Happiness comes only from appreciating what you have right now

[JEDI]

"You can even be happy by appreciating your troubles because they are helping to build your character."

Hm.. I always thought appreciating what you have right now meant the good things going on in your life. ie: food/clothing/shelter vs those in hit by hurricane/tsnami/earthquake

but i never thought of "appreciating your troubles because they are helping to build your character."

Unfortunately, I dont believe that part is another way of making me happy.

What do you think?

 

[sixone]

It's hard to appreciate your troubles while they're weighing heavy on your mind. But when they're improved or resolved, you can look back and say wow, I'm glad to be here where I am, and not where I was.

 

[T3C]

I think that when you are happy with what you have you stop moving forward and get stuck where you are at.

 

[Rainsford]

Originally posted by: TechITguy
I think that when you are happy with what you have you stop moving forward and get stuck where you are at.

Is that a bad thing though? I'd argue that someone stuck where he is at, but who is happy with that situation, is better off than someone who's always reaching for the next thing that will make them happy.

 

[D1gger]

Sort of the same as the saying:

"That which doesn't kill us makes us stronger."- Friedrich Nietzsche

 

[JEDI]

Originally posted by: sixone
It's hard to appreciate your troubles while they're weighing heavy on your mind. But when they're improved or resolved, you can look back and say wow, I'm glad to be here where I am, and not where I was.

for me it seems like new problems pop up faster than old ones get resolved.

so i feel like i have more and more troubles the older i get

 

Eventually you get over your troubles, which makes you happy and usually proud with sense of achievement.

 

[yhelothar]

Yup it's called being optimistic.
All the riches and wealth can still lead to sadness if you can't see the good in your life. This often explains why many rich and famous people end up suiciding. They have been focusing on the negatives of their lives, and overlooked all the great things they had.

 

[MrsBugi]

The American idea of "happiness" is quite fickle and fleeting.

I think the quote presented by the original poster has its merits in an "every cloud has a silver lining" sort of way, but what's most important is learning from the troubles, accepting responsibility for them if they are your doing, and making appropriate changes.

 

[JEDI]

Originally posted by: virtualgames0
Yup it's called being optimistic.
All the riches and wealth can still lead to sadness if you can't see the good in your life. This often explains why many rich and famous people end up suiciding. They have been focusing on the negatives of their lives, and overlooked all the great things they had.

i must be one of them.

i have no debt (except house). i max out my 401k + roth every year. thus $ isnt a problem.

Why am i always seeing the negative in my life?

how to change the way i'm looking at things?!

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: JEDI

Originally posted by: virtualgames0
Yup it's called being optimistic.
All the riches and wealth can still lead to sadness if you can't see the good in your life. This often explains why many rich and famous people end up suiciding. They have been focusing on the negatives of their lives, and overlooked all the great things they had.

i must be one of them.

i have no debt (except house). i max out my 401k + roth every year. thus $ isnt a problem.

Why am i always seeing the negative in my life?

how to change the way i'm looking at things?!

Live in the moment. Not for the moment.

 

[JEDI]

"Live in the moment. Not for the moment. "

i'm dense... example pls