My ultimate concierge and I just arrived back in Rancho Mirage after spending a week in Dubai; it was our second trip in eight years.

My husband’s days fill up with meetings, as a past President of The International Real Estate Federation, otherwise known as FIABCI. The main headquarters is housed in Paris, France.

My days were filled with girlfriends and learning about the city of Dubai. As a world traveler, Dubai is the first city I have visited whose logo and brand are based on happiness.

How Dubai is Changing the Happiness Game

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, is working towards fulfilling his vision of transforming Dubai into the world’s smartest (infrastructure technology) and happiest city on Earth. The government believes that the key to growth and prosperity of every city is… happiness.

Dubai is a ‘smart city,’ the use of technology infrastructure in every form is used to develop a fully integrated, sustainable and happy community. Cities are not designed by their geography but by the people who live in them.

“Our vision is to deliver world-class smart (tech) services and infrastructure to create sustained citizen, resident, and visitor happiness,” says Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the third Ruler of Dubai’s leading family.

My Reflections

I had plenty of time to think about the Sheikh’s reasoning. Our flight was 17 hours long with no stops. I also thought about how the city I live in makes me feel. I am happy!

In my beautiful Chicago, the infrastructure, the parks, the museums, the walkways, the lakefront, the marinas, the city lights, and our condo in the middle of the city provide me with total happiness. The city planners meet my emotional needs.

Dubai’s vision of a technological smart city will make life in Chicago even happier if the city planners grasp its importance.

In Dubai, each bus stop’s little house is air-conditioned for its citizens, and there are no traffic jams because roads and neighborhoods are near shopping centers, so people are not lonely. Medicine and education are very high tech, and its citizens pay no taxes of any kind.

Therefore, when a citizen of Dubai leaves his home for work or play, Dubai meets his or her needs through its planning of smart cities.

What is Internal Happiness?

Happiness is above all, an attitude. Without a doubt, negative forces enter all of our lives. Therefore, we have to create our personal Shangri-La.

I believe Mohamed and I live our lives creating our personal Shangri-La. We were dinner partners one evening, and we immediately connected. I probably could have been his grandmother! But age had no bearing on our connection. Happiness did.

Our discussion was all over the map, and no matter what we touched on, I felt genuinely happy. He did too. Hopefully, he will bring his family to Chicago, and we will show them our city. He has traveled to the USA. He loves New York and LA and was planning on visiting Chicago, but his wife got pregnant with their third child and was due when they were scheduled to travel to Chicago. We laughed.

All About Attitude!

Mohamed and I are faced with life’s problems just like you are. Hardships and disappointments interfere with our joy, our happiness. It is natural.

Where you and Mohamed and I may differ is how we handle the hardship or disappointment.

Here is a little vignette.

Our house in California has not sold. A few weeks ago I finally buried St. Joseph under my favorite Olive tree that represents God. I am betting on St Joseph. It is my attitude. Yesterday we received an email from our realtor that someone wants to see the house. I turned to my husband and said, “I know it is because I buried St. Joseph.” And, suddenly, I was happy. It is my attitude.

Any person can change their attitude with discipline…if they want to.

I have had this attitude since I was a young girl growing up in Kankakee by the Sea. I taught myself how to be happy because I guess I did not like feeling unhappy. Makes sense. So, I would dig my heels in and figure out the root of my dilemma, and I immediately began to feel happy because I was determined not to be unhappy.

How to be Happy

Happiness is your choice.

Happiness is your attitude.

Knowing why you are unhappy and taking action is how you will own your happiness.

Darlings, you have the tools to be happy because you have had years to figure out who you are, what you need, what you like, what you don’t like, what your failings tend to be, the company you enjoy and the company you don’t. You know your skills, and quite frankly, you do know what makes you happy.

My God, you are a walking encyclopedia of knowledge of the ‘you in you.’ So get off your bum and ease yourself into a mindset of happiness. Working at it will make you the happiest.

Just ask Mohamed and me. We know…

How do you own your happiness? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below or on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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