Keys to Happiness

[Gerbil Wheel]

Applying your God-given talents in pursuit of your passion in an environment you enjoy.

Having something to do, someone to love, and something to look forward to (FIRE, oh yeah!)

Add yours?

 

[Midpack]

Some 'happiness' quotes...

• Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen and six, result happiness; Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery.​
  
  [*]Choose your life’s mate carefully. From this one decision will come ninety percent of all your happiness or misery.
  
  [*]In almost every culture where happiness has been studied, it comes down to four things: employment, family, health and money. Richard Easterlin
  
  [*]Money won't buy you happiness, but it makes being miserable a whole lot easier.
  
  [*]We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have. Frederick Koenig
  
  [*]All the happiness there is in this world comes from thinking about others, and all the suffering comes from preoccupation with yourself. Shantideva
  
  [*]Happiness cannot come from without. It must come from within. It is not what we see and touch or that which others do for us which makes us happy; it is that which we think and feel and do, first for the other fellow and then for ourselves. Helen Keller
  
  [*]If you want true peace, happiness and joy, you need to realize that happiness and satisfaction come from within you and stop searching so fanatically outside. You can never find real happiness out there. Whoever has? Ven. Robina Courtin

 

[Gerbil Wheel]

^ I like those, thanks for sharing!

 

[bbbamI]

A little song...
A little dance...
A little seltzer...
Down my pants...

 

[Onward]

To me, the foundation of happiness is financial independence. There is no peace of mind without it. If you are dependent on the whims of the labor market (not the theoretical one in economics books but the real one as real people conduct it), you will eventually have your soul sucked out through your nostrils.

 

[obgyn65]

These two quotes say it all :

Some 'happiness' quotes...

• All the happiness there is in this world comes from thinking about others, and all the suffering comes from preoccupation with yourself. Shantideva
  
  
  [*]Happiness cannot come from without. It must come from within. It is not what we see and touch or that which others do for us which makes us happy; it is that which we think and feel and do, first for the other fellow and then for ourselves. Helen Keller

 

[skyvue]

For me it will be no longer having to work in a job I dislike. I guess that really is the end of misery more than it is hapiness.

 

[travelover]

I'd have to say that for me, it is ice cream.

And being rid of my slave masters / baby sitters.

 

[HFWR]

• 
  [*]Choose your life’s mate carefully. From this one decision will come ninety percent of all your happiness or misery.

Boy howdy...

A crisp fall day, a few friends, some adult beverages...

 

[dex]

Amazon.com: Handbook To Higher Consciousness (9780940687134): Ken Keyes: Books

read the guide

 

[yakers]

Genetics. A recent article in The Economist reported a strong correlation to one's genetic make up. So maybe there is a 'happy gene'. Why not, there certainly seems to be a correlation in family depression.

 

[Midpack]

To me, the foundation of happiness is financial independence. There is no peace of mind without it. If you are dependent on the whims of the labor market (not the theoretical one in economics books but the real one as real people conduct it), you will eventually have your soul sucked out through your nostrils.

I would respectfully disagree. Some of the happiest people you will ever find have virtually no means at all (though you will have to look outside the USA to see it)...financial independence is a recent phenomena in history, happiness predates FI by centuries.

OTOH there are plenty of people who are financially independent many times over, yet they are absolutely miserable. You can read about them in any gossip rag.

 

[Gumby]

Some 'happiness' quotes...

• All the happiness there is in this world comes from thinking about others, and all the suffering comes from preoccupation with yourself. Shantideva
  

And then, of course, there are those who find happiness in thinking about the suffering of others. Sadly, many of them seem to be related to me.

 

[Bestwifeever]

"If you are not happy with what you have, imagine not having it."

 

[haha]

I think one secret of happiness is to try to purge envy from your attitude set.

Ha

 

[73ss454]

I think one secret of happiness is to try to purge envy from your attitude set.

Ha

I don't envy anyone, I'm very happy with everything at this stage of life. Everyone seems to want something they don't have. But what's the old saying "don't wish for something, you may get it"

 

[chris2008]

I enjoy this blog:
The Happiness Project

 

[Letj]

I would respectfully disagree. Some of the happiest people you will ever find have virtually no means at all (though you will have to look outside the USA to see it)...financial independence is a recent phenomena in history, happiness predates FI by centuries.

OTOH there are plenty of people who are financially independent many times over, yet they are absolutely miserable. You can read about them in any gossip rag.

I couldn't agree with you more. Having lived in the developing world for a bit, I can tell you that most of them are quite happy. I think a lot of unhappiness comes from expectations and lack of contentment. Since many people in other countries have much less to aspire to in terms of material comforts (think Europe as well), they tend to be more contented. Americans are on a perpetual quest to improve their financial health and general "well-being". I wouldn't be surprised if a large percentage of us are unhappy.

 

[Orchidflower]

Genetics. A recent article in The Economist reported a strong correlation to one's genetic make up. So maybe there is a 'happy gene'. Why not, there certainly seems to be a correlation in family depression.

I agree that genetics is around 60% of everything an individual is. Some psychologists at a University or research center put together a study of what percentage of characteristics are inherited vs. nurture/environment--which I don't have access to anymore and wish I did--but the breakdown came very generally speaking to a 60-40% split with genetics being the 60%. Thanks for bringing that up, Yakers!

 

[rescueme]

I've never been happy, however I am contented.

Good enough for me...

 

[dex]

I am happiest when I am living in the moment (as the Buddhist say).

That happiness is reduced when I allow fears of the future and issues from the past encroach on the moment. Much of my life in the past was overshadowed by thinking about the future. I think I am in a period where issues from the past have edged out the future - a ratio of 40/20/40 past/future/present. This transition might be why studies show people over a certain age (65?) are happy - we get to a ratio of 20/20/60 past/future/present - where we are mostly living in the present, as an example.

 

[TomG]

I'd have to say that for me, it is ice cream.

And being rid of my slave masters / baby sitters.

I like to eat a lot

 

[vicente solano]

In Spain we associate happiness to having all these 3 things equally balanced: Good health, money and love. They are part of the lyrics ov a very popular folk song.
At the same time, we have a very common saying when facing a bad situation or phase in life: As long as one has "a good health"

 

[Lisa99]

I've read that happiness is internal. You are either generally a happy/content person or you're not. Situations can temporarily change your happiness level, but generally one will fall back into a natural temperament.

Example: a person who tends to be temperamentally unhappy wins the lottery and has his greatest wish fulfilled by moving to Figi to surf all day. Once the excitement wears off of the win and the move, the generally unhappy person will invariablu find things in the new life to be unhappy about....it's just the way he is.

I agree with the observation. I don't think that any amount of money, fame, material goods, etc can change who we basically are.

 

[dex]

I agree with the observation. I don't think that any amount of money, fame, material goods, etc can change who we basically are.

That is true. And that truth would get out more if there was a way to make money from it. I also think that point of view is more wide spread outside the USA.