An American Mom in Asia

Bhutan is often known as the “happiest nation in the world”. This tiny little Buddhist nation nestled near Nepal, China and India has somehow managed to capture something which eludes most of the world. Happiness. I was intrigued to read a book from an author of this fascinating country. My library had The Road to Happiness- Words of Wisdom from the World’s Happiest Nation by Gyonpo Tshering available, and it was a delight!

This is a super fast read full of couplets, poems and proverbs from Gyonpo Tshering. It’s both inspiring and entertaining. Some sounded deceptively simple, while others made me pause for deeper reflection. Here’s some of my favorite proverbs from the book:

Just when you get the hang of being young, old age taps you on the shoulder.

You cannot broaden your horizons by staying home, or spare the oceans without saving water.

Just the way vegetables taste better with cheese, human beings are happier living as couples than surviving alone.

A human’s happiness is in its mind, a dog’s happiness is in its tail.

This book was the perfect break in this reading challenge between memoirs, coming-of-age novels and war ravaged nations. A little bit of happiness goes a long way.

⭐️ My rating: 4 stars of 5