Finland- "Happiness is a place between too much and too little"

I headed out alone on a mindful nature nourishing trip to discover how the Finns use nature to relax. I needed this, I had dreamt of this and knew, above all else, a week on the lake with an old friend would be the most wonderful escape.

The log cabin set amongst the pine forest with a backdrop of blueberry bushes looked stunning in the sunlight. My friend was smoking fish on the porch for tea.. the smells were wafting towards me, how beautiful this place was. Positive energy flowed and slowly, my mind started to relax, my body de-stress and my heart unravel. I understood why Finland has been the Happiest Country on earth for the past six years.

The Finnish people say "Happiness is the place between too much and too little", I like this, but what does it mean? In our busy lives we seek the perfect balance between time and money, and health and happiness, maybe this is the place. However we look at it, our happiness comes from within, the balance between head and heart needs nurturing. I spend most of my time coaching my clients to connect with their inner selves, giving them the tools to find this peace and calm, but sometimes, I have to find it too. Sitting on the edge of the peer, with the water lazily lapping at the old wooden boards, and somewhere between the hot sauna and swimming in the lake, I found my happiness.

The following day we collected blueberries to make a delicious blueberry pie. The memories of my granny making homemade cakes came flooding back. The wildness of this activity, deep in the pine forest where bears reside, reminded me of Canada where I was in my 20's on a backpacking holiday. They say travel broadens the mind. Well, my experience of travel has taken me on many less travelled paths to places of true wonder. Finland gave me many mindful moments, a place of unexpected serenity, all the richness of nature, which enabled me to embrace holistic wellbeing, when the world is turning too fast.