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Happiness
All people want to be happy , no one is happy because we can't be happy , so why strive to be happy ?: this is the most prominent source of pain (the striving) , actually I think is the single one ........... in fact do we have an escape : can we stop striving for happiness ? I don't think so .
What do you think ?
Closing Statement from E G
Now, I think that we all are more aware of what we think about happiness than before this conversation , that's a good start............. good luck everybody.
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Sky F
I believe happiness is simply contingent upon one's ability to savor.
Because rich people can be sad and poor people can smile their faces off, it's all dependent on how each individual enjoys their experiences life gives them to the fullest.
As Oscar Wilde said: 'With freedom, books, flowers, and the moon, who could not be happy?' Hell, even homeless people have access to these things! Or Kurt Vonnegut: 'Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you'll look back and realize they were big things.'
I was a little kid who had more fun playing with the boxes the toys came in rather than the toys themselves. If I could expand that to my every day life that would be some powerful stuff.
Comment deleted
Sky F
Nice to not be forgotten :)
Debra Smith 200+
Autumn Frisco 10+
"Honor the ordinary"
key to happiness is right there and goes along with what you said sky!
Colleen Steen 500+
I like that Autumn..."Honor the ordinary".
When we are mindful and pay attention in the moment, we often see the beauty and joy in everything.
I am grateful and enjoy washing dishes, because I think of how many people in our world do not even have water or food. I feel grateful that I have clean drinking water, food, and a home.
This week, I have been pumping water out of the cellar, and it feels, at times annoying and discouraging. The moment I feel discouraged, disappointed or annoyed, I think of the people who do not have a home because of flooding and other disasters. I come back to the thought..."at least the water is only in my basement, and I am grateful for that. I think/feel that gratitude is very connected with happiness/contentment.
Debra Smith 200+
Colleen Steen 500+
Like I've said so many times...I focus on the positive. One of my favorite songs is...
"Accentuate the positive...eliminate the negative":>)
Yes, I've had 8-10 inches of water in the basement. Luckily, I live in northern Vermont, rather than central or southern Vermont, where there has been incredible damage from flooding...it is a disaster. Many people are isolated because of road washouts, and we may consider those the lucky ones, because many watched their homes float down river!
It's difficult to even dry out and catch up because the rain continues. I am aware of the disaster and challenges many in the state face, and I am so grateful that my home is still standing, and the water is ONLY in the basement.
Autumn Frisco 10+
It was a blessing in disguise for me- all though there were many people devastated by the flood, I pray that if this is their dark night of the soul, they find what they need to grow and make a blessing out of a disaster.
"the things we own end up owning you" Chuck Palahnuik from Fight Club
Colleen Steen 500+
Maybe that's what this is all about...my basement simply needed cleaning!!! LOL:>)
I agree Autumn, that we can usually find the light at the end of the tunnel (a blessing in disguise as you say). It is true that disaster and trauma often bring us to a new and different place in ourselves.
When I was young, I sometimes struggled with impatience, frustration, pain, etc., and at some point in my life, I realized that everything was/is an opportunity to learn, grow and evolve. So, I started moving more directly to the learning and growth, and not staying with feelings of disappointment and discouragement for very long. I still have moments of "woe is me", but I don't see any point in staying in that mind set for longer than a few seconds:>)
Debra Smith 200+
http://youtu.be/4IP9h40z0sk
Colleen Steen 500+
Water in the basement? HA!
When I remember where I've been in my life journey, and what others face in their life experiences, water in the basement is nothing. Perhaps that is one key to unlocking the experience of happiness/contentment. How important is the issue that we percieve to cause unhappiness? How much energy do we want to give to that challenge?
E G 10+
Colleen Steen 500+
Perhaps we don't all "do it" the same because our experiences, interpretation, perceptions, expectations, etc., are apparently different. We are all offering our own interpretations and experiences, and many of our perceptions seem to overlap. Some do not and that's ok.
E G 10+
Juliette Zahn 50+