A Gallup poll released this week, claims that some of the most beautiful states in the US are also the happiest places in the US.  The number one state in the survey was Montana.  Being a resident of Montana myself, Vaughn asked me to address this.  Could it be true, does living in a beautiful place make people happier?

I myself, doubt that the beauty of the state I live in is the sole reason I am happy with my life.  Don’t get me wrong, I love the beauty of Montana, but do I feel my happiness revolves around this?  No.

Why are Montanan’s so happy?  I believe it is about attitude.  Most Montanans I know are strong, self sufficient people who rarely care what the outside world thinks of them.  Most of us are not rich, covered in glitter like a Kardashian or hiding out in our fortified bunkers like the rest of the world believes we are.  Most of us will wake up and dress in cotton t-shirts and sneakers or hiking boots instead of 6 inch heels.  We fear collisions with deer over car jackings and we actually wave to our neighbors and smile, instead of pretending to dink around with our smart phone.

In the summer time you’d be hard pressed to find one of us glued to our TV screens in the evening.  The days are long and the short summer season beacons us to play outside.  In Montana you’ll find us out walking, paddling, biking, etc till the sun finally slips behind the mountains, sometime around ten.  I love walking my dog in the evening, everyone else is out and it seems I meet someone new almost every night, including the occasional tourist who would just “love” to live here.

The best part about living in Montana is that to most people, age is merely a number and people are naturally more active.  People here are used to physical labor, working farms, splitting firewood, shoveling snow (sorry, I couldn’t resist).  The good stuff is always far away, i.e. it’s a ten mile hike to your favorite fishing spot.  When I lived in the midwest I was used to people saying, I walked four miles today, and feeling like they accomplished something.  Now when I hear people talk, they tell me they hiked 10 miles into their favorite fishing spot, fished all day, then hiked back out.  Oh yeah, did I tell you that guy was 86 years old?

I work in surgery as a nurse and one of my duties is to speak with my patient before surgery, one of the best parts of my job.  As a nurse, I get to meet all kinds of interesting people and they are never shy when speaking about their favorite pursuits.  My most recent favorite came from a 78 year old man who was looking to make the most of the shrinking amount of snow on Big Mountain.  He had hiked up and skied down in the morning before his surgery, because his doctor had told him he was going to have to take it easy for a few weeks.  Wow, right?

That’s what makes Montanans so happy, it’s their joy for life.  Whether it’s getting in that last ski run of the season or paddling back to the dock as the last rays of the sunset light your way, enjoy every minute of your life and the people you love.  Life is much too short for stress, worry and hatred.

Here’s the article from the Huffington Post:  http://goo.gl/HL2XZa

Guest Blogger-Jean Marie Stanberry, author of Laying Low in Hollywood, One World United, The Illusion of Order and Blood, Sweat and Fears

jeanstanberry.com  @jeanstanberry