What are your ideas for happiness?

Question

Me personally, I am approaching middle -age, and have yet to find those things that bring true contentment. I have multiple college degrees, make good money, have a high position in the company, nice things, beautiful spouse...

But I am always depressed, and feel like life is slowly creeping toward failure. Scary, because the time (and youth) is running out...

As time goes on, I find myself having less and less positive energy to expend on the pursuits of happiness, and more and more energy is spent on simply staying afloat on a day to day basis.

So my question is this... Are you truely happy? What in life leads you to your contentment? Is happiness simply a value-based ideal?

I am inclined to believe that many things might bring happiness, but daily stress and pressures, both short and longer term, override the benefits that we recieve from our efforts in life, leading many of us to 'wear out'...

Ok, thats more that one question. Apologies.

Thoughts?

wwwwwe..... No vacation. Work literally 75 hours a week, job goes 24/7/365. No joke. Couldn't even get TWO DAYS off to see family at Xmas.

So it goes.

Answer 1

Learn to take things easy.
Enjoy in whatever you have.
Unwind yourself periodically.
There are a few things over which you have no control and cannot have a control.
Thank God for whatever you have and think of those who do not have what you have.
This will give a sense of contentment.
Every good or bad thing comes to an end.

Answer 2

Look... Money , success WILL NEVER give hapiness..

U need to reflect on your life and see whats missing...
reflect on other peoples lives and see how similar they are to you...

Once u know whats missing u need to figure out how to fill that void.....

the reason u feel like u do is because u dont feel like uve done somethings u probably would have liked to do...

before doing those things it would be a good idea to ask urself why u want to do those things and again reflect on that and reflect on other people who have what u want....

Ultimately... FEEL HAPPY that u have lived so long... Never take life for granted...

Look at the things u have in ur life now that dont make u happy... and ask urself why u really have those things.. ultimately u might see that u only do certain things cuase thats whats seen as the right thing by family or society.... but u just have to ignore society or family cause ultimately all that really matters is ur family and what they should want for u is ur happiness not ur sucess otherwise their priorities are wrong....

Its not too late to do things u wanted to do in your youth or throughout your life.... just use common sense dont be scared to try anything because remmember that humans basically built this planet.... and u as a human contain all the potential to achieve such great goals.

Answer 3

It is a fallacy to think that happiness is none other than a state of mind. Therefore, happiness is an individual experience.

My idea for happiness is simplicity...

...the cool oceans mist at your nostrils, the bright and shimmering blades of dew-covered grass, the clear and crisp winter stars that seem to shine with dazzling force, the sound of laughter when you tell a joke, a pat on the back, an opened door with a smile and greeting, the crackling campfire where you hung your first marshmallow to roast...

Whatever makes you happy can't be that bad. And if it makes you happy, why the [***] are you so sad?

Happiness is a choice that only you can make. Do it today, do it for others, or just for yourself. Enjoyment, contentment, and satisfaction are related to just actions and endeavors within daily living that attribute to happiness.

Answer 4

For me happiness isn't in my possessions and the money that I make. My happiness comes from learning to truly see the beauty around me. Spending time with my family and friends. Taking time out of each evening to meditate and reflect on the days events. I started doing yoga, a few years ago to center myself. I pray all day everyday. I put all my faith and trust in God. And I allow myself to be silly. Dance shamelessly in front of my 4 1/2 month old daughter. I indulge in something I really want to do atleast once a day. I make things with my hands and it feels great. I love to bake and cook. I love life. I wasn't always like this. I struggled with happiness too a while back...but I plugged in to a happy place. Journaling is very insightful. You will learn a lot about yourself. I hope all is well and you find happiness for the rest of this year and throughout your life. Merry Christmas, Best Wishes & God Bless.

Answer 5

Rick, I believe the keys to happiness are simple: love and gratitude. Love yourself first & foremost, love others, love the world, do things you love. If you can manage all that, you'd be quite happy! Secondly, be grateful for all the wonderful things & people in your life.

So many people make the mistakes you are making: focusing on the lack rather than on what you have. It sounds as though you are very fortunate but that you don't truly appreciate how blessed you are. You feel as if something is missing. Perhaps you take your life and all those in it, for granted.

If you don't truly love yourself & feel grateful, it is hard to be happy.

I was very negative much of my life so I understand where you're coming from. I am learning to be positive and am feeling happier than I've ever been. I like who I am. I do the things I love. I am pursuing my dreams.

North Americans tend to overwork. They feel stressed and tired and burned out. It's hard to be happy when you're exhausted. We could learn a lot from Europeans (longer vacations. Shorter work days.) They understand that life is more important than work. Spending time with loved ones, having fun and nurturing your soul is crucial to your well-being. Too many people lose themselves in the rat race and forget to have fun.

You can choose to be happy.
Try this as an experiment. Make a list of all the things that you are grateful for. Really focus on them & feel the joy of being so fortunate. Then search your soul for other things that you may want. Dreams you may have abandoned etc. Concentrate on them & feel joy and gratitude as though you already have them. You will start to draw them to you by the law of attraction. Focus on the good things & you bring more of them into your life. If you focus on the negative (what you lack, what you don't want) then you just attract more of that.

You are not a failure and time is not running out. It's never too late to be happy. Start today! Start right now. Decide to change your life.

Remember when you were a kid and you could get so excited over the most simple things. You laughed all the time. Life seemed magical. Then somewhere along the line, you grow up. You have adult responsibilities. You become practical and sensible. You play less and work more. You give up on your childish dreams. That's where we go wrong. Yes we do have to become responsible as we grow up. But we don't have to stop having fun. Never lose your childlike sense of wonder. Never stop seeing the magic of life. Appreciate the beauty and magnificence of the world with new eyes. Watch the sun rise. Take a walk in the woods. Build a snowman. Be silly and spontaneous. Life is too short not to enjoy every moment.

There are myriad self-help books out there on positive thinking and finding happiness. You can train yourself to change your way of thinking and seeing the world.

I highly recommend "The Secret" DVD or book. It sums up the secret of life (the law of attraction etc) in a very dynamic and engaging way. The secret has always been there. It's just that not everyone chooses to see it.

You really are in control of your destiny. You decide how you want to feel and how you want your life to be.

I wish you the best.

Peace out,
:)

Answer 6

That's human nature. We always get bored and tired of whatever we have no matter how good it is and hard we used to chase after it. Another thing, some people just can't be happy no matter what. I have one advice that might be good for you. You need to travel to some poor country and I mean really poor. You need to see how the poor people live their miserable lives. You need to see how hard they have to work and I mean reeeeeeeeeeeeally work so they just can feed themselves. You need to imagine that you're one of them, that you're not a citizen of the US or whatever. You just forget about all the good life you're used to and just picture yourself as one of those poor people with no other choices in life. Maybe then you'll realize how lucky you are, and maybe then your appreciation for the life you have will come back. You'll see how fortunate you are not to be those poor people whose only fault is that they were not born in a good country. I think you really need to do that. Another thing, I think it would be a good idea to start helping others, like someone here said. And don't forget the spiritual side.

Answer 7

I don't think happiness is a 'one size fits all' deal. It is a concept that varies from person to person. Personally, I don't believe it can be a fixed state, it fluctuates.
I understand what you mean about a feeling of sinking hopelessness and failure...it happens to me quite frequently, it seems. One thing I know helps me is taking time for myself, doing the things that I want to do. Usually that means reading a book or watching something entertaining on TV.
Just figure out what energizes you, and make time to do those things.

Answer 8

1. Adopt an attitude of gratitude for what your parents gave as foundation for your life, and for your own steady commitment to excellence/victory/achievement.

Also, you are giving, in a daily fashion, by helping a generally-positive system work. While not becoming self-righteous, nor ignoring that there are larger perspectives and quite possibly eternal consequences, you can assume that you're contributing greatly, and that this is on the whole, good.

2. Your general perceptions and judgments are sound; your intuition about "creeping toward failure" is likewise.

Significantly, you do not mention God, faith, or religion.

Per Abraham Maslow's last-years-of-life retrospective studies on those who'd applied his "hierarchy of needs" schema, he found that even "self-actualizing" (which is where you seem to be) is insufficient for "happiness." The key missing step in his estimation was adoption, sincerely, by the successful of a genuine relationship with a "higher power." This relationship, when present in his "self-actualizers," was the key difference between those who were "happy" and those who felt some key thing "missing" from their lives.

3. Thus, there are short-term fixes, e.g. stress-reduction, effectively scheduling time apart for recharging/renewal, changes upgrading diet away from junk foods and refined sugar, getting 7-8 hours nightly sleep and/or afternoon hour nap, regular, moderate exercise, and suchlike. Professor Carol Dweck's "Mindset" (2007) is a user-friendly recounting and explanation of her extraordinary success re-moving and restoring the most successful individuals' ability to learn, remain fresh, etc. It doesn't sound necessarily applicable to you, but it is worth mentioning.

4. Secondly, there are more profound "course corrections," which tend to relate to God, Christ, Truth, and such. In this wise, would suggest, if you're interested, books such as the Bible, "Climb the Highest Mountain," Mark Prophet, "Men in White Apparel," Ann Ree Colton, "Man, Master of His Destiny," O. M. Aivanhov, and "Expecting Adam," Martha Beck, Ph.D., as very much worth perusing.

http://www.yogananda-srf.org and http://www.easwaran.org are examples of a type of meditation protocol which bring more balance, energy, and perspective, for those who practice effectively.

Momenta of a lifetime may be changed quickly, mediately, or, much as turning around a great ocean-going liner, slowly. http://www.family.org has a toll-free, licensed counseling number, 1-800-232-6459, which is worth calling. Either yourself and/or your spouse would be able to tell your story (men tend to be less-inclined to utilize such resources), and, by visiting their website beforehand, you will be able to anticipate some of the local resources and counseling they might suggest. Both you and your spouse benefit by your effectively rising above downward-pulling momenta in your life.

5. Personally, happiness is related to "Love God completely, love colleague as Self, and love as Christ Jesus, Truth, loves."

cordially, and good fortune,

j.

Answer 9

i think i'd be happy if i were with this one girl that i like
since you make good money, how come you don't go on a vacation?
should be easy to get days off also because high position

Answer 10

GIVE GIVE GIVE! That has always given me JOY AND HAPPINESS!

Home ownership

Stable income

Peace of mind

Health

Good friendships

Lots and lots of travel! Get out , see the world! You'll see how amazing people from other Countries are. When people don't travel and are closed minded...they are IGNORANT AND BITTER.