I was offered a free trip to Finland to learn how to be happy — one of my biggest takeaways was the importance of being grateful for what you have

• Akso Heart attended Visit Finland's happiness masterclass in June.
• The course flew foreigners to the country to teach them how to be happy like the Finns.
• Heart said he learned how to connect with nature and be grateful for what he had.   

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Akso Heart who attended Visit Finland's happiness masterclass. The course was meant to teach foreigners how to be happy like the Finns and was paid for by the country. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I attended Finland's all-expense paid happiness masterclass this summer. One of my biggest takeaways was the importance of being grateful for what you have.