What makes you happy?

[shootingstar]

A lot of my coworkers are on depression and/or anxiety meds, when we have work meetings or pot lucks the general consensus is they are terribly unhappy. I understand clinical depression (was a mental health clinician for 15 years), but I'd say only two of them meet that criteria (out of 20), so the rest just seem miserable because they hate their jobs, home life, spouse, lack of money, their kids, the weather, etc.

Didn't you say you worked in a library, Pax?

[Pax]

Didn't you say you worked in a library, Pax?

Yes, a massive academic library.

[Trek420]

Yes, a massive academic library.

Like this one? https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yBXQVOOGGc0



But seriously folks, coffee makes me happy, really strong coffee. Especially when KnottedYet makes me coffee. We have a saying that we don't have bad luck, we have really odd luck. And I am so happy that now we're finally living together. I've had some great losses in my life and lately even this year my mom passed away. Not to mention the dog in the same sentence but we just had to out down our dear older dog, and my mutt two years ago. I think we're all at an age where close, elder relatives are leaving us one after the other.

I could dwell and sometimes do on how my life would be if I'd gotten a college degree at the time in my life that most people do. But here I am at nearly 60 working full time and back in school. Because I said I would. I'm happy to have tuition benefits from my sucky job. When my coworkers complain (and we all do) I'll sometimes point out we have these bennies, get a degree, or two, and some certifications and move on or up our out.

Also like many here drawing, cooking, gardening and our remaining small dog makes me happy.

[Veronica]

Two quotations I've seen recently (Banksie) have really stuck in my head.

"Accept what you can't change. Change what you can't accept." The second part of that one really makes me think.

"Sometimes you need to turn the page. Sometimes you need to close the book."

Veronica

[Pax]

Like this one? https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yBXQVOOGGc0

Exactly like that, we are legends in our own minds.

But seriously folks, coffee makes me happy, really strong coffee. Especially when KnottedYet makes me coffee. We have a saying that we don't have bad luck, we have really odd luck. And I am so happy that now we're finally living together. I've had some great losses in my life and lately even this year my mom passed away. Not to mention the dog in the same sentence but we just had to out down our dear older dog, and my mutt two years ago. I think we're all at an age where close, elder relatives are leaving us one after the other.

I could dwell and sometimes do on how my life would be if I'd gotten a college degree at the time in my life that most people do. But here I am at nearly 60 working full time and back in school. Because I said I would. I'm happy to have tuition benefits from my sucky job. When my coworkers complain (and we all do) I'll sometimes point out we have these bennies, get a degree, or two, and some certifications and move on or up our out.

Also like many here drawing, cooking, gardening and our remaining small dog makes me happy.

So glad you and Knott are together. Makes life so much better to be with the one we love.

[Becky]

I've been reading lately about the differences between happiness and joy. I'm not sure that I could explain them, but I think that my life is overall joyful, even when there's stuff that makes me unhappy. As an example, there's been a long-term challenge for me at work that, in and of itself, has not made me happy. But because of that challenge, I've made a very dear friend along the way and learned some very important lessons. These things never would have happened without some pain and frustration as a catalyst. When I look at it from a larger, longer perspective, I'm able to find joy in the whole experience and consider the next chapter.

I'm rambling, I know...

[rebeccaC]

Sunrises and sunsets from a peaceful vantage point, hugs, spooning, seeing people smile, knowing I’ve done a good job on a work project, cresting a really hard bike climb, autumn rides through woods that look like stained-glass windows, dancing late into the night, feeling/being creative, a great meal and conversations with people I care about, doing yoga, doing random acts of kindness, rather than just getting somewhere quickly learning the joy of random discoveries, turning life’s friction into physical momentum
…..and like that time while on a steep climb having a butterfly land on my arm and ride to the top with me

[Trek420]

So glad you and Knott are together. Makes life so much better to be with the one we love.

When I say we have odd luck some of you know we had a long distance marriage for nearly 5 years while I a) did an extreme makeover of my condo so I could sell it b) saved an emergency fund and c) waged a heroic battle to try to transfer my job from my title in CA to the same dang job with the same dang co in WA.

I accomplished a and b but could not do C.

So I quit my job of of nearly 20 years.

Five (5) days later the company offered a buyout which is where they pay you big bucks to leave. Missed it by that much.

But we're happy and I'm very glad I left. It was one of the best decisions I've made other than joining TE and marrying knott that is