What Makes You Happy?

Wow.

I've built a pretty great life for myself, too. Just not happy with career at the moment. And my best friends live too far away. Looking for more sources of joy these days. Through routine daily living, I've forgotten what some of them were.

You are an inspiration. <bows>

Re: What Makes You Happy?

Thinking ... isnt a tricky thing about this where ... when deciding to finally do those things that make you happy turns into another list of goals to achieve.. ?

I thought long and hard..I'm always "happy"....not sure what really makes me so...
Being loved by the people I love - i guess that makes me happy. Achievements and accomplishments don't give me pure happiness or joy.

My problem is that I derive a lot less pure joy than I used to do from reading, learning, understanding, analysing; it often seems more pointless, more of a kind of ... mental masturbation.

What I now enjoy more than ever is the cosy company of familiarity, of friends (not the awful first phase of finding out, doing your best - but just hanging out) - but that's not something you can force, it's not in my hands. And definitely not available on a day-to-day basis.

I miss it though, and that tends to throw a shadow over the joy I normally take from solo endeavours like observing, walking, reading, photographing. And that sense kind of dampens any motivation to get into, kinda - like, "new hobbies", or something.

Same here, though I enjoy it.

But as a child, curling up with books on summer afternoons - that used to be bliss.

Re: What Makes You Happy?


I would work part time as a nurse again.
This would pay my bills as well.

I would live in a small home with large windows on all sides because I want bay window box gardens of herbs and sweet smelling flowers.

I would live on a large section of land with a creek and or small pond in it.

Most of my time would be spent reading.

I would grow as much of my own food as I could.
I would have animals.

I dont think I would want running water because the idea of having to only take what I need has always been appealing to me and oddly comfortable.

I would have my mother on my land as well in her own little cottage and my life would be spent living off the land in peace with my family.
I would work part time doing the other thing I absolutly love.

That would make me completely happy.

I am pretty happy with the life I have. If I am not happy with something, I look for ways to change it and I like that finally I take things in my own hands. I have a wonderful husband, a good relationship to my brother and sister and their families, a couple of really good friends. I found things I like to do. I do the things I like to do without explaining them to others. If I want to be alone, I stay away from people even if they don't understand it. I try being a good person and that gives me happiness.

I'm happy that I made it to 55. It's my birthday today.

10 years ago, I was diagnosed and treated for cancer. So, so far so good. :wink:

Congratulations, Reyn!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Reyn!!!! May the next 55 years be even better.

Hippy birdy to you, Reyn!

Oh, it's Reyn's birthday! Happy Birthday, and all the best
wishes to you, Reyn

-----

I don't think one can be happy all the time, but I am very
content with my life. I am exactly where I want to be in my
life, and the feeling of love and being loved is the icing on
the cake.

Thanks for the birthday greetings urs, dag, Kris, and Jane.

I dunno about living another 55 years though.

Happy Birthday Reyn.


What makes me happy?

simplicity.

Re: What Makes You Happy?
\

Ha! Yes, it could turn into that, if you let it. <grins>



Yes, yes! That's where I am now. Some things that used to bring me joy don't do it for me anymore. I've outgrown them.



Happy Birthday, Reyn! I understand just how you feel. My own cancer experience was 11 years ago. Birthdays are meant to be celebrated. Make it a good one!!!

Shewolf -- It's a good thing to have dreams and goals. I love yours. You spent a long time thinking about what you wrote, didn't you. But what I want to know is not so much what your dreams for the future are, but what things you have done and are doing that bring you joy. From your posts, it's obvious that spending time with Jillian does it for you on many levels. What other things besides reading make you happy?

Urs and sakhi -- Great outlooks! What things have you found to do that bring you joy, urs? And how do you manage not to have to explain it to others?

One more thing...I'm noticing how many of you put spending time with friends and loved ones at the top of your lists. That's good. I've found that spending time with old friends is a huge source of joy for me. I just don't get to do it often because they don't live close to me anymore. I'm thinking maybe I should make it a priority to visit them regularly. (And wondering if that would make THEM happy...or not?!)

Thanks Chai and Eva.

What makes me happy? I think it's the simple things in life. I get a big kick out of being on the internet, here and on my chess site interacting with various folks.

For example, Ron, a chess buddy of mine from Pennsylvania went "missing" last April. It was extremely unlike him. Then, just yesterday I bumped into him. He had a stroke and just now was able to be back at the site. I was so pleased, as I had thought that he was dead.

<bm>

Happy birthday, Reyn!

My husband's best friend was just visiting for the weekend, and that was really nice, in a lot of ways. For one, I think of him as my husband's friend, but he and I have known each other for 14 years now, too. And he's a great guy.

There's something about another pair of eyes that helps you appreciate your life. The really nice relationship E.G. and I have, our great daughter (he was utterly charmed), our beautiful and friendly neighborhood, our gorgeous house. (Both he and my best friend, upon seeing the house for the first time, made almost identical comments about how it's just the kind of place they always expected us to wind up in.)

And as nimh says it's so great to hang out with OLD friends, when you're past the getting-there phase, when they already know who you are and you can just be. (I'm getting close to that point with some friends here, not quite there yet.)

So as of now, and with spring here and sun out, I'm feeling pretty darn content.

More generally, though, I do require that work-high that dlowan talks about. I've gotten involved in some stuff locally, finally -- looks like I may be helping to write grants for a local deaf organization, and I just became a board member of another. It's not the high-intensity stuff, but frankly, after a long meeting with the CEO of the deaf organization (great guy, my age, very similar experiences), I'm remembering more of the negatives and stress involved. That guy has a position very similar to my old one and he appreciated that I GOT it and was doing a lot of venting -- oooh. Brought things back, not all of 'em good.

And I do love having the luxury of being a stay-at-home mom. Feeling pretty damn lucky, all around.

Thanks, Soz, for the greetings.

RP, of course.

Hmm I just thought of an idea for a topic.