The 10 Happiest Cities in America

Erik Gordon, the owner of Carabiner Coffee, serves climbers from a vintage Volkswagen van at Castle Rock, just a 20-minute drive from Boulder. Happiness for many of the city’s residents arises from its small-town character and its close proximity to nearby mountains. PHOTOGRAPH BY MATTHIEU PALEY for NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

According to new research by Dan Buettner and National Geographic, the 10 happiest cities in America are:

1. Boulder, Colorado
2. Santa Cruz, California
3. Charlottesville, Virginia
4. Fort Collins, Colorado
5. San Luis Obispo, California
6. San Jose, California 
7. Provo, Utah
8. Bridgeport, Connecticut
9. Barnstable Town, Massachusetts
10. Anchorage, Alaska

(You can find the list at NationalGeographic.com and in the cover story of the November issue of National Geographic magazine.)

I find "Happiness Research" fascinating. This blog is full of evidence of my interest in this topic. One thing I like about Buettner's approach is the distinction he draws between Positive Psychology (think mindfulness and gratitude journals), and more of a metrics-based approach.

Buettner, whose previous research has focused on longevity, admits that happiness is hard to define, let alone measure. One can, however, measure three things:

• life satisfaction, or how you evaluate your life as a whole; 
• positive affect, or your day-to-day, moment-to-moment happiness; and 
• purpose, or whether you feel you have meaning in your life.

Buettner calls these metrics Pride, Pleasure, and Purpose, and he says enduring happiness occurs when these three strands are braided together.

Read more about the happiest cities in America, according to new research, HERE 

"Oh, Santa--You Shouldn't Have!" A Closer Look at the 2018 CVO Road Glide

The Motor Company celebrates its 115th year in 2018 with what Harley-Davidson claims is its largest-ever product development project, introducing 8 new cruisers and 5 new touring models, including my personal favorite, the CVO Road Glide.  

"In addition to six motorcycle “family” groups with 32 distinct models, the Milwaukee company launched 10 distinctively styled 115th Anniversary editions. When you add four Softail models that available with one of two different engines, the 2018 model count jumps to 46." --Digital Trends

That is a lot of models, but my singular focus is the 2018 Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide. For those who do not know, "CVO" stands for Custom Vehicle Operations. This bike has factory-installed upgrades such as the 117 cu in Screaming Eagle engine and the Orange Lava and Dark Alloy paint scheme.

I still love my 2008 Road King! But my next bike will have a shark-nose fairing and CVO parts!

The Motor Company has produced four versions of the Road Glide for 2018. In order of increasing cost and desirability, they are: the standard Road Glide (FLTR); the Road Glide Special (FLTRX); the Road Glide Ultra (FLTRU); and the CVO Road Glide (FLTRXSE). 

Most Harley riders customize their bike(s) with functional and decorative add-ons. Harley's designers select one or two models each year for some factory-installed custom features, allowing a small number of riders to buy their new bike already tricked out. The CVO versions of selected bikes include upgraded "Screaming Eagle" racing parts. In fact, the "SE" in the CVO Road Glide model designation (FLTRXSE) stands for Screaming Eagle. 

This bike has a lot of upgrades! 

"The CVO Road Glide is the sole new model in Harley’s 2018 lineup. With its $41,400 starting price, this fully-loaded Road Glide has a custom 21-inch front wheel and fender, a unique exhaust system, and a suspension specially set up for the larger front wheel." --Digital Trends

Have a closer look! Enjoy this walk-around video.

Here is the timeline for getting this beauty from the factory in York, PA to a special place under my Christmas tree:

• Release of 2018 models announced, 22 Aug
• Dealerships begin receiving the 2018 model year bikes, 23 Aug
• Test ride bikes available for Harley Owner Group (HOG) members, 31 Aug
• Test rides available for the general public, 2 Sep
• Plenty of models in stock, just in time for Christmas shopping, 18 Nov (thus the timing for this post!)

Santa knows me well....

2018 Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide. The suspension has been retuned for maximum performance with the 21-inch front wheel, and the front fender is also now unique to the CVO Road Glide. Also, the exhaust has a new finish that is only found on the CVO Road Glide. Colors: Black Earth/Vivid Black; Orange Lava/Dark Alloy; Gunship Gray.

Description & Comments

2018 Harley-Davidson FLTRXSE - CVO TM Road Glide ®

The 2018 CVO Road Glide is built to deliver optimal performance, handling, and ride quality. Get in the saddle, you won't be stopping anytime soon.

Features may include:

• Milwaukee-Eight® Twin-Cooled 117 Engine

The most powerful V-Twin engine ever offered from the factory, and only available in CVO. Features color accented Rocker Box Lowers with a deep orange finish.

• Custom Touring Style

Features the first Harley-Davidson factory-installed 21-inch front wheel, a unique exhaust finish, and a luxurious, super-premium paint scheme.

• High-Performance Front and Rear Suspension

Dual bending valve front suspension and emulsion rear suspension with hand-adjustable pre-load put you in control of a plush ride.

• Frame-Mounted Shark Nose Fairing

A distinctive, menacing, mile-hungry design that cuts through the wind like no other fairing in the world.

• Premium BOOM! Box 6.5 Infotainment System

A stylish 6.5-inch full-color touchscreen display with voice activation for hands-free mobile phone, media, and navigation. Delivers powerful, pure sound and dynamic full-range audio.

• Wireless Headsets with Wireless Headset Interface Module

Call hands-free on your Bluetooth® mobile phone, listen to stereo music or voice instructions of GPS navigations, and have intercom conversations with your passenger or fellow riders.

• Reflex Linked Brembo® Brakes with Standard ABS

The front and rear brakes are electronically linked to provide exactly the right amount of brake to each tire no matter the road condition. No matter how good you are, this will make you a better rider.

• Integrated Security System with a Power Locking Fob

A next-generation security system featuring a hands-free fob that locks and unlocks your machine, your luggage plus automatically arms and disarms its electronic security functions as you approach and walk away from the bike.

Be still my heart!

I've been good, Santa. Real good!

Word of the Day: IKIGAI

Ikigai, pronounced "ee-key-guy," is a Japanese word literally meaning the realization of what one hopes for and expects from life. This is akin to the Western concept of raison d'etre or one's useful purpose or reason for being. 

Figure 1. Conceptual model of ikigai

The illustration shows four overlapping components to ikigai. To fulfill one's purpose and find happiness, one must find an activity at the intersection of:

• What one loves
• What one is good at
• What the world needs
• What the world will pay for 

There are two internal or personal factors (what you love and what you are good at) and two external or corporate factors (what the world needs and what others will pay you for).

A natural progression from the most personal to the most corporate might look like this: Do what you love and you will get good at doing it. If the world needs and values the thing you are good at, you can earn a decent living doing it. If all is working well, you will love your activity even more and the virtuous cycle repeats and expands.

Figure 2. Although the four components work concurrently, not linearly, it may be helpful to imagine a progressive path, beginning with the most personal (what you love) and advancing through to the most external (what you can be paid for).

The four factors are weighted equally, hence the same-sized circles. Their relationship to one another is captured in a Venn diagram, implying that simultaneous outcomes are achieved through cyclic, iterative, interconnected, and mutually reinforcing factors. The factors are shown in a balanced state. All the circles and overlaps are uniform in size. However, the implication is that the relationship can become distorted if a factor grows or shrinks relative to the others. The "Love" circle can get bigger or smaller over time, and any change within that factor will distort the overall image.

The combination of what you love to do and what you are good at generates passion for your actions. If you can apply that passion to meet a need in the market, you are performing a mission. If customers are willing to pay you for the goods or services you bring to the market, your actions are consistent with your calling or vocation. And finally, if the thing you are getting paid for is also the thing you are good at relative to others, then you have found your profession. 

The maximum reward is gained at the overlap of all four circles. The rewards you earn for meeting a need by doing well something that you love include the summation of: 

• Delight and fulfillment (12 o'clock), 
• Excitement and usefulness (3 o'clock), 
• Wealth and comfort (6 o'clock), and 
• Satisfaction and certainty (9 o'clock). 

The rewards will be diminished if you are missing one or more of the four components. For example:

• If you are doing what you love but are not getting paid, you may experience delight and fullness but no wealth (12 o'clock)
• If you are doing what the world needs but you are not particularly good at it, you may experience excitement and complacency, but also a sense of uncertainty (3 o'clock)
• If you are getting paid but you don't love what you are doing, you may be comfortable but experience a feeling of emptiness (6 o'clock)
• If you are doing what you are good at but the world doesn't need it, you may feel satisfaction but also a sense of uselessness (9 o'clock)

Similarly, an imbalance in the four components can diminish the rewards of ikigai. For example, imagine a passion project that you love but no one is paying for. The abundance of love may allow you to continue with the project but the imbalance causes an increase in the passion and mission areas at the expense of critical profession and vocation areas. Notice also that the area of the overlap between the components--that area that represents ikigai--is smaller.

Figure 3. Imbalance stresses the factors and reduces ikigai

The secret to happiness according to the concept of ikigai is to do what you love, especially if: you are relatively good at it; there is a need for it; and you can earn a decent living doing it. The amount of happiness you achieve is a function of (and perhaps a measure of) your ability to translate your love into quality goods and services, then meet market needs with the quality product, then collect payment from satisfied customers.

In theory, if you are not happy and fulfilled, look at all four factors for reasons. Look at the factors separately and together (love + skill = passion). Identify the gaps, and set out to make improvements.

• Are you doing what you love?
• Are you good at the thing you are doing?
• Does your product meet a specific need in the market?
• Are you getting paid enough to cover your expenses and provide comfort?

If the answer to any one of these questions is not a resounding YES, then perhaps there is some room for improvement--or maybe even a requirement for radical change. If love is lacking, then either figure out how to bring more love into the activity or find a different activity you love even more. This process is personal. Life is too short to entrust your personal happiness--your ikigai--to anyone else.

Life is short: nurture ikigai.

Figure 4. Cover art for García and Miralles (2017)

In their new book, Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life, Héctor García, and Francesc Miralles define ikigai as the happiness of always being busy. But happiness is the goal, not merely being busy. We all know someone who is busy and miserable! And many of us have experienced that situation. I prefer the definition I laid out at the beginning of this post:

Ikigai is the realization of what one hopes for and expects from life. This realization is achieved through discovering, revealing, curating, and perfecting one's useful purpose or reason for being. 

I'd like to conclude with an abrupt left turn and a challenge for readers. Is ikigai the best prescription for happiness? How could it be improved? My friend Scott Nestler has this Kelly Corrigan quote hanging on his office wall:

"Make yourself useful, doing something hard, with good people."

This motto picks up a theme that appears missing from ikigai: teamwork. I'd like to ask readers to compare and contrast Corrigan's quote with the concept of ikigai in the comments. Which do you prefer, and why? Is anything else missing from ikigai? Do you have a different model or motto that you prefer? My intent is that the interaction which follows in comments will spark a future post.

As always, thank you for reading PhilosFX. Thoughtful comments are welcome. Stay (intellectually) thirsty, my friends! 

Postlogue, Postlude, & Postscript: My 2017 MLB Post-season Prognostications in Review

Here is the update and close out to my Peerless Post-season Prognostication post for World Series 2017 in which I once again (erroneously) predicted that the Nats would win it all...

Yes, I had tried the same thing for WS 2016, calling for a Nats-Orioles championship and apparently, my enthusiasm over-rode my powers of observation once again... As we know, the Nats dropped their decisive game 5 with the Cubbies on Oct 12th.

I went on to predict the Dodgers and the Astros would advance to the World Series and picked the Astros to win. So, I ended up with 50% accuracy, if you buy my logic. That is a big improvement from the 33% rate I achieved last year.

Maybe next year, I can hit 100%! Go, NATS! #OnePursuit!

I wanted the National League to win the World Series, but more specifically, I wanted the Nats to go all the way. After the Cubs beat the Nats, my consolation objective was for the Cubbies to repeat as World Champion. Then the Dodgers crushed that dream. So, I decided to back the Astros.

As mentioned, I had some sentimental reasons for becoming an erstwhile Astros fan: Hurricane Harvey hit Houston hard, Houston had never won it all before, Houston was the underdog, and the name "Astros" reminded me of my first Total Solar Eclipse experience (August 2017). 

I gave myself credit for picking an American League team to win, reversing my previous preference for the National League contender for a simple reason. The Astros were, until recently, a National League team! 

In fact, not only were the Dodgers and the Astros league-mates for 50 years, from 1962 to 2012, they also played in the same division, the NL West, from 1969 to 1993. The Astros joined the AL in 2013 to balance the leagues with three divisions of five teams each.

This Houston-LA matchup was not what many TV executives would have wanted. I think many ad agencies were dreaming of a coast-to-coast NY-LA World Series. However, and even though it took all 7 games, Justin Verlander and the David-like Astros toppled the gigantic Dodgers in dramatic fashion. 

And I loved it! 

But next year, 

give me the Curly W!