Thread: Are You Happy?

Originally Posted by Black Beard

I was happy, until last night!

It was 11.40 pm and I was at work when I was struck by the most excrutiating pain I have ever known in my life. I was doubled up with pain that emminated from my left kidney and practically passed out withthe pain. The pain did make me vommit.

Net result I was eventually taken to via ambulance to A & E where I was dosed with 2 lots of morphine to kill the pain.

The cause was a little old kidney stone and I now sit in hospital awaiting an operation.

Let us know how it goes. I'm sure you'll be happy again once they remove it

Hmmm, I think there is no constant state of "being happy".

Happyness is a bonus, a perk, a state of being when things go particularly well. To expect to be happy all the time is looking for dissapointment in my opinion.

To be content all the time is a reasonable goal, to be satisfied with where one is at is itself a blissful state to be in. But I wouldn't term that as being "happy".

That being said, I am very satisfied with where I am in my life. I am not a goal oriented guy, I just sort of see what happens next more or less. I have only a high school education, yet I have a fantastic job working as a laser engineer. I've been married for 15 years and have two great kids (1 1/2 & 3 1/2).

I thank God for all that I have in my life, because I realize that I myself do not have a whole lot of say in what happens from day to day as far as the big picture is concerned.

I am happiest when I'm home with my family!


I'm also pretty happy when a new razor arrives in the mail!

Happy that the thought doesnt occur to me too often, and a heck of alot more grateful for the reasons. Primarily, taking pause to be thankful for some of the wonderful things I once took for granted - nothing like going through some ratty times to improve perspective. And I still forget at times. Seeing what folks get by with in other (financially poorer) countries helps, in addition to being inspired by how positively they deal with it, stuff that would throw most of us in a panic.
That said, some of the stories here are inspiring also.

Dave

Firstly icedog I am sorry to hear of your health problems and hope you have an easier time of it in the near future.

Happy; on the most part yes. I'm 28. I have a wonderful loving wife and we stay on a beautiful picturesque island just off the west of scotland. i'll get you some pics of the coast if you like. I have qualified twice over, initially in Psychology and then a post-grad in counselling. Counselling has become my chosen profession and I act as a volunteer counsellor in our local school. I am also starting some private work in the near future. Recently my wife and I just returned from a two-week holiday in Japan. This is only possible because we as yet do not have children. Am I where I want to be? Yes. Is there anything I want that i'd like to do? Absolutely. I'm working on that too. My wife and I will move at the end of the month from a 1-bed flat to a bigger 2-bed flat. Hopefully then we might start trying for a family.

Are there things which make me unhappy? TBH yes. I was thrilled to find all you guys and this Straight Razor community. Finally some people I can talk to who understand the pride taken in a straight razor shave. But recently some posts I made seem to have offended some people. Perhaps I expressed my opinion. Something I hadnt been afraid to do in the past and had thought that mine was as valid as the next person. It seemed not. As a result I have reluctantly decided to lurk from now on, posting only when it feels particularly safe and if I have something ok to say. Thats the most upsetting thing for me at the moment- that I no longer feel I can be myself with you guys.

Anyway, thank you very much for the thread Tony. Sorry I went a little bit

Sandy

Originally Posted by Seraphim

Hmmm, I think there is no constant state of "being happy".

Happyness is a bonus, a perk, a state of being when things go particularly well. To expect to be happy all the time is looking for dissapointment in my opinion.

To be content all the time is a reasonable goal, to be satisfied with where one is at is itself a blissful state to be in. But I wouldn't term that as being "happy".

That being said, I am very satisfied with where I am in my life. I am not a goal oriented guy, I just sort of see what happens next more or less. I have only a high school education, yet I have a fantastic job working as a laser engineer. I've been married for 15 years and have two great kids (1 1/2 & 3 1/2).

I thank God for all that I have in my life, because I realize that I myself do not have a whole lot of say in what happens from day to day as far as the big picture is concerned.

I am happiest when I'm home with my family!


I'm also pretty happy when a new razor arrives in the mail!

I think this is well put.

Originally Posted by freebird

Happy? No. Numb? That's more the term I'd use for myself.

I'm 44, 45 in October, and retired permanently. I lost my left eye at the age of 29, legally blind -20/200 with a contact and glasses, but I kept on plugging away.I have the same condition in my right eye as I did in the left. Last December the Ophthalmologist told me that the retina was detaching in the left eye (3rd time) and he was NOT going to touch it.

At 40, I had a bicycle accident which broke my left leg, tore the rotator cuff in my right arm and almost died in hospital from breathing complications.I now have to walk with a cane,and have neuropathy in both legs, but I am able to walk. I've been diabetic since the age of 10, and on an insulin pump since 2001. Recently I found that besides reoccurring tendinitis, I also have carpal tunnel and diabetic neuropathy in both hands. I have also been diagnosed with severe depression, (who woulda thunk it?), and despite ALL of my health problems, I'm still fighting Social Security for disability.

I'm unmarried, which at times I'm thankful for, but at other times gets me down. Mom was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's and is getting noticeably worse every day. I rarely leave the house anymore, feel like a hermit.

When able to work, I did like my job. I started working for the company at the age of 16 and worked for them off and on until they closed the doors on January 1, 2006.

Unhappy, no, things could be worse, but I'm not "happy" either...so numb is about the best way to describe my situation at this time in life.

Just thought of a word that describes my state of mind more fittingly than "numb"...lol it's content.

I'm happy.

That doesn't mean that I live a stress free life. I don't spend every waking minute doing something exciting or rewarding. There are still a lot of things that I want to accomplish in my life.

I'm 38 and have been married 15 years. Have children 2,4, and 5. Wife stays home with the kids. I make pretty good money, although we do have to watch our budget. We have traveled extensively, although less these days with the children. My parents, and my wife's parents, are both in good health.

To be honest, I really believe that I'm living the best years of my life right now.

I would love to be able to spend more time with our children. I would love to simplify my life in some ways to reduce stress. I could always use some additional income.

Still... all things considered... I don't think I could be happier than I am right now.

I've been hesitant to post here, its kind of a personal thing...but....

If you follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you , and the life that you ought to be living is the one your are living. Wherever your are - if you are following your bliss, your are enjoying that refreshment, that life within you, all the time

-Joseph Campbell

My father gave me this same advice many years ago and I didn't listen to him. I wish I had. I'm in this weird place where I want to continue to chase money, but also want to do what I enjoy. I'm out of work and I'm really considering going back to school and starting to do the things that I now pay money to do - for a living. We'll see where it leads.

Jordan

Wow Tony, up until now I thought of you as the guy who sold me my paddle strop, but now you have me examining my life, ok here goes , after reading some of the previous posts I'm reminded of how truly lucky I am. I am a 40 year old Police lieutenant running a narcotics squad in one of the worst areas in North America. I am married to a beautiful wife who is 10 years younger than me, we lead a very healthy lifestyle and have the greatest friends and families anyone could ask for, Ok now the problems ,,, My mother is 76 years old with a degenerative neurological disease and is going to be forced into a nursing home due to the level of care she needs. Financially my wife and I have been a little irresponsible and do not have the money we should have at this stage, and living in New York and constantly being surrounded by incredible wealth, it's easy to feel like your not doing well enough, but to answer the original question, yes I am probably happier than I realize most of the time , and definately luckier than so many people out there.

And:

Ignorance is bliss...

Therefore: follow your ignorance!