the shower until I take care of the bag.  Now that is one brave decision and I might as well reward myself with a cup of Earl Grey tea to push me through this hard job. My uncle loved Earl Grey, too. The kettle clicks indicating the water has boiled and wakes me from my thoughts. When was the last time I emptied the contents of my bag? I fail to remember. When I want to change bags I usually take everything from one bag and stuff it all into another. I choose the big ones that won’t revolt against the volume and the weight of my stuff.  When was the last time I de-cluttered my messy life? Five years ago when I moved into the new apartment? I don’t remember getting rid of things back then; I only came up with new ways to store them. 

One step at a time. Take it easy, nice and slow. I encourage myself, knowing that it will not be easy to part with my things. My things.  Parts of who I am, just like the five extra kilos I keep within and refuse to let go of.  I will have some fun doing that, too. No, no, no.  Not the diet. That will come later. It is only a simple task of cleaning up a cluttered bag, I assure my anxious self. It will be like a game: I will sit in the middle of the big sofa with the bag on my lap, just like a new-born.  I will put the things I want to keep on my right. Everything else will go on the left; even if it is used occasionally it will go in the trash. I take the last sip of Earl Grey and touch my aching right shoulder to push my hesitant self forward. From now on I won’t have to carry a heavy bag. Moreover, I will get rid of the huge sack-like bags. I will get out my pretty, medium-sized bags and start using them. I will change bags every few days instead of hanging on to a black one that goes with all my outfits. If I don’t use those bags I will have to get rid of them, too. That would be a fit punishment.

Egyptian Gazette, April 4, 2019 page 3

Driving Mother Crazy

This memoir was published in The Egyptian Gazette, April 4th, 2019 page 3

Dr. Abeer Mostafa Elgamal

Driving Mother Crazy

"Watch out, Mummy! Watch out for the mirror," Farida screamed. A smashing sound deafened my ears as I woke up terrified but grateful that it was only a dream. I felt like a small, helpless rabbit hunted by a vicious wolf, intent on biting off the creature's left ear before devouring her.

I did not know how much I hated driving until I had that dream. Driving through Cairo traffic is a nightmare, a circus in which you perform without training. I spend half my days driving my twin teenagers to private lessons, tennis coaching, and outings with friends. Driving not only strains my back and neck, due to the hours spent sitting in the car in streets like clogged arteries, but it sucks all my energy, shatters my nerves and raids my dreams.

A woman driving in a male-oriented society triggers all kinds of reactions that men would repress in other situations. Whether they admit it or not, most men believe women should stay home to make kofta or mahshy[1] and leave the outside world to them. Men express their innermost feelings in mAdhamcious forms toward women drivers who get the lion's share of blame and ridicule.

In my dream, I was driving the twins as usual, but we were heading to two different places simultaneously. I kept driving back and forth on the same road, Tareek al-Nasr, never reaching either destination. One moment I went toward al-Mokatam, where they were supposed to have a private lesson, and the next I was heading in the opposite direction leading to Al-Ahly club, Nasr City. When I drove toward the club, they shouted, "Faster mummy, go faster, we'll be late for training." But when I went in the other direction, they were kind enough to support my lame driving, saying, "Take your time, mummy; the teacher is never on time."

Usually, Farida is never silent on our drives; she bugs me about one thing or another interrupting my desperate attempts to focus on the road. She is continuously planning some event or other: a surprise birthday party for a friend, an outing to the mall, a paintball battle or a sand-boarding day.  She is practical and clever enough to figure out that the best time to discuss the details of any of her projects is when we are stuck in the mandatory prison which is our battered, shark-faced Lancer.

The other day Farida declared, "Mummy, we have to be there before five. It's the deadline for onsite registration."

"There, where?" I asked foolishly, as I maneuvered to avoid a sure attack from a minibus aimed at the left mirror.

"Mummy, don't you ever listen to me?"

"Sweetie, I do all the time.  Is it tomorrow?"
"Nooo, it's on Friday in the tennis colony."

"And where is this 'colony'?" I endeavored to sound patient looking quickly at Adham through the front mirror, hoping he objects to Farida's plan, but he was immersed in his online chat as usual.

"It's on Ismailia Road," she said.

I flinched at the thought of driving amidst the wildest trucks on that road.

 "We don’t have to participate in every tournament; let's restrict ourselves to the ones in the city. What do you think, Adham?" I tried to enlist his help.

"Eh? What did you say, mum?" he inquired in his absent-minded way.

"You are being a zombie again! I asked if that tennis tournament is really important." I was starting to get really nervous.

"I don't want to go." He said in that casual manner that always irritates me.

I was happy to get his support but angry that he was letting his sister down as he always did when she needed him most. I promised Farida I would think about it.

Ever since they were in kindergarten, Adham and Farida did everything together.  He wanted things just as much as she did but he let her do the work and fight the battle for both of them. He played the king and she was the minister who carried out his plans. To me, it was neither fun nor fair. In kindergarten, she carried both her own and his school bags to the gate where I waited for them. He often ran to give me a hug while she trudged behind with the bags and it made me crazy that she did it voluntarily and he took it as his lawful right. Every time I intervened to prevent his early male dominance and female submission, I regretted it because both of them have accepted their roles without hard feelings. My husband believed I worried too much.  "Honey, why do you always go against the tide?  Just leave them alone to manage their own business," he wrapped the whole matter up in his usual cool manner that left me speechless.

And I tried to leave them alone until they went too far when they were ten and I had to intervene. They were doing their finals when Adham gave Farida his exam sheet to answer for him before she did her own. It was not the act of cheating that drove me crazy; but rather Farida's self-denial at such an early stage of her life.

"That's it! I can't leave the twins alone anymore and you have to help me fix their relationship," I told my husband angrily that day. With this in mind, I decided I would not drive to the tennis colony on Friday. I would take the day off.

"Dad will drive you and spend the whole day with you," I broke the news to them.

I had delegated the chore to my dear husband. Let him swim against the tide for once.

---

[1] Traditional Egyptian dishes 

I wish for this person to be happy!

I wish for this person to be happy!

By Dr Laila Abdel Aal Alghalban

Professor of linguistics & Chair of the Department of English

Faculty of Arts

Kafrelsheikh University

As you are walking around,  each time you see someone think to yourself "I wish for this person to be happy!" This magic sentence proves to grant you more happiness, according to a new study conducted at Iowa State University*.

In pursuit of happiness

Seeking happiness in every possible way is an eternal human goal. Various philosophies and practices around the world have long been chasing it. Some people find happiness in volunteering, giving, caring, empathy, doing outdoor activities, meditation, compassion, noticing a good moment, or even relaxation. Sometimes they get happiness from temporary sadness like remembering our loved ones and  being nostalgic for the happy past.

This study finds an easy way to happiness: just wish people well.

Three groups of students were instructed to walk around and try one of three contemplative techniques every time they encounter someone: wishing others well,  identifying connections with others, or thinking about ways in which they may be better off than others ( downward social comparison). The purpose of the study was to see the impact of such strategies on one's happiness. How can the results of this study encourage us to guard our hearts, wash away our stress and nurture our happiness?

Wishing others well is miraculous

Regardless of your personality type whether you are narcissist or modest, wishing others well  proves to grant you more happiness and empathy, decrease anxiety and depression, and boost your sense of connection with others. It is the most precious gift for ourselves. When we wish others well, we simultaneously wish ourselves well. Being empathetic to others and respecting their human weaknesses put out the  flames of hatred, intolerance and selfishness that sometimes occupy our chests. Studies show that selfishness might give some temporary happiness which fades away, leaving more hunger and ingratitude. Selfishness is also the catalyst for the heart ailments that make us unable to embrace our destiny. Wishing others well would clean our hearts, shake off the traces of ingratitude or envy and revive our complete submission to the Almighty.

Other research on happiness shows that giving, in all its forms, from giving charities to just smiling to others, is a key cause of happiness. You might remember how happy you were the last time you helped someone or spared them a hard time wrestling with a problem. So to be happy, wish others well, a principle encouraged by all faiths, too.

Explore your strengths, rather than compete

 On the other hand, the students who focussed on downward social comparison and the ways they could be better off the people they met were not happy at all. The competitive mood they developed stole happiness. It is true that competition is sometimes useful as it helps us learn, polish our skills, deepen our experience and  accomplish our goals and tasks, but the toxic focus on appearances like the way people look, the cars they drive, their status, their money, their careers, etc. poisons our life and fuels envy, hate, ingratitude, fear, worry, anger, among many other negative emotions. Comparison is a trap we should not fall into. Neither do we consider it a daily war we have to wage and win at all costs. So, let's always remember that those we envy are not happy either as they, in turn, are busy with daunting comparisons with other people and so on, vicious circles of destructive comparison. However, we have to admit that battling comparison is a very tough task. According to  Charles Horton Cooley's social psychological theory of looking-glass self, our self is constructed by society's interpersonal interactions and how others perceive us. Therefore, we need some self-emancipation from being defined in relation to how others see us and how we see others. One way is to focus on our strengths and self-discovery, investing our time and energy on self- nurturing and self- improvement.

Give it a go

Let's learn to wish happiness even to those who hate us or do not deserve it because they are really our  greatest teachers in life. We should be grateful for learning from their mistakes and bad deeds. At the end of the day, they are humans and may need us to embrace their flaws rather than hate them back. We'd  better resist our egos and do ourselves a favor by wishing them well.

Finally,  the next time you see someone while walking around, waiting in a queue, sitting in a cafe, getting stuck in traffic, or taking the lift, think faithfully to yourself " I wish for this person to be happy."

And as I see you right now with my heart, l really say it loudly " I wish you all the happiness in the world."

*Gentile, D.A., Sweet, D.M.&He, L. J Happiness Stud (2019). https: //doi.org/10.1007/s10902-019-00100-2

Try hygge for more happiness

Try hygge for more happiness

By: Dr Laila Abdel Aal Alghalban

Professor of linguistics

Faculty of Arts

Kafrelsheikh University

Do you race to satisfy your endless needs? Do your dreams and wildest ambitions push you away in a maze of choices? Are you constantly overwhelmed by a desire to get the maximum of everything, even at the expense of your inner peace? Do you always complain that you have a void in your life despite all your stuff?  If yes, then you need some hygge!

What's hygge?

Hygge is a Scandinavian word which means contentment,  moderation, intimacy, self- care, relaxation, simplicity and positivity.  It is a lifestyle that promotes the coziness of the soul through creating cozy relationships with everything around us and pursuing the missing balance in our life resulting from battling the soul-crushing materialism of modern age. Actually, we are being bombarded by consumerism nudges to obey our desires, and promises that the

more we buy the happier we will be. We spend most of our time on screens, fully indulged in virtual worlds and detached from reality, family, friends and the whole community. Our homes become a group of islands where each one of us is literally living in voluntary solitary confinement. Hygge gets us out of these things and brings us back to real life. It calls for moderation. reconnecting to family, friends and nature, creating cozy relationships, and enjoying what we have no matter how little or simple it is. 

How?

 We can have hygge in many things. One is sharing our family some  tea and cake at a cold night on a couch with a cozy blanket, talking about topics we love, and shunning negativity and ill-thoughts. Other ways include reading a book we love,  practising a hobby, visiting  patients to help them recover, enjoying a comfortable night's sleep, and connecting to nature by letting sunshine to our homes, enjoying the scent of the rain, having nature indoors like plants and wood, and going for a walk.

 More importantly, unplugging from social media is the first aid to restore our happiness and peace of mind as addiction to social media causes depression. Unfortunately, studies show that average users touch their cell phones 2617 times daily, while extreme ones score 5400 times.

Comparison is the thief of joy!

A key principle of hygge is to be ourselves and to pursue happiness in what we already have and in our way. Comparison is really the thief of joy. The only healthy comparison should be between how we are now and before . This could help us move forward. But we just have to be kind to ourselves and stop selfwipping. Our inner talk must embrace the fact that we are not perfect. We sometimes feel down and think that what we have is too little. But we have to remember that many would envy us for such "little". So let's be content.

  

Happiness is a state of mind

Finding time for self-care and simplicity would grant us contentment and happiness that we badly need to combat life sufferings when storms hit  Happiness is a mental state in the first place. So it does not matter where we live. Rather, it is how we live that counts more.  It is how we create the homey, comfortable, and cozy ambiance. The simpler and less cluttered our homes are, the more able we will be to set free our minds and souls.

Life boat definitely sails in the middle of storms, rocks and pains, which are parts of the journey. This is why caring for self and others is imperative. Parents for instance, would practise hygge in the very daily tasks of working, caring for children and loved ones, doing housework, etc., once they feel that having children and people to care about is a blessing many people hope to be given. Even when they face hardships in covering life expenses, and get frustrated, hygge would help them accommodate these adversaries with an eye on the rewards they would gain when the mission is over.  Even if hygge does not work, no problem. This is life: hardships and ease, ups and downs. The most important thing is to be content and firmly believe that the future is better.

Happy Scandinavians

Humans are always in constant pursuit of happiness. In addition to hygge, many Scandinavian philosophies urge for moderation, contentment, love of others and harmony with nature and other creatures to maintain happiness.  It's no wonder then that the Scandinavian countries have permanent top spots on the World Happiness Index. A case in point is the Swedish philosophy "Lagom" which urges people to enjoy togetherness and outdoor activities. It's true that other  factors such as good healthcare, free education and economic ease can boost happiness, but being rich is not necessarily an indicator of more happiness. On the other hand, other Asian philosophies  maintain that humans would not relax until they know who they are, what they are good at. So let's try  to reach happiness and contentment!

Hygge and the other philosophies go in harmony with faiths which aim at achieving happiness to humans and other creatures on the planet. Latest studies indicate that thankfulness and contentment make us happier. So when we thank the Giver and the Provider, the Almighty, we get the utmost happiness. Studies also show that love, giving, volunteering, patience and resilience create a better and more compassionate world, a purpose all faiths share. 

Finally, let's hope that the call for moderation, intimacy, coziness and reconnection to one another and nature would bloom love, mercy, giving, safety and relaxation  that, in turn, would regain control over our humanity which is facing an unprecedented existential threat.