Being successful won't necessarily make you happy, Dr. Holden says. "It isn't productivity that makes you happy," he says. "When you're happy, it boosts your productivity."

The Royal Government of Bhutan understands this concept and has organized the Gross National Happiness Commission to execute a strategy for gross national happiness. Some objectives of the GNH include promoting citizens to live in harmony with tradition and nature, as well as investing in the nation's greatest asset: its people.