What Makes You Happy?

[wilsonx]

Today is the day that I decided to get up and stop dwelling on the past!!!!

 

What I want to know is what makes you happy? I honestly do not know what makes me happy! There are things that I am trying to accomplish right now but I am curious as to what makes you guys happy because I have come to realize I am not happy with myself.

 

I have goals but I am trying to determine and find something that makes me happy that is not a member of the opposite sex (BIGGEST problem of my last relationship). I really haven't been passionate about anything. Nothing, I lost interested in life, in bettering myself, dont really care about music, tv, sports, I use to play a lot of video games but they never really made me happy

Edited June 28, 2011 by wilsonx

[radiodarcy]

my pets! i have a basset hound and two cats. granted they are a big responsibility but they're antics and silly expressions do a lot to cheer me up . i've also switched over to vegetarianism and that makes me happy too

 

i also find that focusing on interests outside of passive interests like television and surfing the net do more to boost my mood. don't get me wrong -- i can still get addicted to a law & order marathon without a hitch. but i also find that reading requires more focus and energy which helps me take my mind off my ex and helps me build more confidence.

 

while i can't say i'm particularly happy during my workouts at the gym i do feel happy once the workouts are over - - in part because well - -it's over! lol! but also because i have that exercise high and it makes me feel good that i've done something for me

 

and yes - - at the risk of sounding superficial buying a new outfit now and then makes me happy too

[zerovandez]

Golf! It teaches me a lot about patience. Golf actually saved me from going insane. Without it, I never would've learned the life lessons I was taught from it. Thank you golf!

[Sassygirl2]

I am in the process of figuring out what makes me happy. I lost myself in my last relationship and really didn't enjoy anything unless my ex was with me. I was WAY too dependent on him. I have actually started to enjoy my alone nights! I look forward cooking a healthy dinner, taking a walk, reading one of the 6 self-help books on my nightstand and watching favorite TV programs. I actually prefer to do this rather than hang out with friends sometimes.

 

On the nights or weekends when I have my kids, it's much easier to enjoy myself. We do lots of fun things and just hanging out with them at home has become more enjoyable too. When I was in a relationship, I didn't value my time with my kids as much as I do now. This is a god send!

[Thieves]

Good thread! This made me think a bit...

 

Really, what makes me happy is quite simple. Cooking a nice hearty meal for frineds or family, taking a walk outside while listening to music, having a few drinks, going out dancing, reading **, listening to old records, writing, hiking, camping, playing music like guitar, etc. Simple things.

 

But what makes me happy as far as my actual goals/achievements/motivations in life, yeah... I'm right there with ya. I'm confused about that, too. I'm still rather young (turning 20 soon), so I know I've got a little while to figure out what my 'calling' in life is, but it'd be nice to know for sure! I definitely have a certain direction I want to go in, so it's just taking the right steps to start getting there. I think what's really making me moody lately is how I feel like I'm not completely on my own yet as an adult. That's something I'm working on (as fast as my little feet can go ), which means I'll have to start looking for another second job since my first one is alright, even fun sometimes, but... not totally happy there. I know I can do better.

[Thieves]

OH! And listening to The Beach Boys! Seriously! It sounds so damn cheesy to say that, hell I don't even care. In fact, I plan on going straight to the store tomorrow afternoon to buy another Beach Boys record.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WP2exZurfc&feature=player_embedded

 

C'mon... how can you NOT feel a little better after listening to that?! Nowadays I always put on their music whenever I'm feeling sh*tty about anything. Now to hear me singing their songs in the shower is another story. Pretty sure it has the opposite effect on the neighbors..

[oldguy]

Our Golden retriever, Cooking, workouts, as long as I remember NOT to push myself & to just run my program & be easy on myself. I've been into martial arts for years & have a problem with pushing myself & then burning out. I LOVE flying but with the price of fuel who can afford that anymore. I really enjoy reading & hiking. Sometimes just putting a to do list together & attacking it. I feel good at the end of the day when I look back and see I got something done, even if it was half of the list:D

[wilsonx]

Thanks for the responses, I recently joined a kickball league and its a great way to meet new people and be social after the games. I really like it but its only on Thursday nights. After the game, alot of the players go to the bar and socialize with everyone.

 

You know that fills one day. There are 6 other days.

 

I have been reading a few self help books but they are starting to cloud my mind.

[oldguy]

Volunteering has always given me a strong, therapeutic, feel good sort of feeling. I do volunteer work once or twice a month & not only does it make me feel good, like a part of something bigger than myself but I've met some good people also.

 

I also work out at a club, (Dojo), & belong to The Civil Air Patrol, which does gets me some free flying time but more impotently both the dojo and the Civil Air Patrol gives me a chance to get together with people who share interests.

[Feelin Frisky]

I can only think of one thing that would make me happy at this point in my life: success if fulfilling my potential. When you have success you never have to keep trying to convince anyone that you're worthwhile. Everything changes to where at least some people will knock themselves out trying to help you rather than dismiss you. I could talk about all those other little tings that make for temporary happiness but succeeding with a vision only I have been able to see shows people that I'm not one to be under-valued. I've had a life-tie of that and I'm sick of it.

[thelovingkind]

I am glad to see you post this, wilsonx, because I've been struggling with the question of what makes me happy too. I have this bizarre problem where I begin to doubt my interest in something as soon as I commit to spending a lot of time on it. There's some internal voice inside of me that clicks in: Yes, but do you really like this? Is this really you? I've developed an incredible envy of people who know what they love, even if it's as simple and pointless as playing video games or watching Glee.

 

Coming out of my last relationship I even plunged into my first bout of the dreaded existential despair. I started to wonder why I should even bother with "hobbies" and "interests" since all existence is basically just finding ways to kill time until you die. And I'd question if it even matters what I do when I'm alone in that sense of, if a tree falls and no one's there to hear it, did it even make a noise?

 

I'm coming out of that now, and wanting to find my feet. I know I won't become a truly attractive person to others until I develop passions and interests on my own terms. I want my next relationship to be a space to share and enjoy hobbies, which will stop me from turning the relationship itself into a hobby.

 

But it is difficult. I think I have a naturally restless, agitated personality that constantly turns doubts on itself. Sometimes this is a blessing - there's no chance of me getting lulled into thirty years of a dull job or dead end marriage and then turning around and thinking "Oops, I just wasted my life". But if I can't learn to find things I love and enjoy doing them, I will waste my life worrying about it.

[shadowofman]

Music and other art.

 

Science and learning new things.

 

Intelligent conversation.

 

Working toward productive goals. (Right now I am a student and actively working toward a self sustainable lifestyle. About to purchase land, generate my own energy, and grow my own food. Accomplishing the goal of zero expenses would make me incredibly happy.)

 

Sufficient entertainment. (My vices include, but are not limited to, live music, movies, strategic games, sex with attractive men and women, moderate drug use, travel and the outdoors)

 

Other than that, I have no idea how to be happy. In fact, with all of these things, fantastic relationships with friends and family, and with or without a significant other, I've never really been that happy longer than the amount of time I can focus on any given thing in my list above. Mostly because the world depresses me and I find living in it to be very difficult. Some people can easily get out of bed and go slave away for others. While I am responsible for two jobs and full time school, I find modern living very stressful and degrading.

[Rory12345]

Music, I adore it. I just find it so beautiful and relaxing at the same time, puts me at easy any time of the day. Just started playing the piano and saxophone as well!

 

Cricket, I adore the sport. Like music, puts me at easy whenever I play it.

 

Running, makes me feel brilliant.

 

A decent TV series, I get engrossed by it and just love getting lost in the story with the characters.

 

Physics, do it as a degree at university and I find it fascinating.

 

Beer, I've started trying different types of beer and I find it enjoyable.

 

Family, I have grown close to them since my break up and really do enjoy their company.

 

Growing as a person, before the break up, I was a bitter person filled with anger, rage, jealousy, resentment, paranoid and distrust but this is going with time, I decided that enough was enough and I didn't want to be that person any more.

 

These make me happy. Why don't you try a new hobby if you can think of things that make you happy?

 

Regards,

 

Rory