As Canadians, we have always taken pride in being nice. We like that the world thinks we are polite and kind. It’s our image and we have come to think of it as our birth right. Well, now there has been an actual study which places us at the most tolerant in the developed world! (Like we needed a study to tell us that!). The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development issued their latest edition of “Society at a Glance”. This publication contains the information gathered from analysis of social and economic indicators among the 34 member countries. Canadians have the highest community tolerance of minority groups (which include ethnic minorities, migrants and gays and lesbians). The average tolerance level is 61%, while Canada scored 84%. See, we ARE nice! The OECD study also found that Canadians have the second highest rate of positive experiences behind Iceland. This includes feeling well-rested, being treated with respect, smiling and being happy. Canadians have always known we are nice – now we have a study to back it up! Being a nice, polite and happy Canadian . . . it’s a good thing!
Sometimes the world can be a downer! With instant images of tragedies and disasters – natural and man-made – assaulting us at rapid speed, it feels like we are surrounded by negativity. I strive to make my blog a positive and happy place to visit – a place to get away from the bad stuff that is happening. My goal from June 1, 2010 to May 31, 2011 was to find one positive thing each week day to write about for one year.
That was the birth of my blog – one year of “good things” as seen “Through Rose Coloured Glasses”. Sometimes I had to dig deep to find happiness on a gloomy day. Some days were not happy, but I was always able to find a positive to talk about. Sometimes, I had to fit writing my blog into the end of a very busy day or the early morning prior to a busy day. Other times I had such good days I had to pick and choose which one good thing I should write about. Somehow I managed to do it, and I think I proved that you can “fool” yourself into being happy just by pretending you are. The year flew by. I will continue to write in my blog, but not every day. I hope that together we can continue to watch the world through rose coloured glasses. - Rose
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