If you don't know Matthieu Ricard

This is a harsh winter here inToronto. I was thinking today how much mental effort it takes to stay positive and does not let extreme cold discourage you of being active. I guess a combination of gloomy winter, a news of my good colleage will be layed off soon, and then read this "sad love" posted by JP which made me cry, I felt like looking for something happy before going to sleep. I googled "happiest person on earth" and his name came up. He has a very interesting bio written in Wikipedia explaining how son of a French philosopher and a painter became a Tibetian Monk. Is he married? I am asking myself. Na, He is a monk, he does not have to be worry about loosing his love of life. He is free of ties 

"To scientists, he is the world's happiest man. His level of mind control is astonishing and the upbeat impulses in his brain are off the scale.

MRI scans showed that he and other long-term meditators - who had completed more than 10,000 hours each - experienced a huge level of "positive emotions" in the left pre-frontal cortex of the brain, which is associated with happiness. The right-hand side, which handles negative thoughts, is suppressed.

Further studies have shown that even novices who have done only a little meditation have increased levels of happiness. But Mr Ricard's abilities were head and shoulders above the others involved in the trials."

I should go back to my meditation routin.