think this over

Once, while fighting with a significant other, I listened to a friend's advice and took a weekend off to "do some thinking."

It sounded great -- I'd get to know myself, decide what I wanted out of life and love and maybe even find the meaning of life in the process. Hot.

Except when I sat down on the couch to take on the task at hand, I didn't really know what to do. Yes, I had the freedom to devote hours to thinking about my feelings, but I really wanted was to forget that I had ever fought with my bf in the first place and just make out instead.

Which is why I'm a little leery of articles like this one, devoted to different experts' strategies for finding time to think.

Recently, I wrote about this book that tells the story of a guy who travels around the world discovering which factors make people in different countries happy. He learns that in Thailand, a prevalent phrase is "mai pen lai," which means "never mind - just drop it and get on with life."

The author concludes that at least in part, that phrase contributes to the country's happiness.

Meditation. Spiritual health. Personal wellness.

Are these buzzwords, or genuine indicators of happiness?