Rare Viking Era Gold Ring

We’ve all been there—scrolling through eBay or stopping at a roadside antique store, sorting through jewelry and thinking: “What if I find a really valuable antique in here?”

Most of the time, that doesn’t happen. But a young Norwegian woman, Mari Ingelin Heskestad, found herself living out that dream when she purchased a collection of cheap jewelry from an online auction house, only to notice one object stuck out.

Heskestad had an inkling the twisted gold ring was something unique. “It was really heavy, and shiny,” she told the newspaper Bergensavisen, BA. “It looked very special.”

But instead of bringing it straight to a dealer or auction house to cash in, she delivered it to the municipal cultural heritage department of Vestland County, in Western Norway. 

Karoline Hareide Breivik, the acting head of the department, confirmed in a statement that the ring dated to the late Iron Age or Viking Age. 

She noted that the find was extremely rare; it also marked the first time she was aware of a ring from the Scandinavian Viking Age having been found in an online auction.

“We’re so impressed with her—the fact that she reacted exactly as you should when you find something you might believe is of historic value,” Sigrun Wølstad, a senior advisor to the county, told Science Norway.  READ MORE...

College Degree = Success = Happiness

Many well educated and well experienced people belief beyond a shadow of a doubt that having a college degree in the KEY to having a successful career and happy life.  In fact, some believe that not just a BA/BS degree is required to achieve success and happiness but that one should seek out a Masters Degree as well.  HOWEVER, I would submit to you that MONEY and GREED are at the foundation of success and happiness not necessarily one's education.

In addition to one's education, one must be willing (more often than not) to violate their values, integrity, honor, and sometimes morals in order to achieve success and happiness...  Yet, it is true that education opens the door...  but, there is much more to it than that.

Successful people (not necessarily happy ones) put their FAMILIES SECOND behind their EMPLOYMENT and the company that employees them.  Successful people (not necessarily happy ones) are willing to work 60-80 hours a week, including nights and weekends...   and, in many cases are sent out-of-town on business trips at the drop of a hat.

Their family life is non-existent...  Their vacations are oftentimes spent conducting business as well...  and, many people enjoy combining business with pleasure but not all families with children are able to cope with this lifestyle.

My father's job for instance, took him away from the family for 9 months out of 12 and he allowed this to happen for about 10 years until he could find himself in a position where options were being presented to him.  Those options were being presented ONLY BECAUSE HE WAS SUCCESSFUL at accomplishing a variety of goals at which many others before him had failed.

SO...

there is a new criteria to add to education and experience and that is SUCCESSFULLY ACCOMPLISHING GOALS AND OBJECTIVES...  If you don't there is no promotion and one could face termination of employment.

LIVING UNDER THESE CONDITIONS is not a good methodology by which one manages STRESS.

Additionally, many people are awarded PhD's and decide to teach for a living and even with that amount of education, teachers never become WEALTHY...  They are financially well off, but never WEALTHY...   and, if success and happiness is based upon WEALTH, then these people are never considered to be successful or happy.

I believe after working in a career for 45 years, I can say that the happiest I have ever been is when I had eliminated my stress...  and, once stress was eliminated, I also felt like I was finally successful in life.  Success and Happiness was NOT BASED UPON EDUCATION OR MONEY, but on living a life of contentment and wanting for nothing.

WANTING FOR NOTHING goes against the concept of GREED.  Our entire economic system is predicated upon GREED.  If and when Americans stop wanting more, life as we know it will become meaningless...  and yet, that is exactly what one needs to achieve in order to be successful and happy.  Many wealthy people do not considered themselves successful because there is more money to be earned...  and, while these wealthy people have all sorts of toys, the fact that they want/needs more is an indication that they are NOT HAPPY.