The President of the EU, Herman Van Rompuy, is a man whose name we’ve heard quite a bit lately. He’s someone with a lot of responsibility on his shoulders as EU countries grapple with the financial crisis to keep the euro zone. ‘We’re in a survival crisis,’ Van Rompuy declared recently in a speech in Brussels, adding that without the euro zone there wouldn’t be a European Union.
The former Prime Minister of Belgium is a serious man by nature. Which made all the more surprising the recent news that he is dispatching, as Christmas gifts to world leaders, a book on happiness?
The World Book of Happiness is a collection of short essays which combines the wisdom of 100 happiness experts from 50 countries. The books will wing their way to President Obama in the White House, British PM David Cameron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Nicholas Sarkozy and our own Taoiseach, Enda Kenny.
Dealing as they are with such weighty financial issues at present, it may be a very welcome gift indeed. The benefits of positive psychology have long been known.
It’s said that in a letter accompanying the gifts, Mr. Van Rompuy is urging them to make people’s happiness and wellbeing their political priority for the year ahead. Saying that positive thinking is no longer for “dreamers and the perpetually naive” he points out that people who think positively see more opportunities, perform better, make more correct and sound decisions, have more self-confidence, maintain better relations and more trust is placed in them. For such a solemn man, he’s effusive on the subject. “Positively inclined people see everything in their right proportions. They put things into perspective and are not envious of others. They attach importance to those things that give meaning to daily life, but they tend to focus more on others than themselves.”
Research on the subject shows that he is right and it would be good if the gift recipients take on board the message the European Council President wants them to. At present we’re getting a lot of pessimism from our leaders and pessimism is a self-fulfilling prophecy. We need our politicians to be optimistic in their leadership, bolstering people’s confidence and leading by positive example.
Happy Christmas to one and all!