So, after 1.4 Terra bytes of video and over forty minutes of Quest like video story telling, the Blue Zones Albert Lea Vitality Project came to an end this past October. All I can say is wow! It’s been 10 months since this pilot program began in the frigid cold last January. About 2,500 of the 18,000 residents participated in this revolutionary form of preventive healthcare. From walking school buses, walking Moai’s and volunteerism to home and workplace makeovers, we witnessed first hand how many small environmental changes can lead to a ripple effect that results into significant change.

With the conclusion of this pilot project , the one thing that really resonates with me was how much happiness plays into our health! It seems obvious, however I think we forget that living healthy and being happy fuel each other. In this day and age where we measure being healthy by things like weight, heart rates, and cholesterol levels, how do you measure happiness? When Vitality Project founder Dan Buettner asked a gym full of project participants at the wrap up celebration if they felt happier after this ten month pilot program, ninety five percent of these Albert Leans stood up and cheered. It gave me goose bumps. How do you measure something like this? These people took back parts of their life and if they stay with it will add healthy years to their life.

With the thirst for immediate results, measuring happiness is an abstract idea for me. You can’t measure happiness, you can only participate and work towards it. It’s a life long quest just like living healthier. Dr. Richard Leider, our purpose guru for the project believes that the act of giving to others around us elevates our sense of purpose. For me that alone sounds like a pathway towards happiness as well as making this world a better place for all of us.

For more information about the Blue Zones visit www.bluezones.com and learn how to gain back years in your life.