how to be happy everytime?

Curiousgirl · #1 10-23-2001, 09:08 AM

i think everyone want to be happy everyday, however, it's impossible to do so. maybe it's because too many unexpected and uncontrollable events will happen during our short life, then how to achieve happiness everyday?

GmuTeke · #2 10-23-2001, 09:54 AM

A conversation I and my big brother had:

GmuTeke: I just want to be successfull in my life, do something big, be someone.
Jake: I want a sandwhich.
GmuTeke: Jake, if you keep setting goals like that...you'll be a very happy and content man.

DeltaBetaBaby · #3 10-23-2001, 11:48 AM

Don't worry about things that are happening next year, or next week, or even tomorrow. Today is, well, just that...today.

SigmaChiCard · #4 10-23-2001, 12:43 PM

I don't think you can be happy everyday. I do, however, think you can be content everyday. Happy all the time is living on constant high...I'm eventually going to try to prove some homeostasis theory that I will one day fully develop, but for the sake of argument, I'm going to say that everything in nature strives for balance, or homeostasis.

When you're constantly up, or like the proverbs say...what goes up, must come down, so that your emotions are counterbalanced between the high and the low. Almost like everyone is manic to some degree. People that want to be happy all the time should strive for contentment. They will never have failure, or sadness, and likely will be indifferent to most everything...often staying very detached. This is essentialyl what zen buddhism strives for and teaches. However, with this lack of all the bad, they lack all the great things that can happen that really makes people happy. For a biblical allusion, these people bury there money in the ground. I don't feel this is a better or worse way to live....I've heavily considered living both styles, and found this to work worse for my personality. If you're an idealist, this will not do much for you.

Now, on the flip side. Most of us have our highs and lows. I feel this is not as healthy as the other side of the coin, mentally, or emotionally...but I prefer it. I like the great things that can happen, and don't mind too often dealing with the bad shit that results from the counter-balancing. Manic Depressants, I feel, are those who have lost control of the wave of emotions that results from the homeostatic change, and have, unfortunately, internalized it and allowed themselves to be entirely overwhelmed by it.

Whatever the case, these are my views and I rather be happy than content any day. I think, however, that as people age, they often see that contentment is superior and more durable, and often adapt to that lifestyle, rather than the the happy/sad lifestyle. Cory

The1calledTKE · #5 10-23-2001, 01:35 PM

I think you can be happy everyday as long as you don't take everything serious.

xok85xo · #6 10-23-2001, 03:33 PM

As Winona Ryder puts it so perfectly in the movie Heathers..

"If you were happy every day of your life you wouldn't be a human being. You'd be a game-show host."

While I'm not saying that you can't be happy, or at least content most of the time, we all have our bad days..Life has its ups and downs in which circumstances cause us to be in a worse mood than we were the day before..Just trying to be constantly happy will probably just set you up for disappointment by trying to live your life working towards virtually impossible standards.

Not trying to be the black cloud of negativity..but trying to be happy ALL of the time is an unrealisitic goal in my opinion..

greeklawgirl · #7 10-23-2001, 04:08 PM

In my ever-humble opinion, it is the really bad days that make me appreciate the good ones even more. I've found that knowing what its like to be down makes me more fully comprehend my joy. Having gone down in defeat makes your victory that much sweeter.

James · #8 10-23-2001, 04:09 PM

As anyone who talks to me will tell you: I am a very simple man.

My conditions for being happy are simple: Every day I awake above ground I am happy.