Muse
Lifer
- Jul 11, 2001
- 37,521
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Here you goEmbrace it!
Sit on the porch in the morning and drink coffee, walk slow through the grocery store, tell long boring stories to people, give no fucks.
Here you goEmbrace it!
Sit on the porch in the morning and drink coffee, walk slow through the grocery store, tell long boring stories to people, give no fucks.
Well, when I was around 25 I figured that "happiness is for pigs." That's what a friend of mine said in characterizing my attitude. I figured that passion is where it's at, not "happiness." Happiness is too close to complacency. It's sufficient to be thrilled with your life. There are moments when I feel pleased, even euphoric, but most of the time I work toward improving my life, am engaged in activities to achieve my goals, which are open-ended and in some degree unfathomable. My emotions vary a lot, they can be all over the place, but that's part and parcel of all the goings-on.
Ideas, often specific quotations that have appealed to me, are part of my mental life and this one comes to mind sometimes:
Man was made for joy and woe. When this we rightly know, safely through the world we go. - William Blake
Good on you. This very apt quotation of Socrates comes to mind and I'm sure you'll agree:I'm generally happy. I'm pretty much at the point in life that I dreamed of when I was a kid. Done school, full time job, house, etc. Human nature is that we always want more though, so of course I'd like to make more money, or have better job security, or a bigger property, etc... But when I really consider what I have, and the fact that I'm healthy and my family is healthy and all the good points, I could not be happier really. If I did have the things I want like a bigger property, I'd probably just want even more.
I did discover Blake in an English Lit class, made me think of switching to English major..., didn't though.Who let the engrish major in here? Blake and Socrates?
Probably a good financial decision.I did discover Blake in an English Lit class, made me think of switching to English major..., didn't though.
I don't know. It wasn't a financial decision (not to change to an english major from math). I wasn't thinking in terms of what academic direction I was taking could point me to financial security. I only thought like that much later when I was a truly impoverished student, many changes later. Then, I veered away from my major subject at the time (math) to business courses. I suppose those helped me some, they gave me insight into organizational strategies. But it wasn't an MBA that I went for, I was desperate at that time to just make a little money. I really needed some guidance, but I didn't get any worth a feather.Probably a good financial decision.
i can't wait to retire man
I spent probably close to $5k or over the past 6 days in Grand Cayman.vacations are expensive though. i spent over 5$k on them last year and am going to try to limit myself to 2$k in the future. maybe i'll allow myself a splurge year every 5 years.
I spent probably close to $5k or over the past 6 days in Grand Cayman.
Eh I pretty much have all the toys I need so I don't really buy much now a days as far as toys go. We just redid our floors and put in hardwood as well a week before this last vacation, but that is what we had saved our tax return for. So I still buy toys when need be and things that have to be done around the house.Yeah not a big fan of splurging on huge vacations. Yeah it's a nice experience, but I rather put money towards things I can enjoy for longer like a toy, or a home project, etc. I'm a fan of cheaper vacations where you still get to see stuff but it's mostly playing it by ear. Like I went to Halifax years back, we had no real plans for what to go see, we just walked around and like "hey let's go check that museum out" kinda deal.
I wouldn't 100% agree with this. In my view, happiness is a state of mind really. I don't expect to try to meet someone's perception of me. I find that I give leds crap about what everyone thinks. I believe that being in a happier state changes your body biochemistry in some way. I've noticed it myself. You're more positive and people can feel it and it can rub on to people. I think it's a good thing. You worry less about the less important stuff and stress is a secondary thought. You even tend to make better choices for yourself. My rambling 2¢.Happiness (or whatever you have internally concerning how you feel about your life) is a personal affair. It's a mistake to worry about being boring. That's seeing yourself through what you conceive as other people's eyes/ears. That's an ever changing mysterious and ultimately meaningless thing. What you do know is whether you are bored or not. You are in a position to do something about that! I am seldom bored to the extent that it's obviously a problem and if it does happen it's only briefly. I have way too much that occupies me to stay in the doldrums. And as Blake said, "the busy bee has no time for sorrow."
Yeah, OK. Not sure we were talking about the same thing there. IOW, not sure there's any lack of agreement going on. I'm just saying that bring bored is something other than being boring. The OP's worried about being boring. I'm not worried about that. You can do something about being in a state of boredom. Trying to be interesting so other people don't find you boring is just a weird preoccupation. Suit yourself, not other people.I wouldn't 100% agree with this. In my view, happiness is a state of mind really. I don't expect to try to meet someone's perception of me. I find that I give leds crap about what everyone thinks. I believe that being in a happier state changes your body biochemistry in some way. I've noticed it myself. You're more positive and people can feel it and it can rub on to people. I think it's a good thing. You worry less about the less important stuff and stress is a secondary thought. You even tend to make better choices for yourself. My rambling 2¢.