What do you need to be happy?

[George]

I was thinking about this today.

Happiness so often eludes me, despite my effort.

Some say happiness occurs when one learns to stop wanting.

Others say you can choose to be happy in spite of anything.

Still others say that happiness is not a fish that you can catch.

What's your take? 

Maybe, just maybe, we can constuctively share our secrets with each other and learn to become happier.

[head-case]

Happiness is enjoying the journey, not the destination.

[Gurn Blanston]

I was thinking about this today.

Happiness so often eludes me, despite my effort.

Some say happiness occurs when one learns to not need anything.

Others say you can choose to be happy in spite of anything.

Still others say that happiness is not a fish that you can catch.

What's your take? 

Maybe, just maybe, we can constructively share our secrets with each other and learn to become happier.

Well, do not dismiss any of the above. They are all quite true, at least for me. And in fact, I have rarely (if ever) asked myself "am I happy?". I suppose being simple-minded has helped me in this regard, but in any case, happiness is not anything I strive for, it just IS. Truly, one chooses happiness (or unhappiness) every day one one awakens. I always opt for the more optimistic choice. Even in times when it would have been totally easy to do otherwise.



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Now playing:
Fumiko Shiraga - K 456 Concerto #18 in Bb for Piano (arr. for Piano & Wind Quartet by Hummel) 3rd mvmt -  Allegro vivace

[Brian]

A similar question in spirit was put to me in very different words several months ago. My suitemate's girlfriend came by on a Friday night at about 10pm to discover that I was (hand-)writing a letter to a friend, of all the things I could be doing. Writing a letter?! On a Friday night!? And she asked me (being an avid partygoer herself), "How on earth can you make it through your life without alcohol?" And it's one of those questions to which I know there is an answer (since I'm a reasonably happy though occasionally insecure person who does not drink at all), but to which I don't actually know the answer, so I said "I don't know." And it's been kind of bouncing around in my mind since then as one of those "put-your-finger-on-it" type questions, where you have a supply of good answers but can't quite put your finger on them. If I'm happy, how am I happy? Am I happy? Why the hell am I happy?

I think the answer is music.

Probably the correct answer is acting purposefully - not necessarily a higher purpose, just doing stuff. Having goals, big or small, in mind (oh snap, just remembered it's laundry night ), actually spending time working on them, understanding the progress that's been made, and feeling good about doing something. But I'm not mature enough to face that kind of thing ... because it might mean less YouTube for starters. 

[btpaul674]

Happiness is enjoying the journey, not the destination.

I wish I could say that's true.

[hornteacher]

It's not about waiting for the storm to pass.  It's about learning to dance in the rain.

[Mozart]

The trick is to find distractions to your misery. If you find ways to keep your mind occupied you won't feel so miserable. Think less. I don't wonder if I am happy because I know I am not, and I don't dream about what would make me happy because I find it way out of my grasp. Works well enough.

[KevinP]

Get this book, George:
http://www.amazon.com/Way-Love-Image-Pocket-Classics/dp/038524939X/

It explains very clearly how the desire for happiness prevents ever finding it. Probably the most eye-opening book I never read.

[Sarastro]

What is the purpose of life?

[BorisG]

[George]

Happiness is enjoying the journey, not the destination.

OK, how does one enjoy the journey?

[George]

It's not about waiting for the storm to pass.  It's about learning to dance in the rain.

GREAT answer!

[George]

What is the purpose of life?

I don't know.

I am not sure that there is one.

[George]

The website for this image is carolineoncrack.com. 

[Dancing Divertimentian]

It's actually very simple for me. And I used to be a worry-wart and such myself.

The trick to the fix is: I must never forget that there are others in this world who are much, much worse off than I am - ESPECIALLY as I was lucky enough to be born in a developed country (America) in the middle-class income bracket with pretty much all the basic needs taken care of without even thinking twice about it. Things like running water, food, medicine, political stability, central air/heat, etc...all the things I take for granted but which are far, far out of reach for a good portion of the world.

For this, I never forget to thank my lucky stars I was born in a material "comfort zone".

Could I be wealthier? Yes...and no. Compared to a small fraction of wealthy westerners, yes, I'm poor. Compared to the remaining population of the world including practically every third-world inhabitant, I'm actually VERY rich!!

So, to me, it's all about perspective. Perspective, perspective, perspective...

[Brian]

It's actually very simple for me. And I used to be a worry-wart and such myself.

The trick to the fix is: I must never forget that there are others in this world who are much, much worse off than I am - ESPECIALLY as I was lucky enough to be born in a developed country (America) in the middle-class income bracket with pretty much all the basic needs taken care of without even thinking twice about it. Things like running water, food, medicine, political stability, central air/heat, etc...all the things I take for granted but which are far, far out of reach for a good portion of the world.

For this, I never forget to thank my lucky stars I was born in a material "comfort zone".

Could I be wealthier? Yes...and no. Compared to a small fraction of wealthy westerners, yes, I'm poor. Compared to the remaining population of the world including practically every third-world inhabitant, I'm actually VERY rich!!

So, to me, it's all about perspective. Perspective, perspective, perspective...

And gratitude.

[Brian]

What is the purpose of life?

I am a firm believer that we must each find our own purpose.

"Maybe life's meaning isn't so much found as it is made." - Opus the Penguin

[Dancing Divertimentian]

And gratitude.

Yup.

[orbital]

I think the topic question itself is exactly how you distance yourself from happiness, or contentment as I'd prefer to put it.

How do you become happy? By living in or close to the conditions that suit you. But those conditions are always impermanent and very much out of your control in general. Happiness, for me, is very deceptive in that way for it always entails a condition to be met. Even those  various views that you put in your opening post do that. I don't think there is a fish to catch or something that you should or should not want. I am perfectly content as I try to go on living with as little damage as I can possibly give.

[Harry]

That is simple George!
Health, and goodwill towards each other, balanced by God, that defines happiness for me! 0:)

Spolia Optima.