Pretend chat 2

[sibi]

Maybe you're not fond of philosophical moods because you really don't get a clear answer. And, it always seems that you'll have more questions than before. Having said that, happiness is different for everyone. Sometimes, a person can be happy with the little things in life. Others, happiness is having everything you want in life (until something else comes along that you want). I believe most people confuse happiness with being content or satisfied. I don't believe that true happiness can be achieved if the person seeks his/her own advantage. In other words, a selfish person cannot achieve true happiness because happiness comes from doing/acting on behalf of other(s). Without getting too philosophical or religious about this issue, my personal belief of what i believe true happiness is stems from my relationship with my God. And that's the extent that I'll go publicly.

 

[Thalatte]

You may have it right. I am not fond of unanswered questions as it leaves a feeling of instability.

Once I would have answered happiness is knowing your family is taken care of. That it is giving more than recieving.
Then I realized that leaves a person empty and wrung out.
So then I thought happiness is the ability to lose oneself in a good book but that is just hiding from reality and will get a person no where.

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

The happiness part is too complicated. Without unhappiness I think it's hard to know happiness. They say money can't buy happiness, but I'd like to give it a go and see if I could achieve happiness without the constraints imposed by not having the money to, for instance, buy a huge chunk of land in an environment that has stable warm temps. for as many tortoises I run across that need good care. I also find happiness in spoiling Karen, but that's a selfish happiness because I gain from her joy. And that's just the materialistic parts of happiness. Then there is the health happiness to wake up and not wonder how you messed up sleeping and have a hard time walking for the first 4 hrs.

 

[Thalatte]

Hmm...I guess it isn't that easy of a question.


Well dinner is an uninspired Mac and cheese bake...

 

[sibi]

You feel empty and wrung out because you had expectations that were not realized. A lesson I learned long ago is not to expect anything from anyone, and you won't be disappointed. Of course, as humans, we will always expect to have the love of family, spouse, friends. But, realistically, those relationships mostly fall short,, thus leaving a person disappointed. To me, happiness is not complicated at all. It's acceptance and faith in someone bigger than ourselves.

You may have it right. I am not fond of unanswered questions as it leaves a feeling of instability.

Once I would have answered happiness is knowing your family is taken care of. That it is giving more than recieving.
Then I realized that leaves a person empty and wrung out.
So then I thought happiness is the ability to lose oneself in a good book but that is just hiding from reality and will get a person no where.

 

[Thalatte]

You feel empty and wrung out because you had expectations that were not realized. A lesson I learned long ago is not to expect anything from anyone, and you won't be disappointed. Of course, as humans, we will always expect to have the love of family, spouse, friends. But, realistically, those relationships mostly fall short,, thus leaving a person disappointed. To me, happiness is not complicated at all. It's acceptance and faith in someone bigger than ourselves.

but isnt that just another form of emptiness? not having anyone you can rely on?

 

[Kerryann]

This girl that I knew in high school has decided I am a good confidante which is fine but she keeps going on about thes inconsequential fights she has had with her husband and all of them seem to do be because of her selfishness. So I asked her "what's happiness mean to you?" And she gave a superficial answer then asked me. And I couldn't answer her. So now I have been thinking a out it for a few days...
So let me ask all of you: what is happiness for you?

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So I guess I do know why...but I am not fond of philosophical moods...

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Hmm...I seem to have a knack for killing chat...

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Not for me I was driving home

 

[Thalatte]

ah man I just burnt the bechamel!

 

[Kerryann]

The happiness part is too complicated. Without unhappiness I think it's hard to know happiness. They say money can't buy happiness, but I'd like to give it a go and see if I could achieve happiness without the constraints imposed by not having the money to, for instance, buy a huge chunk of land in an environment that has stable warm temps. for as many tortoises I run across that need good care. I also find happiness in spoiling Karen, but that's a selfish happiness because I gain from her joy. And that's just the materialistic parts of happiness. Then there is the health happiness to wake up and not wonder how you messed up sleeping and have a hard time walking for the first 4 hrs.

Happiness for me is living without fighting and enjoying everyday. I get fulfillment in working with people and giving them a sense of hope too. I am a glass half full person all the time so not much gets me down. I have lived in a house that was miserable with a lot of fighting which makes me appreciate the relationship I have with my hubby. I have worked at a job where I hated going to work everyday and even on my worst days now isn't as bad as I have had it. I have been sick on the brink of death which makes me appreciate my life and my health.

 

[Jacqui]

Yes sadly it's a place I don't often come to. Seems mainly when I don't have internet. I had been planning to start coming, so I can check out books since I never get to used bookstores any more, I already have gotten all the good books from local goodwill type places and buying them is so costly.

I have heard you can check out movies at ours. You should look into that too.

I have enough to do with all the sites I belong to and Netflix.

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Question more for women: how many of you do calorie counting or some other sort of dieting?

Not me!

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My definition of dieting is eating whatever I want and feeling bad about it later.... ha.

But, I was also "blessed" with a ridiculously high metabolism. So much so that as a child, I was always underweight and when I hit puberty, where we're supposed to have a metabolism slow down and what not, I finally managed to get to a normal weight for my age and height.

Me too for the first part and completely opposite on the second.

 

[sibi]

You feel empty and wrung out because you had expectations that were not realized. A lesson I learned long ago is not to expect anything from anyone, and you won't be disappointed. Of course, as humans, we will always expect to have the love of family, spouse, friends. But, realistically, those relationships mostly fall short,, thus leaving a person disappointed. To me, happiness is not complicated at all. It's acceptance and faith in someone bigger than ourselves.

but isnt that just another form of emptiness? not having anyone you can rely on?

No. It's not emptiness at all.
it's a matter of who you rely on. That reliance cannot be with fallible humans. The reliance is on someone on a spiritual level; someone who cannot fail you. That's why happiness depends on faith. Some may argue that I'm basing my happiness on something unrealistic. But, is it? Is it unrealistic to have faith that there is a higher power that can give you the happiness we all seek? You tell me.

 

[Jacqui]

They say money can't buy happiness, but I'd like to give it a go .

I agree that would be so much fun!

 

[sibi]

I once thought that. What if you had all the money you could ever spend in your lifetime. Then, I only had to read about people in life and history that fell in that category, like Alexander the Great, and Michael Jackson, and a slew more. It always turns out bad.

From personal experience, let me tell you a short story. I once owned a beautiful, custom made home. It had a beautiful enclosed pool, and wildlife all around. The same home in California would cost a million +. One day the whole house burned down to the ground. I learned that one should never get too attached to any material possession because in one day, you can lose it all. When we are born in this world you have nothing, and when you die, you leave with nothing. So, in the end, it only really matters how you lived your life, not how much you had in material possessions.

They say money can't buy happiness, but I'd like to give it a go .

I agree that would be so much fun!

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

I once thought that. What if you had all the money you could ever spend in your lifetime. Then, I only had to read about people in life and history that fell in that category, like Alexander the Great, and Michael Jackson, and a slew more. It always turns out bad.

From personal experience, let me tell you a short story. I once owned a beautiful, custom made home. It had a beautiful enclosed pool, and wildlife all around. The same home in California would cost a million +. One day the whole house burned down to the ground. I learned that one should never get too attached to any material possession because I one day, you can lose it all. When we are born in this world you have nothing, and when you die, you leave with nothing. So, in the end, it only really matters how you lived your life, not how much you had in material possessions.

I don't cotton to the belief that attachment to material things brings happiness. I find happiness in the concept of many things.

 

[Kerryann]

You feel empty and wrung out because you had expectations that were not realized. A lesson I learned long ago is not to expect anything from anyone, and you won't be disappointed. Of course, as humans, we will always expect to have the love of family, spouse, friends. But, realistically, those relationships mostly fall short,, thus leaving a person disappointed. To me, happiness is not complicated at all. It's acceptance and faith in someone bigger than ourselves.

but isnt that just another form of emptiness? not having anyone you can rely on?

No. It's not emptiness at all.
it's a matter of who you rely on. That reliance cannot be with fallible humans. The reliance is on someone on a spiritual level; someone who cannot fail you. That's why happiness depends on faith. Some may argue that I'm basing my happiness on something unrealistic. But, is it? Is it unrealistic to have faith that there is a higher power that can give you the happiness we all seek? You tell me.

While I am not tied to a religion I do pray because I think sending positive energy into the world can't do any harm. I also have faith that something is watching over me and will reward me for my mostly.. ahem.. good behavior.

 

[sibi]

I once thought that. What if you had all the money you could ever spend in your lifetime. Then, I only had to read about people in life and history that fell in that category, like Alexander the Great, and Michael Jackson, and a slew more. It always turns out bad.

From personal experience, let me tell you a short story. I once owned a beautiful, custom made home. It had a beautiful enclosed pool, and wildlife all around. The same home in California would cost a million +. One day the whole house burned down to the ground. I learned that one should never get too attached to any material possession because I one day, you can lose it all. When we are born in this world you have nothing, and when you die, you leave with nothing. So, in the end, it only really matters how you lived your life, not how much you had in material possessions.

I don't cotton to the belief that attachment to material things brings happiness. I find happiness in the concept of many things.

Well said Cowboy.

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You feel empty and wrung out because you had expectations that were not realized. A lesson I learned long ago is not to expect anything from anyone, and you won't be disappointed. Of course, as humans, we will always expect to have the love of family, spouse, friends. But, realistically, those relationships mostly fall short,, thus leaving a person disappointed. To me, happiness is not complicated at all. It's acceptance and faith in someone bigger than ourselves.

but isnt that just another form of emptiness? not having anyone you can rely on?

No. It's not emptiness at all.
it's a matter of who you rely on. That reliance cannot be with fallible humans. The reliance is on someone on a spiritual level; someone who cannot fail you. That's why happiness depends on faith. Some may argue that I'm basing my happiness on something unrealistic. But, is it? Is it unrealistic to have faith that there is a higher power that can give you the happiness we all seek? You tell me.

While I am not tied to a religion I do pray because I think sending positive energy into the world can't do any harm. I also have faith that something is watching over me and will reward me for my mostly.. ahem.. good behavior.

I believe that too. Someone is watching over you, and you will get rewarded for good deeds even if it's not in this life.

 

[Jacqui]

I still would love to know what it's like to buy whatever I wanted, give folks what I would love to give them, have the ability to hire work to be done, be able to travel to any place I would like to visit and not have to worry where the money will come from to pay a bill.

 

[ijmccollum]

Come to Arizona!!! We have...
...
...
...
...
Sand...

Utah is much better!!! I miss Utah!!!

Yeh, but I live in N.UT.....too much snow and subarctic winter temps. We do have some grand geography though.

I had to google image to find out what you'all were talking about. In LA, we called those cockroaches.

Ummmmm....I grow those .....I have lizards and spiders. The hissers are the ones that make me jump....I am never ready for the hisssssss. There is one that I like though, don't think it will become lunch. Now if I turned on the lights in the kitchen and things scrambled....I would scream like a little girl.

 

[Thalatte]

My great grandfather built a multimillion dollar empire and so him and grandmom did all that. But grandfather was always working and never had time for grandmom or his children. Also once grandfather retired and grandmom died he was lonely and miserable. He is still miserable in his big empty house with bank accounts and trusts full of money. The only thing he has as a hobby is suing his son and grandson.

I think the richer you are the more bitter and lonely you become.

 

[Kerryann]

I still would love to know what it's like to buy whatever I wanted, give folks what I would love to give them, have the ability to hire work to be done, be able to travel to any place I would like to visit and not have to worry where the money will come from to pay a bill.

I will agree with you on this. I'd also love to be able to just go to work and when it gets rough know that I could get up and quit without hurting us financially. I don't know that I would do that but I think it changes your perspective and your stress levels.

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My great grandfather built a multimillion dollar empire and so him and grandmom did all that. But grandfather was always working and never had time for grandmom or his children. Also once grandfather retired and grandmom died he was lonely and miserable. He is still miserable in his big empty house with bank accounts and trusts full of money. The only thing he has as a hobby is suing his son and grandson.

I think the richer you are the more bitter and lonely you become.

I can see your point but it's not always true.. one of the nicest men I have ever known is extremely wealthy. He took a 3 million dollar personal loss to save the company I work at because he felt bad about people losing jobs. It was a gamble he took but the people loved him so much that most of the people from that era are still around and have been the ones to work hard to make his investment profitable. He sold a large part of the company to who owns it now but retains a small percentage to stay in contact with his loyal employees like me. Now he helping people trying to start businesses as a venture capitalist who helps entrepreneurs learn how to be business savvy.