In 1972, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck announced that rather than measure progress merely through GDP; Bhutan would instead pursue happiness as its path towards development. As a result of the king’s decision, now there’s no place like Bhutan. Disney’s claim to being “The Magic Kingdom” or “Happiest Place on Earth” gets a run for its money from Bhutan.

The result of the focus on citizens’ happiness speaks for itself in Bhutan. It’s the only country in South Asia to achieve all of the UN Millennium Goals. On top of that, it is ranked among the top 20 fastest growing economies in the world with very little corruption, increasing forest cover, free press, health care and much more.

Here are some of the lessons you can pick from Bhutan.

Gross national product (GDP) fails to take into account the social costs of achieving so-called progress. Of course, it is important that you meet your basic material needs, but chasing more money can have two impacts; at best negligible but at worst detrimental. In fact, studies have shown that measuring wealth on a personal level or GDP basis has a diminishing impact on happiness.

People in Bhutan acknowledge that there are more important things in life than material ones. Things like taking time for what and who you love, building relationships, and generally caring for the world around you.

In Bhutan, they put their Buddhist and other values on the front, center, and back of their lives. In most other parts of the world, however, people work all year round and it’s only in December when they remember their goals, spirituality, community, or even loved ones. In essence, this does not reflect what they truly want which is the reason why if you are a workaholic you may feel stressed, dissatisfied, or simply lost.

But in Bhutan where Buddhism is woven into every aspect of life, it is difficult to lose focus of your priorities or simply ‘get lost.’

The Bhutanese are really community oriented. Their sense of community is driven by their awareness of suffering and willingness to help those in hardship. So it’s true that brightening someone’s day brings about the “feel good factor” which is what the Bhutanese treasure most above material things.

Other than helping, you will be required not to cause pain to any living creature to fit into Bhutan. The only form of hunting allowed is fishing and even then, it’s on a catch and release basis. If you act in a selfish manner or cause pain, be sure not to find help when you need it.

In the developed world if you are a parent, you will spend hundreds of dollars on a new iPhone because your child smashed or lost his. In Bhutan however, people find happiness in simple life. They play with sticks, blades of grass, or worn out tires. Which one is easier to replace; the latest techno gadgets or worn out tires? That is why children in the developed world are likely emotional, angry, envious, or simply stressed.

It is best to go back to the basics of life, avoid stress, and be happy.

A small country like Bhutan cannot change the whole world, but you and the other person can. Although most Bhutanese are Buddhists, their model of development can still be adopted by all cultures. The Gross National Happiness (GNH) framework emphasizes values like wisdom, compassion and mindfulness, fairness, and a lot more others. You can adapt this in the way you approach life.

Even though Bhutan has its fair share of problems, its approach to economic development can serve as an inspiration to others as well.