We are in the process of selecting a topic for the 2015 Institute on Medicine and Religion hosted by the hospital each year.  We have been looking for a topic that would help us build on the effort began in 2014 with our focus on “Bridges out of Poverty”.  This week we looked at one aspect of the “Blue Zones” concept of community.  The quality of “Blue Zones” we looked at is the happiness measure.  On their webpage they have a 4 minute test you can take to get specific suggestions on how you can increase your own happiness based on answers to the questions.  Here is the link if you want to take the test yourself: http://apps.bluezones.com/happiness/

The test is based on which behaviors are effective in making us happy in the long haul and which behaviors provide happiness that is not long-lasting.  It was helpful for me to see what changes I need to make.  Here are few of the suggestions the test gave me even though I scored highly on the scale, I still have room to improve:

• Spend more time with people and less time with computers & televisions.
• Do not eat foods for the main purpose of feeling better. (Twinkies make me feel better but an apple or orange is much healthier for me to eat.)
• Get enough sleep. (I fall 1 hour short each night on the ideal sleep level recommended for my age and gender.)

The good thing about the test is it gave me concrete things I can do rather than goals with no way to implement them.  How will this work over the long haul?  I don’t know.  I had decided to work on these goals as part of my Lenten Discipline of self-denial and reliance on God.  So I will report back to you after Easter to see how I did.  I invite you to pray for me as I make this journey through Lent with a “homework assignment”.