Someone on another of my cycling forums posted this.

I see some of myself on that list, both good and bad. When I was at my most consciously "happy" a few years ago, I think I was hitting almost all of the points on the list thanks to the convergency of various things in my life: years of therapy, a wonderful set of friends, almost daily physical activity, yoga, a new found spirituality, a strong sense of gratitude, and volunteerism. My mindset changed dramatically in 2006-2007. I felt empowered in ways that I hadn't before. I realized rather dramatically that one I tell myself about my life is often far more important than what is actually going on in my life.

I've struggled with a few of the things on the list more recently. As I've discussed in various thread, I've found it harder to maintain my friendships since moving to a new town and I've struggled to make new friends. Moving was also a serious disruption to my workout routine and physical goals. If I'm being honest with myself, marriage--while wonderful--has encouraged a certain passivity in me. By that I mean that when I was single, I intentionally worked very hard at making my life fulfilling and full. I've gotten a bit lazy since getting married. Certainly, my relationship with my husband is very fulfilling in and of itself and worthy of my focus, but at least for me, I cannot not thrive on it alone. I need other outlets and other close relationships. I think as I enter year two of my marriage, I'm finally starting to make the time and space necessary for that, but it's not always easy.