I found recently a post in Donald Trump’s blog called The World’s Happiest Nations where he provides the results from a research done at the University of Michigan. For me it is not a surprise that among the happiest nations are ones that have a high level of welfare. But one would never predict that people in countries like Puerto Rico and Colombia are so happy.

Here is the full list of the happiest countries:

1. Denmark
2. Puerto Rico
3. Colombia
4. Iceland
5. N. Ireland
6. Republic of Ireland
7. Switzerland
8. Netherlands
9. Canada
10. Austria

The fact that brought my attention, however, was that my country – Bulgaria – is in the list of the most miserable countries in the world.

My people doesn’t feel happy with its destiny and I can see it in their eyes. Now the whole world knows it. The question is: why? Why are we so unhappy? We tore down the communist regime more than 18 years ago and started to build a democratic society. And still my people is unhappy. It seems that we don’t understand democracy well or we just don’t appreciate it.

I am a happy person. I have a loving family and got on my own way towards professional realization. But you cannot succeed if you live among miserable people. I honestly wish happiness, welfare, “and justice for all”. But how can I help my people feel happier? How can I help them enjoy their lives? I ask these questions but I still haven’t go the answers. Any advice, folks?

Here is the list of the most miserable countries in the world:

1. Zimbabwe
2. Armenia
3. Moldova
4. Belarus
5. Ukraine
6. Albania
7. Iraq
8. Bulgaria
9. Georgia
10. Russia

It is interesting to note that most of the countries in this list are from the former Soviet Union or the Socialist Block. Could it be we still love and grieve for the “old times”?