Are you happy? Is it possible to be happy?

Will

I'm relatively happy, there are days which are up and down but that's normal. In the main I'm a happy guy.

However I don't know about others, seems to be that a lot are quite down in the dumps. Maybe it's the pressure to be in a relationship since it's valentines day today, not sure.

Anywho I came across this yesterday and thought it was worth sharing. Particularly the TED talk on happiness down the bottom.

http://isitpossibletobehappy.com/

That_Guy

Of course it's possible to be happy. I'd class myself as a happy guy most of the time. T'here are days that I do feel a bit down in the dumps but I usually perk up soon after that and then forget what got me down in the dumps orginally.

I know it's Valentine's Day today and I'm single for it but to be honest, I don't really care. I think a lot of people put pressure on themselves to try and find that elusive date for the day to make them feel better.

Being single on Valentine's Day is no big deal. Sure it's not like I'm the only one in the world who is single.

I can understand people who get a bit depressed around Valentine's Day. It's all about the advertising. Huge, over the top pink hearts everywhere with writing on them saying "GET THIS FOR HER/HIM".

I treat Valentine's Day like a normal day. Today for me is just a normal Sunday. I'll go to Subway later on, discuss the events of what everyone did last night and have a laugh.

"Don't let the bastard's get you down" and all that.

Will

Was just using valentines day as an example, was more trying to get at if people are happy, and how they remain happy

Otis Driftwood

I have to say,by and large,Im pretty damn happy at the moment.There is no particular reason for it.

Im at the stage that I appreciate life.Im able to get myself up in the morning,I can wash,dress and feed myself,I have no major debts and I have a close knit circle of family and friends,fcuk it,what do I have to be unhappy about!

Snowie

I think any one can be happy.

within them selves....but today is loved up day of the year hasnt really thaught about other then that.

I am happy with who I am....

Thats all i gotta be happy about...

L31mr0d

I'm unusually happy/content most of the time, but little things will lead me to momentarily lose perspective.

For instance, yesterday I felt thankful as I was just drinking a pint of water, considering how many people right now don't have any access to clean water.

But on the same day I had to grit my teeth when I was told in a Subway that they didn't take credit cards or visa, after they had packed my sandwich up (in this day and age, I shouldn't be expected to carry cash on me) So I had to walk to an ATM and queue for 5 minutes, then when I finally got back to the Subway my sandwich was cold and soggy. I felt that lightning cloud hovering over my head.

For the majority though, I accept how arrogant it would be for me not to be happy with the chance comfortable and truly free existence I have been afforded.

Novella

I think it's possible to be happy. I think loads of people are happy. I also think, however, that some people are just not. Some people don't want to be happy, some people really do and they just can't.

Personally, I wouldn't consider myself to be happy overall. I dunno. I often get the, "Why so glum, chum?! You could do anything you want in life", and I understand that. I just don't care.

I'd love to be one of those really chirpy and enthusiastic people and people always say, "Oh, but you can be! All you have to do is try!". I wish it was like that. I hate the thought of being a person who suffers from depression, and I hate that so many people think it's as simple as 'cheering up'.

I mean, I do cheer up. I have times where everything is relatively 'normal'. I suppose that's the right word. However, for as long as I can remember, every so often, there are weeks, or even months, where basic things just feel like such a chore. I know that sounds so dramatic, but sometimes getting out of bed, taking a shower, going to work... I can't see the point.

Realistically, I know I need to get up, I know I have to work to earn money. I know that I should go out and have fun but there is nothing like the demotivation (not too sure if this is a word!). I could easily spend days and days on my own, doing nothing, and it wouldn't bother me.

I don't think it's that I want to be unhappy. I wouldn't even go so far as to classify myself as that. At the moment, I just don't care. I've dropped out of college a couple of times, due to the fact I can't commit myself to anything for a period of time longer than a few months. I mean, one month I could feel, "Yeah, college is great, I really wanna be a doctor/artist/whatever", but three months down the line, I could be locked away in my apartment, thinking, "I hate college". There wouldn't even be an explanation, it'd just happen one day.

Concerning relationships, and my commitment to them, well, I think that's different. As someone said to me lately, I'm depressed because I feel "too hard" but it's nice because I love that way too. I like the thought of that, it's probably true. While I've had many casual 'flings' or whatever, I haven't had many boyfriends. Relationships are special in my mind, and not something I'd get into with just anyone.
I'm not sad because it's Valentine's Day and I'm single. Ok, there might have been a pang of, "I want someone to make mix tapes for!" or other sentimentalities but tbh, I'm happy being single right now. I'm more content single, than seeing someone 'just because'.

Anyway, this post is sort of huge now so I'm going to finish it with this, "Happiness is the absence of striving for happiness". A lot of the time, we're so unhappy because we are simply trying too hard to be happy.

Klingon Hamlet

I'm very sad with thngs going on but I'm also strong, hopeful and I have a good network of family and friends to cheer me up

Icky Thump

of course it possible to be happy.

im usually happy and very rare im feeling depressed. that been said i know people who dont ever allow themselves to be happy. if they thought something good was happening they would look for the negatives and ruin the good in a situation such as a new girlfriend or job opportunity or whatever.

lately ive been in a rut so im not exactly the happiest guy in the world at the moment but i am doing everything possible to pull myself out of the rut. i know what i need to do. get back to college. get my life on track. meet a few new girls. find someone that i really get on with and like. make her my girlfriend. get back playing rugby and vwola. rut will be no more.

force majeure

As a unconnected guy living alone and after spending the day watching shadowlands on tv and now the dancing on Ice on ITV1 I can say a little bit off misery is creeping in tonight but eekkk to tomorrow I'm off to sort out a loan from the Cred union to replace my battered motor so happy days are coming.... or so I hope.

P.C.

Good talk at the end of that link.

What I think your man was saying is:
If you have a decision to make - Make it!
The longer you 'hum and har' about it, the less happy you will be.

And, yes - I am happy.

Snowie

Novella wrote: »

Personally, I wouldn't consider myself to be happy overall. I dunno. I often get the, "Why so glum, chum?! You could do anything you want in life", and I understand that. I just don't care.

I'd love to be one of those really chirpy and enthusiastic people and people always say, "Oh, but you can be! All you have to do is try!". I wish it was like that. I hate the thought of being a person who suffers from depression, and I hate that so many people think it's as simple as 'cheering up'.

The hole thing about peoples lack of understanding about thing's like depression..... People "think" they don't actually know. Like you I too, suffer from time to time these days but in the past....

To quote Gaybrial byrne (Tha Actor)

Those days where you wanna sit in the corner of a room with a blanket and just cry which can last from a day to 2 weeks. Our hole worlds stops.... But thats part of the problem.

We as a collective for all people who suffer from depression, we need to force our selves to do tings even something as going to get tea bags.....

but thats what we need to do bye doing that one thing your showing your self you can beat it simple shores around the house like washing up laundry(I hate) but again showing your self that have the motivation to be what your only feeling. which can help I mean to me one of my favourite feeling of satisfaction of beating how your feeling

punchdrunk

I'm Fúckin miserable right now

28 lost my job
single
no money
owe a fortune so i can't leave
have to face the humiliation of signing on
dunno where the rent is coming from
one of the lads got engaged today and plastered it all over facebook
which just pissed me off no end!
and worst of all WTF was O'gara up to yesterday??

GAME OVER

That_Guy

Will wrote: »

Was just using valentines day as an example, was more trying to get at if people are happy, and how they remain happy

There's no real formula for it. It's the little things that can make me happy. Finding a book you've wanted for ages but couldn't afford it and it's knocked down in price in a sale, watching a good film, when the sun is shining and you're having a walk listening to your favourite song on your iPod.

Little things can often lead onto bigger things. Just last week I picked up a DVD myself and friends were talking about but couldn't find for ages. I rang them up and invited them around to my house to watch it and everyone was happy.

Other people's happiness bounces off you too thus making you happy.

Well that's what it's like for me. If I'm ever feeling unhappy though, I always just try and surround myself in good company and it makes me feel better.

If I'm on my own, I just do the things I enjoy best and that makes me happy.

How many times have I said happy?

Ah one more.... HAPPY.

Scanlas The 2nd

Happiness comes mainly from your mindset, if a person with an unhappy mindset wins the lottery they may become happy but will probably revert to their baseline unhappiness within a year. If a person with a happy mindset becomes paralyzed they will probably become unhappy but after a year revert to their baseline happiness.

If you can't be happy right now or at least at peace no circumstances will make you happy or at peace consistently. Trying to be happy is one of the best ways to be unhappy as you are resisting the present moment instead of accepting.

Novella

Snow-Monkey wrote: »

The hole thing about peoples lack of understanding about thing's like depression..... People "think" they don't actually know. Like you I too, suffer from time to time these days but in the past....

To quote Gaybrial byrne (Tha Actor)

Those days where you wanna sit in the corner of a room with a blanket and just cry which can last from a day to 2 weeks. Our hole worlds stops.... But thats part of the problem.

We as a collective for all people who suffer from depression, we need to force our selves to do tings even something as going to get tea bags.....

but thats what we need to do bye doing that one thing your showing your self you can beat it simple shores around the house like washing up laundry(I hate) but again showing your self that have the motivation to be what your only feeling. which can help I mean to me one of my favourite feeling of satisfaction of beating how your feeling

Yeah. I've been told a thousand times to just force myself to do things. I don't want my life to be that though. I don't want everything I do to be done accompanied with a nice side order of, "When the hell can I just go home to bed?".
When I do things, it's because I want to, really, truly and honestly.

I know that a lot of people live their lives forcing themselves to go to jobs that they hate etc. and the thought of that, well, it bothers me. You only live one life, why fill it with something you hate?

Satisfied for me isn't doing something I really don't want to do. For me, satisfied is knowing that it's ok to just not do anything sometimes. I spent years doing things that made me feel miserable, forcing myself to do things just so that I projected an "Everything is ok with me" image, and I've spent ages feeling guilty for not doing anything, too. Sometimes it is ok to not be able to do anything. Sometimes you need to just be.

entropi

Well happy can be described as different things, vastly different things for different people. At this stage in my life, i am relatively happy: i've got pretty good health, good family life, good friends, college is going great and i still have aspirations and stuff i wanna achieve so the motivation will keep me happy.

Even just the other day, i was talking with someone at a beers i'd not seen in a long ass time, that made me happy...listening to a song by Muse today done the same thing!

It doesnt matter in the end about money or power, i know a homeless guy that is more than content to live his life out doing his little routine he's got going for him. He doesnt wanna be settled into a rat race existence and he is happy for that.

Whatever makes you feel good inside, not an outside fascade you might put up is what true happiness is...sadly you cant show it too easily to others

iptba

Will wrote: »

Was just using valentines day as an example, was more trying to get at if people are happy, and how they remain happy

Personally, looking back on my life, I have had some difficulties. For almost all my life I'd watch a sitcom or read something humorous everyday. I think this has helped me stay happy.

I read once in a booklet on "positive mental health" (i.e. not just relevant to people with mental health problems), people with good mental health tend to one thing they enjoy every day (or this was recommended anyway).

Faith

I find it fascinating that some people spend most of their time actively being happy. I spend my time being... neutral. I'm neither happy nor sad. By all accounts, I should be happy really. I'm on a college course I like, on track for the career I want, in a good relationship, have plenty of friends (albeit not locally anymore, so my social life is suffering), have a family who love me and I'm financially - well, not comfortable in the slightest, but I'm not about to lose the roof over my head.

Unless I'm doing something that I like, I'm neutral. I'm only happy when something causes me to be. I'm sad when something causes me to be. I'd say I spend more time down than up, but overall I'm certainly a lot happier now than I was a few years ago.

Happy Monday

punchdrunk wrote: »

I'm Fúckin miserable right now

28 lost my job
single
no money
owe a fortune so i can't leave
have to face the humiliation of signing on
dunno where the rent is coming from
one of the lads got engaged today and plastered it all over facebook
which just pissed me off no end!
and worst of all WTF was O'gara up to yesterday??

GAME OVER

28 - perfect age to get your ass out of Ireland when the world economy picks up later this year.

I have similar problems with work and debt but am 37.

Go west young man!

congo_90

Feel like sh|t some of the time but keep a brave face on. I can say it here to a certain extent.
Of course there are days i'm indifferent or happy. I love those days when things just kind of soar and everything runs like a swiss watch.

I guess how do you measure happiness?
Is the gent with money happy? Even if he was a drug dealer?
The gent who has cars?

I believe happiness comes from within yourself. Nobody can measure or describe it. I'd like to believe things like the feeling after jogging a mile in a new time is a feel good factor.
Those of us lucky enough to have held their newly born son or daughter. Nothing could make someone happier imo.

In these testing times where jobs are sparse, everyone and their mother is on the breadline and the news is more bad news. It is possible to get down.
I find a walk out around the estate etc can help clear the head sometimes.