You know… for a fact you have heard it.

Everyone says that Costa Rica is a Pura Vida country!  When visiting the country or living here for a while, the vast majority of people are fortunate enough to confirm it. This is truly a country where it’s easy to enjoy life.

But…is it so for everyone?

When we talk about Pura Vida we are in essence referring to a feeling that lives in the heart and flows through the veins of each Costa Rican and that is spontaneously transmitted to the visitors who set foot in this land.  The philosophy of Pura Vida is in the genes of all Costa Ricans and is easily transmitted by oral and physical contact. That is, one can acquire it through conversations and smiles, and then little by little, it starts permeating through each of our pores. 

Pura Vida is a special outlook on life.  It is a philosophy that states that happiness is found in the simple things, in the manner in which one perceives life, how one relates to the world and values the details on a day-to-day basis.

When we use it to define the country, we are basically saying that this is a country that lives in peace and harmony.  A country without stress.  A friendly, loving, and hospitable country.  A country with few prejudices.  A country without trauma and with no army.  A clean, solidary, noble, respectful of the Earth country, and a country that has learned to take it easy in life.

All these virtues add to the beauty of its exuberant nature and make Costa Rica as a whole a good place to live…. a very good place.

These are the reasons why Costa Ricans love their country so much and so many foreigners choose it for a vacation or as a place to start a new life. 

But enough compliments! Every coin has two sides and the truth is that all those specific conditions in which we have found so many positive things, are, for a few suffering newcomers, the beginning of a total nightmare!  There aren’t many such instances, but they are there.

It isn’t rare in Costa Rica to see a foreigner furious because the way of doing things here is very different from how they would be done in their country of origin.  It isn’t rare either to see another individual highly upset because an order they placed several days prior is not ready or because things do not move as quickly or in the manner in which they are accustomed. 

All benefits have a price

Costa Rica has achieved all the good conditions previously mentioned, by opting for a unique set of priorities and in turn has chosen to minimize the importance of other factors.  One could say that the major priority of Costa Rica is the degree of happiness achieved each day and the satisfaction that each citizen feels about his or her life.

While in most parts of Europe or the United States, professionalism, efficiency and meeting deadlines are sacred requirements for success, for a good number of Costa Ricans these usually aren’t the most relevant priority.

It is necessary to understand that here the concept of success is…different.  It has much more to do with the personal than with the work-related. 

The pura vida citizen will always first take care of having enough time to dedicate to the family and to the enjoyment of life. They will make sure to side step stress and evade suffering for things that are not worth suffering for.  They will not worry about problems that have no solution. This does not mean that in this country problems are not considered important or that people are indifferent to having things done correctly.  What it does mean is that things will not always be done with the same speed or attention to detail with which they would be done in Germany or with the same dedication and method with which a Japanese would do it.  What is very likely is that when doing these things, people here will enjoy them more and in the process, they will suffer less stress…considerably less.

The cost of Pura Vida

Mental peace is a fundamental requirement to feeling completely satisfied and fulfilled in one’s life. To attain mental peace, the first major requirement is…. not to be stressed.  It appears very obvious but that does not mean it’s any less true. Stress robs us of our intellectual and emotional peace.  In Costa Rica, this is something that has always been known.

The solution:

Take it easy in life.

The cost:       

Once in a while, someone who i s in a hurry will get upset.

Costa Rica with a European mentality would no longer be Costa Rica and perhaps it would not be a country so pura vida. Wanting to change the country is not the correct option.  The proper thing is to respect this culture, to understand it and to adapt oneself to it. 

We hope that the following suggestions will help you to better embrace the pura vida way. 

Our intention is to help new residents face the subject with good humor, a tad more patience and these few practical suggestions to live each day guided by the knowledge that their days will also get to be totally…Pura Vida!

Dealing with complacency.

  -When you need something in a hurry, the best thing is to request it with humility and to explain the situation.  Don’t forget, you are the one in a bind.  In Costa Rica people are much more responsive when you speak from your heart. You will get a much greater commitment and better results appealing to their solidarity than by being arrogant.

-Lower your expectations in regards to efficiency and always allow for a margin of delay and the unexpected. 

-To prevent misunderstandings when placing an order or assigning a duty, always explain in full detail what it is that you want done.  Most uncomfortable situations are a result of error in the initial communication.  If you do not speak Spanish well, it is wise to take someone with you to translate your instructions. This will help you avoid misunderstandings and will also assist you in a better negotiation. 

-If things don’t go as you expected, take a deep breath and then think of a solution.  Skip the getting angry part.  Don’t allow small inconveniences to rob you of your mental peace.

To live... Pura Vida:

* Appreciate your surroundings. The air you breathe, the water you drink, the breeze on your face, the endearments of your children, that juicy mango, a walk on the beach, the sunset, the night, the day, your friends…Feel more deeply the sounds, the aromas, the colors, the textures, the smiles….

* Re-prioritize what is truly important for your happiness and what is not. Concentrate much more on the first.

* Complain less about what you don’t have and appreciate more what you do have.

* Celebrate and be grateful for the good things, from the smallest details to the largest achievements.

* Send out good vibes and they will multiply.