“How do you define a better life?”
An intriguing question, yes?
One that I’d never put much thought to until I found the Create Your Better Life Index, a simple interactive tool, which helped me focus on what is important to me and how to prioritize it. Using this tool I realized that for me the topics that make life better are: community, education, safety, housing, jobs, health. I place much less emphasis on: environment, governance, work-life balance.
By evaluating my preferences, the Create Your Better Life Index told me that I belong in Canada. Or Australia. Or New Zealand.
Okay, I can see that.
I also learned that I absolutely don’t belong in Chile. Or Mexico. Or Turkey.
Well, no big surprise there.
And as for the USA? It turns out that it is my 11th perfect country to live in on earth. It follows seven northern European countries.
Hmmm. Didn’t see that one coming.
While I take the results of all online tools with a grain of salt, this one made me smile and reflect upon the fact that we are who we are– no matter where we live on the earth. Geography exerts its influence, but temperament trumps it more times than not.
N’est-ce pas?
[Added 06.06.11 – Check out this article from MSNBC: “US doesn’t make cut for happiest nations list” – More info re: top 10 happiest countries.]
THE SPECTACLED BEAN 
Did it say you belong in France? Let’s go! I will take this test. I am all about finding out where to move to if Sarah Palin wins the presidency.
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Sweden, with Canada a close second.
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Hi Ally,
I’m so tempted to take this test, but I must not get off-task and squander this precious half-hour of computer time before my family start demanding dinner. I often think about these things, though, as I am an American living in England . . . and wondering if I should actually live elsewhere.
I’m sure that Canada is lovely, but I know that I can’t hack the cold. Maybe Vancouver? But it would be too far from too many loved ones.
Thanks so much for adding your input to my “11 year old” Book Club list. We are definitely going to do one of the Laura Ingalls Wilder books. The great thing about those is that if you like one, then you can read six or seven more of them.
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Margaret, France was 14th on my list– which kind of surprised me. I thought that it’d be higher up.
La P, see ‘ya up north.
Bee, I didn’t think of the cold. There was nowhere in the index to input my temperature preferences. I like your idea of Vancouver. I’ve never been there but the Olympics made it look like a wonderful place.
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