How Happy are You?

[loosechickens]

Well, I'd certainly be doing the Snoopy dance most all the time, except for the three herniated discs in my back that have oozed out and are attempting to strangle my poor little sciatic nerve......but after May 3rd in Phoenix, when the neurologist does my epidural and shows those little puppies who is boss......THEN.....it's pretty much Snoopy dance for me. (And when I think of the folks who can't walk at all, my painful lumbering around like Igor in some horror film dragging my leg behind me seems like pretty small potatoes).

Seriously, if it would be possible to be happier, I don't know how. I have an extremely happy marriage of almost 30 years, have two grown kids I love (and like), wonderful friends, in general (except for those pesky discs) good health, more than enough money to support our chosen lifestyle.......what's not to like?

At this moment, I'm sitting here at the computer in the sunshine in a National Forest campground near Prescott AZ surfing the net.....getting ready to quit and have breakfast......our Tibetan prayer flags are snapping in the wind outside my window.....I feel showered with blessings from the Universe.

LooseChickens

 

[P.S.]

i think this question is strongly American, where the pursuit and accomplishment of happiness is so pivotal to our national and individual identification.

living abroad, i came to realize a different motivator of other cultures: are you content? are you worthy?

 

[donheff]

All this talk about forum etiquette reminded me of the early Wired Magazine article about the The War Between alt.tasteless and rec.pets.cats. A hilarious example of rudeness on the Net gone wild.

 

[LKH]

You may also find that many of us don't like to be told what to do. Except of course by the duly appointed moderators of this board.

Ha

Hi, Ha,

I don't think I've told anyone what to do. I did tell one fellow to play nice - but that's after he insulted my religious beliefs and my family. I don't think I was bossy - just making clear that I don't care for being browbeaten.

Anyway, so you who are retired, it sounds like you guys feel it's made your life a bit happier. I know so many people who say it's a huge adjustment. What do you think?

I love my life as is, but I'm thinking that, so long as I'm healthy, retirement will definitely change things for the better.

L

 

[brewer12345]

- but that's after he insulted my religious beliefs and my family.

That's just the way we say "hi, glad to meet you" here on the interweb.

 

[youbet]

That's just the way we say "hi, glad to meet you" here on the interweb.

Well.....aw.....speak for yourself. Some of us prefer to leave families out of the fray.....

 

[OKLibrarian]

For a monday (okay, tuesday, but I had yesterday off w*rk), not too bad. Pushed myself on the treadmill this morning, knocked off 6 to-dos before lunch, redeemed a full frequent diner card for a panini at the local cafe (they're my friday indulgence), none of the servers have crashed *knocks wood*, phone's been quiet, and I'm about to listen to some Anthony Bourdain on audiobook. Life's pretty good.

And to mention the other point under debate, this is one of the more civil forums I've run into on the 'net. the occasional political/religious scuffle is par for the course anywhere. you just have to learn which threads to click and which to ignore.

 

[brewer12345]

you just have to learn which threads to click and which to ignore.

Sometimes I skip a topic (I know, hard to believe) because the initial post or title doesn't grab me. When they get to 5+ pages, it is usually a good indication that the discussion has morphed. Out of morbid curiosity, I will often click on the most recent page's worth just to see what the fuss is about.

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

Anyway, so you who are retired, it sounds like you guys feel it's made your life a bit happier. I know so many people who say it's a huge adjustment. What do you think?

early retirement has not made me any happier. it simply removed a misery from my life. i probably could have accomplished the same goal simply by taking a different job but at the time this seemed like fun and, much to my surprise, a viable option.

while e.r. might give someone the opportunity to rewire themself, generally, anyone miserable before early retirement will not benefit much on the happy scale by retiring. in fact, it might just give them more time to be even more miserable. similarly, anyone happy before early retirement will have more time to be happy.

 

[Nords]

Just about every day I watch the sun rise over the Ko'olau and perhaps see a rainbow or two before sunset. I'm usually up & about to catch a full moonset over the Waianae before the sunrise show begins.

At those times my thoughts alternate between "Eh, lucky you live Hawaii!" and "Life is good!"

I can also watch the rush-hour traffic or the naval vessels around Pearl Harbor. But then my thoughts are mainly along the lines of "Thank goodness that's not me!"

 

[donheff]

Sometimes I skip a topic (I know, hard to believe) because the initial post or title doesn't grab me. When they get to 5+ pages, it is usually a good indication that the discussion has morphed. Out of morbid curiosity, I will often click on the most recent page's worth just to see what the fuss is about.

I think a lot of us do that. Not surprising that the threads get out of control with so many dilettantes jumping in with opinions and no context.

 

[janeeyre]

A colleague of mine researched happiness (for a paper) after our college newspaper performed an unscientific study which surveyed our students. Over 50% of the students surveyed reported that they are unhappy most of the time. There were plenty of other startling results but this one caught his eye.

To summarize, below are a couple of his discoveries in regard to happiness:

1. Happiness is an attribute of the soul, not of inanimate things or the pursuit of inanimate things.
2. Happiness can, therefore, be had in the soul only,
3. For getting real happiness, you must look within, to know our own being, for our happiness lies in ourselves.
4. Happiness is not to be possessed or pursued, only to be experienced

I guess the students are pursuing to many inanimate things

 

[sgeeeee]

. . . I'm so happy I could scream. In fact, I believe I will. Did you hear it?

Yeah we heard it. You scream like a girl, Eagle.

 

[sgeeeee]

You may also find that many of us don't like to be told what to do. Except of course by the duly appointed moderators of this board.

Ha

And some of us don't like to be told what to do especially by the moderators of this board.

 

[haha]

I'm just pretending to be docile.

Ha

 

[sgeeeee]

I'm just pretending to be docile.

Ha

 

[FinallyRetired]

1. Happiness is an attribute of the soul, not of inanimate things or the pursuit of inanimate things.
2. Happiness can, therefore, be had in the soul only,
3. For getting real happiness, you must look within, to know our own being, for our happiness lies in ourselves.
4. Happiness is not to be possessed or pursued, only to be experienced

I don't think those things apply to boaters.

 

[donheff]

To summarize, below are a couple of his discoveries in regard to happiness:

1. Happiness is an attribute of the soul, not of inanimate things or the pursuit of inanimate things.
2. Happiness can, therefore, be had in the soul only,
3. For getting real happiness, you must look within, to know our own being, for our happiness lies in ourselves.
4. Happiness is not to be possessed or pursued, only to be experienced

Sounds like a self help book writer, not a scientist.

 

[Rustic23]

I’m doing the snoopy dance!

Retired for a year.
Married to the same wife for 40 years and Happy about it.
Designed and built our dream home
Have twice the income we need to live
Don’t have anywhere we really ‘Need’ to visit
Have two great kids and two great grand kids.
Live on a lake, and golf course
Zero dept
At peace with our religion
Have several good friends
Nice social life
A couple of computer forums I can always start an argument in

Life is good! Oh, found over 400 golf balls on the course in the past two months!

Anybody see the thread about ‘telling the truth’ on this board?

 

[FinallyRetired]

Way to go Rustic, here is mine compared to yours:

Retired for a year <-- > semi retired for 5, but can retire any day I get fed up
Married to the same wife for 40 years and Happy about it. <-- > 45 years Check
Designed and built our dream home <--> Check, but sold it and downsized
Have twice the income we need to live <--> Mmm... sort of, but spend all we get
Don’t have anywhere we really ‘Need’ to visit <--> Check
Have two great kids and two great grand kids. <--> 3 and 2, Check
Live on a lake, and golf course <--> Check and check (but don't golf)
Zero dept <--> Check
At peace with our religion <--> Ahh... well I'm Catholic so there's the guilt
Have several good friends ... <--> Check
Nice social life ... <--> sometimes yes sometimes no, to many friends still working
A couple of computer forums I can always start an argument in <--> Check, and been booted off a couple, check check

Downside: We still have two aging parents that I have to worry about

 

[Moemg]

I'm kind of nervous about being too happy .The last time I remember Thinking about how happy I was was shortly before my life went to pieces.I lost my husband and my son within a few years .So happiness makes me nervous but I'm pretty okay with my life .

 

[14thMed]

Happier than I should be,with one son in Afghanistan and another going to Iraq next fall.

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

I'm kind of nervous about being too happy .The last time I remember Thinking about how happy I was was shortly before my life went to pieces.I lost my husband and my son within a few years .So happiness makes me nervous but I'm pretty okay with my life .

wow moemg. tough to put feet down after you've had the rug pulled out so many times. i guess, visually, the trick is to hit the carpet running. but i'm not sure how that translates into real life.

Happier than I should be,with one son in Afghanistan and another going to Iraq next fall.

i think it is a buddhist saying that once you have children you will never know complete happiness, because at least a part of you will always worry for them.

good luck to you and your children.

 

[REWahoo]

I voted "mostly cheerful" earlier today, but I need to change my vote. Just got a phone call informing me that my only surviving brother was diagnosed with lung cancer today.

I can sure relate to what Moemg said about being nervous about being too happy...

 

[thefed]

i vote lousy! relationship problems,customer complaints,deadbeat tenants,sinus infection, burnt hand, broken finger, sun burnt, nagging cough, the list goes on...