March 20, 2022, is the International Day of Happiness. I didn't know there was such a day until I received the Gallup News email this morning.
I am a positive person with a dose of skepticism for grounding by nature. But recently, in the middle of the workday, I turned on BBC News for an update on the war in Ukraine. A feeling of helplessness came over me, and the AV industry article that I was writing seemed to lack any purpose. Working from home isn't usually as isolating for me as it can be for some. I sent an IM to my colleague, SCN content director, Mark Pescatore, noting my despair after seeing the devastation and human toll of the war. He quickly responded and helped me recenter. I am grateful for his support.
It's connecting with people that fuel my happiness. I love interviewing our industry experts and end-users for articles to share their stories and moderating panel sessions to engage in real-time. But there's nothing like getting together en masse that energizes me for weeks. I am looking forward to seeing my many industry friends, coworkers, and friendly competitors at the upcoming ISE in Barcelona and InfoComm in June.
And about that happiness thing.
The Gallup News email I received this morning that caught my attention was titled, "World Happiness Report Shows Bright Spots in Dark Times." The blog went on to say:
It may be difficult to think much about the concept of happiness in troubled times like these, with a war raging in Ukraine and the world still battling its biggest health crisis in a century.
But this year's World Happiness Report -- released on Friday -- shows these tough times have led to more people helping others. And this surge in benevolence may actually end up making the world a happier place in the long run.
The annual report, which relies heavily on Gallup World Poll data, documents strong growth in three "acts of kindness" during the pandemic: helping strangers, volunteering time to organizations and donating money to charities. The percentages of people who said they engaged in these activities increased in every part of the world -- exceeding their pre-pandemic levels by almost 25%.
Spring is in the Air
The snow from our last storm in Boston has finally melted, my crocuses are reaching for the sun's warmth, and we will be ushering in the first day of Spring in a few days. I'm happy.
Wishing you a happy weekend.
— Cindy Davis
