Are you happy?

Yeah, over all, I’m happy I’ve had a lot of challenges lately but I’ve worked through them.

Pretty much. I am healthy, I have raised two wonderful kids who are launching. I have worked hard, and been paid well, but not to the detriment of other things in my life. And I have learned to be present and get my ego out of the way.

Nope, never really happy. Just surviving and plodding along.

@ZEPHYRA Hey, why not happy?

It’s getting better all the time.

Currently, yes. Though I’m a bit busy and sometines tired.

My husband surprised me yesterday with that question. I quickly said I was and as I pondered on it some more, I realized I really am happy.
Life has taught me that it is the people you love that make me happy.
My husband especially. He has been with me through the good and the bad. We have both been able to be separate people and yet share one heart. It’s difficult to explain.
But happiness is never a constant moment of glee. Its the accumulation of many happy moments. Like feeling so call alive. Day to day living has it’s humdrum moments but there are lots of moments in between when you just feel you can fly. But then my bad back reminds me that it is hard to bend over, never mind fly. LOL
But yeah. I’m happy being. I’m happy loving, I’m happy in sharing all those moments with my husband. Even when the day is sad. He is there to hold me up. And laugh at my silliness and cheer on my latest experiment.

Yes, for the most part. Not everything is perfect of course. I wish I had more free time and I have family members who are ill or who have conflicts with each other, which I wish were not the case. I tend to be positive and optimistic about most things yet am still realistic. I am very lucky in a lot of ways, and have had tragic things happen that have turned out for the better – my clouds have all had silver linings.

Right now, no, not at all. There are moments of course, but…I have been ecstatically happy and joyful for many years in my life. The highest of highs and the lowest of lows. This recession wiped me out financially, lost it all after years of happy living.

These times are a challenge and while not happy I certainly am resilient, adaptable and resourceful.
Right now I am watching the old Alex Haley mini-series “Roots.” It has humbled me inspite of my very real tribulations. I may not have what I had and I may be living in a compromised situation but compared to what so many have suffered,endured, well…..in the grand scheme of things I shouldn’t complain, even if my complaints are valid.

I am still living better than many in this world and certainly 100,000 times better than a slave in 1850’s Virginia. Gah!

Not really but I think it’ll get better.

Generally speaking — yes. Absolutely. I have a good life I get to share with two amazing people.

Specifically, it depends on the day. I’m never miserable and always try to start every day with a positive outlook. That being said, I am often stressed and overwhelmed and exhausted which can degrade my happiness.

Yes. Very much so. There are areas of my life I’m discontent with, that I’d like to improve, but overall I’m very happy. Life has taught me not to judge my life based on my interpretation of other peoples’ lives. They may look like they have everything going for them, but I can only see the surface. So I have to evaluate my own life based on my own reality. Then I won’t ever feel jealous of others or dissatisfied with what they have and I don’t. When I look at what I have, I’m incredibly fortunate. I have no reason or excuse to be unhappy.

Not yet.

Yes.
I’ve been down, and now I’m getting back, not in a day, but it feels good.

@janbb Life is great and happy when one can quote The Beatles.

@Adirondackwannabe, I guess it is innate.

@ZEPHYRA Hey I’ve got the Stones playing fairly loud, (no one else is on the floor) I saw a hot ghost last week, my chair is comfortable, and my aches aren’t too bad. Why should I feel lousy?

As a pig in shite

To me this is a paradoxical question. It throws me into evaluating all the different aspects of my life, how they measure up to my wishes; it makes me compare how often I feel good to how often I feel bad; it asks me to single myself out for special consideration. The paradox is that this kind of exercise works against anything that could rightly be called happiness.

I don’t think true happiness happens on a private, personal level. It’s an experience of getting beyond the private and personal, into the shared connectedness. In connectedness, even painful experience doesn’t work against happiness. My individual “good” and “bad” feelings don’t matter so much. Happiness is so much bigger than me that it makes little sense for me to lay claim to it.

I’ve got Gimme Shelter playing way too loud and no one else around. You got it better than that.

Now I Can’t Get No Satisfaction. Does it get any better?

@thorninmud Wow that’s kinda deep.
My personal opinion about happiness is, I quote, “Happiness and sanity don’t exist at the same time.” From Aristotle.
Happiness is the surface of bigger pain/ flaw that we may or may not have realized.
However no one can be absolutely wise so

@Adirondackwannabe okay, Im happy to hear, are you fulfilled or do you feel alive and living ?

Pretty much. I am healthy, I have raised two wonderful kids who are launching. I have worked hard, and been paid well, but not to the detriment of other things in my life. And I have learned to be present and get my ego out of the way.
@zenvelo What would be the time where you felt fulfilled or most fulfilled? Were you always happy ?

@ZEPHYRA that what I don’t get, why are we here if its not to enjoy, I feel I am only surviving, always very tired and just want to stay in my bed.

@Mimishu1995 beautiful, busy with what ? Id love to be so busy that I could forget about me and my thoughts.

@Pandora Im very happy for you, to see people can stay together. How long have you guys been together ? people always say its 50–50 on both side but I see it as 100–100 on both side 2 heart melting in one. I wish I can experience that one day. I also wish I can be happy with myself because I always think maybe if I meet someone I can be happy.

@jca You are very strong  I hope to meet you there.

@Coloma Yes, and you are allowed to ‘complain’ if you want, pain shouldn’t be compared. Yes there are some worse things happening in other people lives but this is your life not to be compared with. It must have been very hard to have taken on the hit when you went from comfortable to ‘struggling’ and it takes courage and strength. A lot of people have just quit on life after the recession. Thank you for your share, I will look up this show  Do you feel out of that hole or still working out of it !?

@Blackberry What helps you see the light out o the tunnel ? I’ve been hoping for a better life for as long as I can remember :/

@cookieman Me too I get stress over everything and overwhelmed and it very tiring. If I could just stop thinking for some time maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. I have a friend who has little to no money , doesn’t work or drive and she’s mainly smiling and happy, she said she doesn’t think about it, how ? Also she is very beautiful so that helps.

@Earthbound_Misfit How did you learn to be content and stop comparing? People are always comparing and its hard to get out this trap..

@kimchi How old are you ? Do you see it happening? Why so !?

@wsxwh111 Im happy to hear that  what brought you back up ? what did you do ? how did you find the motivation ?

To me this is a paradoxical question. It throws me into evaluating all the different aspects of my life, how they measure up to my wishes; it makes me compare how often I feel good to how often I feel bad; it asks me to single myself out for special consideration. The paradox is that this kind of exercise works against anything that could rightly be called happiness.
I don’t think true happiness happens on a private, personal level. It’s an experience of getting beyond the private and personal, into the shared connectedness. In connectedness, even painful experience doesn’t work against happiness. My individual “good” and “bad” feelings don’t matter so much. Happiness is so much bigger than me that it makes little sense for me to lay claim to it.
@thorninmud its beautiful, it makes me think. How do we go beyond our personal experiences ? I feel like I have to stop all to not get hurt anymore in order to be able to go beyond.

@Inconito101 Still struggling, have about 800 more shovel fulls of dirt to move before the first phase of digging out is complete. haha
It is very easy to quit on life, especially when you are older and do not have years and years to recoup your losses. One day at a time, Thanks for your kind reply. :-)

haha I feel you!
I wish everyone was just happy. I see some people coming out of their retirement because they don’t have enough money, when will humans have a break! I hope you make it :) love @Coloma

@Inconito101 I think you just need to relax and let things happen.
And one day if you would feel like to give therapy a shot, well, I’m glad.

I will try thank you :) @wsxwh111

My great pleasure.

I just emerged from one of the darker periods in my life. Much happier right now. Life is a tide pool of shit that ebbs and flows.

It varies from time to time. Some times I am homesick others I an relaxed and settled .

@talljasperman you work away from home ? how you like it ?

@Inconito101 33 years