How happy are you with your life on this Christmas Eve?

[cboy4]

I started thinking about this tonight when my friend called me and said his rat bastard company layed him off at 4:45pm...15 minutes before the end of his shift on M-fing Christmas Eve.

How cruel.

And thanks once again Bush for creating so much misery, you despicable little man.

[TahitiNut]

1. Other: Happiness is a CHOICE, not a condition.

:party:

Believe it or not, it's TRUE. :hi:

[cboy4]

3. Can you elaborate?

Can one who has lost their job, with no income to pay January's bills, be happy...regardless of whether it's a choice or a condition?

I find that difficult to believe.

[Bruce McAuley]

8. Fate is strange that way...

He obviously had that door close, but another has opened that he's maybe not aware of yet.
Happiness IS a choice, and one that takes work to maintain.
To choose to be unhappy is such a waste, though lots do, subconsciously.
Out with the old job, and in with the new as the fates have decreed.
It's easier to get along if you're happy too.
:hi:

Bruce

[cboy4]

14. Well I think you can be postive and pleasant without

being truly happy.

When someone dies, the sadness emotion tends to overpower the "well he/she lived a good life" emotion.

Other doors may have opened, and it could eventually turn out to be the best thing that ever happened.

But until that happens, or gets close to happening...not much happiness if you ask me.

I'm sure you realize how hard it is to get a decent paying job that meets one's qualifications these days. It can be a nightmare.

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

19. YOu can also be healty confy, and wealthy

without being happy..

[TahitiNut]

21. It's a matter of "evidence gathering" ... and we can choose what to gather.

If we WANT to 'prove' (even to ourselves) we have the 'right' to feel miserable - and defend the choice to feel that way - we can do so no matter what our condition is. Affluent, healthy people commit suicide, too.

Happiness, as the saying goes, is a way of traveling - not a destination. Aspirations and motivations need not be founded in fear and/or suffering. We need not act out The Way Of The Cross to display our crucifixion - that changes nothing and it's not some moral obligation to do so.

No matter how tough the road, it can get rougher. In that difference, one can find an abundance - and be grateful.

When we choose to shoulder the burden of acting out our suffering, we merely add to the burdens we already have. That's just plain stupid. Dump it and the rest gets easier to carry.


I can (and have!) sit down with ANYONE and demonstrate to them how easy it is to feel happy. Think of something that'd "make you happy." Visualize it. Focus on it. Pretend you have it. How do you feel? Happy? Good. Guess what - you didn't need to do all that. The FACT is that you just CHOSE to be happy - despite the FACT that nothing had changed. Why would anyone CHOOSE anything else? Isn't that dumb?

I find that teens "get it" quicker than adults ... but anyone can.

So, what stops them?

Nothing.



So, let's take the example of having lost a loved one. A pet. A son or daughter. Whatever. Is it possible to feel a LOSS that's greater than the GAIN one once had?? Everything and everyone comes to an end eventually. The trick is to appreciate it not only while you have it but afterwards as well. Make the tears ones' of happiness - a tribute to the blessing of that person or pet in one's life. After all - I don't think it'd be sane to prefer that one had never had it at all. That's nihilism. So, when we're gathering the "evidence" after the loss of a loved one, gather the evidence called 'blessings' of having the loved one at all.

It's not really an unknown approach. Viktor Frankl described it quite well. :shrug:

People who DENY this - and refuse to accept it - are merely CHOOSING to feel unhappy on TOP of whatever their condition is already. We just don't OWE that condition such feelings.

[cboy4]

24. I like the comment about how things could always be

worse (at least for most people), so I think that should theoretically make one happy.

I just think telling yourself about things that make you happy, might indeed make you happy.

But, is that really anything but fake happiness?

Does telling yourself how happy you'd be winning the lottery equate to genuine happiness?

I mean, I understand what you're saying in theory.

But, is it really just a big masquerade?

[TahitiNut]

26. "But, is that really anything but fake happiness?"

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Think about that. Just think about that.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

I'd just LOVE to hear the difference between "fake" happiness and "genuine" happiness.

I'll wait.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[cboy4]

35. Thanks for mocking me, instead of offering an answer.

My wording may not have been correct, but I think you got my point.

[TahitiNut]

45. Believe it or not, I wasn't mocking you. I was remembering WHEN I SAID THE SAME THINGS.

Really ... I encourage you to think about it. DON'T let it be a "who's right" and "who's wrong" thing ... that'd really be a no-win.

I fully support your right to make the choice ... even to choose to be unhappy. I'm "Pro-Choice" all the way when it comes to matters of personal sovereignty.

But...

After all ... if you CAN be happy ... not "losing contact with reality" ... not "getting high on drugs" ... but just simply CHOOSING to go about things while giving yourself the physical and emotional benefits of a feeling of happiness ... WHO wins? (I really don't think anyone could lose in that deal.)

Try it. Practice. It works.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

48. Yes but really, I do think the optimism thing gets overdone and is tiring....

A person with terminal cancer, feels sick, has kids, no wife/husband, their tiny family can't help out, their job requires them to work 60 hours a week, they've no savings, etc., honestly, can that person be happy? Only in an alternate universe. What we need is the optimists whose lives are going well, to get out there and donate $ and give a hand to those whose lives have fallen apart.

[TahitiNut]

"Expectation" is another word for premeditated resentment.

:silly:

When I speak of happiness, I don't think of optimism ... or pessimsim. I think of the here and now. I think of potential. I think of not only hope, but a sense of adventure - knowing that this ride we call life takes some turns we don't see ahead of time. That can be good. I can have a feeling of anticipation ... and label it either "excitement" or "fear." If I label it "excitement" I find I'm far more open to making better choices in responding to what comes. If I label it "fear" I find that I don't make very good choices in responding.

We all die. Every one of us. For sure, that means no matter how bad we have it, it'll get worse. (Unless "die" doesn't mean "worse.") So, I guess I might as well enjoy today - since both "optimsism" and "pessimism" lead to the same end.

Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old Time is still a-flying;
And this same flower that smiles today
Tomorrow will be dying.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

74. I think it's higly insensitive to tell those who are downtrodden and suffering, to "get happy"

That's all I have to say. I'm not unhappy. Thank God I don't have a lot of crap going on in my life. However, I know people who are suffering things that make my hair stand on end. I wouldn't dare be so cruel as to tell them to get with the ticket and smile. That's definitely an American sickness, this refusal to help those who suffer and to insist that they stop their whining.

[TahitiNut]

84. Then don't do it. Simple.

While you're at it, you might chat with a psychotherapist who practices CBT ... and tell THEM it's insensitive, too.

:shrug:

[Sarah Ibarruri]

92. So you're recommending cognitive behavioral therapy for people who're sick and homeless then.

Oi vei. I can see this is going nowhere.

[TahitiNut]

94. Don't be ridiculous and stop trying to put words in my mouth.

Like far too many 'discussions' on DU, twisting words and playing 'gotcha' for the sake of being disagreeable gets tiresome. Fast.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

97. Sorry. I'm just saying that the optimism technique works for those who are afloat

I'm not trying to say optimism is *bad*. Telling people to get optimistic might be good for people who are pessimists despite having it all or enough, or people who are in a decent position in life but are pessimistic anyhow. It is not good for people who are living hand to mouth, and for people who are suffering greatly. Suffering is not a thing of joy, nor should it be!!

Curiously enough, today I happened to listen to Eric Weiner, author of a book called The Geography of Bliss, who travelled the world in search of what happiness really was. He found that the things that make us happy are basically the same everywhere, tempered by culture and circumstances. While there were cultural differences (to give one example, Japanese people are not interested in being happy unless it's in the context of a group, while Americans are interested in always giving the appearance of happiness as if happiness somehow showed strength), it became clear to the author that people who were suffering financially throughout the world, tended to be unhappy. (I guess if you don't know if you'll have milk for your child to drink tomorrow, that's not a happiness-provoking situation, and one would have to be a complete and utter maniac to feel fine in such a situation).

The U.S. is a factory of books and classes about how to get happy and optimistic. American TV and movies also tell us how to get happy and optimistic. There's a constant focus on getting happy and getting happy techniques, from pills, to meditation, to exercise, to plastic surgery, etc. But somehow I don't think Americans are any happier after all these books, shows, etc.

Also, one never knows what's in a human being's heart. Years ago I found out up close and personal that one could not judge a person by whether or not they were behaving happy and hopeful. One of the most joyful, optimistic people I knew, went to a hotel and took his life. Everyone who knew him was shocked. People that had seen him that day said there had seen nothing out of the ordinary. He had been just as happy as always. One never really knows what's inside anyone.

There are other reasons why I don't like this crazy constant focus on getting happy:

1. When someone is encouraged by others to get happy, and they're not, and they continue to feel bad, they begin to feel even worse because they feel that the rest of the world is just one delighted little place while they feel like crap.

2. This focus on getting happy overlooks the causes of people's unhappiness. Instead of telling people to get happy, let's help them realize what is making them unhappy: the horrible economy, the fact that there's no socialized health care, the fact that NAFTA has taken a massive amount of jobs to other countries, etc. By helping people focus on what's making them unhappy, maybe we could solve a few problems. By merely telling them to get happy, we're helping keep things status quo.

Also, when things are going bad, it's healthy to feel bad. If things get better and the person is still feeling like crap, then it's time for a little pill or two, but the normal feeling when things are going wrong, is to feel bad.

And last of all, if a person is unhappy because of a physical cause (thyroid problem causing depression, cancer causing pain, etc.) that's a whole nother story. Sometimes you can correct the physical problem and make the person feel better, and sometimes you cannot. (And that is if the person can afford insurance!)

[Lorien]

79. There's also the medical condition called "clinical depression"

your brain is an organ like any other organ. it can be healthy and function normally, allowing you to choose to be happy, or it can become unbalanced, with some parts of the brain becoming overactive while others are not active enough, producing too little seratonin to allow a person to think themselves happy no matter what their condition. Anybody who has spent most of their lives battling clinical depression will tell you that they dearly wish to be happy and may have tried every medication, biofeedback, talk therapy, electro cranial stimulation in a desperate attempt to feel anything but miserable, but it just can't happen for some. Their biology won't allow it. They can't think of a single thing that makes them happy because nothing ever has, and nothing upsets them more than hearing from someone that they have "chosen" to be miserable..

[TahitiNut]

82. Been there. Done that.

Trying to tell *ME* about clinical depression is the loose equivalent of telling an Eskimo about snow.

:rofl:

If you REALLY want to understand it better, rather than just toss out terms, I suggest you look into CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) and examine the work done - and the opposition from the drug comapnies.

[Stargazer99]

46. I'm with you....people need to start thinking outside their own

world.

[tekisui]

7. You are right.

Happiness is a choice. It is a choice that can help us through our challenging times, and help us celebrate our blessed times.


TahitiNut, I especially appreciate this sentiment from you.

[TahitiNut]

12. It took me a long time to learn. It'd be great if others were quicker to learn.

[cboy4]

18. Well, thus far, the poll indicates a happiness rating of

only 37 percent.

Those numbers are almost as bad as Bush's.

[parasim]

27. Wow. TahitiNut, you made my evening. Thank you!

In just a couple of posts you changed my way of thinking about things tonight. I voted "ok" in the poll and now I'm questioning that sentiment.

Thanks again. :hi:

[TahitiNut]

30. I'm glad. I think it's important. (At least it has been for me.)

The longer I sneered and kept from learning it, the more I thought I had to 'prove' I wasn't stupid for doing so. (shhh... we usually don't admit such things. It's just like when we were kids and POUTED. We'd be damned if those funny faces would make us stop.)

Pride. After all, who wants to regard themselves as foolish?

Boy, was THAt a stupid trade! D'oh!

:rofl:

I have a large nose.

It'd still be dumb to cut it off to spite my face - no matter how much of it I have to spare.

:rofl:

[silverojo]

54. Tell that to the homeless on the street

Or to those dying from lack of good medical care.

Et cetera, et cetera.

Ever notice how people with this simplistic notions about life are those who aren't actually experiencing true hardship?

[TahitiNut]

55. Rarely have I ever read a more ignorant post on DU.

What I've described is far more aptly explained by Viktor Frankl in "Man's Search For Meaning" - which is required reading for many high school students in this country. Are you not yet in high school?

Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl is among the most influential works of psychiatric literature since Freud. The book begins with a lengthy, austere, and deeply moving personal essay about Frankl's imprisonment in Auschwitz and other concentration camps for five years, and his struggle during this time to find reasons to live. The second part of the book, called "Logotherapy in a Nutshell," describes the psychotherapeutic method that Frankl pioneered as a result of his experiences in the concentration camps. Freud believed that sexual instincts and urges were the driving force of humanity's life; Frankl, by contrast, believes that man's deepest desire is to search for meaning and purpose. Frankl's logotherapy, therefore, is much more compatible with Western religions than Freudian psychotherapy. This is a fascinating, sophisticated, and very human book. At times, Frankl's personal and professional discourses merge into a style of tremendous power. "Our generation is realistic, for we have come to know man as he really is," Frankl writes. "After all, man is that being who invented the gas chambers of Auschwitz; however, he is also that being who entered those gas chambers upright, with the Lord's Prayer or the Shema Yisrael on his lips."

http://www.amazon.com/Mans-Search-Meaning-Viktor-Frankl/dp/0671023373

Do yourself a favor. Read it.

"We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms — to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."

[cboy4]

56. You are way, WAY too aggressive regarding

this topic TahitiNut.

Why are you so angry and frustrated with people who are going through hard times and feel unhappy?

You've adopted almost an elitist attitude in relation to people who don't necessarily comprehend/believe/adopt (whatever), your simplistic view of happiness.

Instead of worrying so much about your own happiness, maybe you should use some of that energy trying to be more understanding.

You seem to have mastered happiness. You are seemingly in another direction regarding the latter.

[TahitiNut]

75. It sure doesn't take long to go from "attacking message" to "attacking messenger" does it?

:eyes:

I'll tell you what, cboy4 ... if you want to be unhappy, go right ahead. You sure don't need my permission. :hi:

After all ...
We live in a culture where we're told every day in so many ways that there are THINGS that will "make us happy."
We live in a culture where we're told every day that "(s)he will make us happy."
We live in a culture where we're told every day that "some day your prince(ss) will come" and rescue us from our unhappiness.

We're told that happiness isn't under OUR control ... but it CAN be bought (or rented).
We're told, in almost every way, that our own happiness must come from elsewhere than ourselves - that we need a REASON. (We're told where we can buy that 'reason' too.)

Fine.

Some of us have learned our lessons well. Rock on.

:shrug:

[cboy4]

76. You can roll your eyes all you want, but (A), the percentage

of people who voted in the poll who say they're happy is almost Bush approval range numbers.

So, your theory about happiness is far from cut and dry in theory.

(B) It's insensitive to imply that people who are going through hard times should basically STFU and be happy because they can be happy living in their cars by night and begging for food by day.

And

(C) I'm not the one who is unhappy, so no need to use the sarcastic wave. This all started concerning my buddy who was laid off on Christmas Eve.

My attention is not to "attack" you.

My intention is to inform you that you need an attitude adjustment...especially reading the way you've addressed some people in this thread because you're way too defensive about a human emotion.

People don't want to be lectured about how their unhappiness isn't justified...especially in a sarcastic manner.

They want to be told that others understand why they're sad and that everything is going to be okay.


on edit: grammar mistake.

[TahitiNut]

78. I think it's wonderful that you fight so hard for the rights of people to be unhappy.

Heaven forbid that anyone suggest it's a choice. Rock on. :hi:

Long live the tyranny of misery!! (Let NO person deny misery the company it loves!)

:rofl:

[Lorien]

80. What cBoy4 is describing is compassion

happiness and misery are BOTH a natural part of the human experience. One can deny neither.

[TahitiNut]

81. Really? So, a person can't be compassionate AND choose to be happy?

Is it impossible to suffer AND choose to be happy? Was Frankl wrong? Amazing.

Look ... this is a strawman in this thread. The claim has been made that anyone who points out that a person CAN choose to be happy, even (most importantly!) while suffering great hardship (e.g. the Nazi concentration camps), is not a "compassioonate person."

That's the attack. That's the claim. I'm "not compassionate" if I suggest that people can CHOOSE to be happy.

That's horseshit and I proved it when I suggested Frankl's book.

Next?? :eyes:

[cboy4]

83. You're very clever Tahiti Nut, not to mention

proficient in your projection skills.

All human emotions are a choice.

You must be a barrel of laughs at funerals, telling people to stop their crying because they're choosing to be unhappy.

Right?

[TahitiNut]

85. Back to attacking the messenger?

Uh-huh. Got it.

:shrug:

[cboy4]

86. Tahiti, you've done nothing but present your case in

a condescending, attack-like manner with all of your sarcasm, elitism and those insulting rofl's all over the place.

You may think that's "attacking the messenger" by pointing all of that out, when in fact, I'm pointing out what you're either incapable of seeing or don't want to acknowledge.

You just falsely insinuated that I some how actively work to make sure people are satisfied with their unhappiness, when in fact, I'm simply saying that I understand why people are unhappy.

I want to hear you say that people choose to grieve, and that they can make the choice not to grieve.

[TahitiNut]

87. You're just not listening... except to the voice in your head, maybe.

You ascribe to me attitudes and motives that just aren't true. Condescending? Hardly. Since I've made the same mistakes and it took me until I was in my fifties to understand, I'm hardly being condescending. If I make fun of self-contradictory and empty claims, the it's the POST I'm addressing, not the person.

If I ridicule a ridiculous claim, that's not personal. That's fair and proper.

You've called me arrogant, elitist, angry, and made claims that I haven't had enough hardship in my life. You say I'm "incapable of seeing" ... and then say that I'M 'PROJECTING'??

Wow!

And it's MY FAULT?

Wow!

Hey ... rock on, boy ... rock on. :shrug:


Just remember ... one need not let one's bleeding heart deprive one's brain of oxygen.

:rofl:

[cboy4]

88. Oh I see. You've made the same mistakes and contend

to understand, that protects you from being condescending in your quest to argue you're correct beyond a reasonable doubt? :crazy: :rofl: :spray: :wtf:

See how I can use smileys also?

That's cool if your happiness theory works for you. However that doesn't make it necessarily valid.

Also....you've used, what, approximately half a dozen insults in this post alone? That's fine since I know it makes misguided people feel empowered.

But, if you're going type your little insults Tahiti, you have no license to whine repeatedly about others "attacking the messenger." Can't have it both ways Tahiti. That's referred to as "hypocritical."

[TahitiNut]

89. "Would you rather be right or happy?"

The irony is overwhelming. (A never-ending refection of mirror images of mirror images.)

OK, cboy ... you're right.
And I'm happy.

Which one is the Booby Prize?

:rofl: :rofl:
(I love reminders that I'm still learning - and always will be.)

[cboy4]

91. "OK, cboy ... you're right. And I'm happy."

LOL...That made me smile.

And the truly funny thing is the only reason it may seem like I'm completely blowing off your theory/position, is because I was put off by your presentation.

I'm willing examine the psychology of your theory of happiness, as I'm always trying to learn.

**(I love reminders that I'm still learning - and always will be.) Great line and I agree.

You just have to understand Tahiti that, with all due respect, you were either insulting, insensitive, condescending or/and overly defensive in the manner you argued your case.

All of the ROFL smileys make me not want to tune out what you're trying to teach. You can catch more flies with honey.

[Name removed]

90. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[cboy4]

57. Well, that's kinda the way I feel. I'm willing to hear

TahitiNut out, but TahitiNut seems really pissed at people who aren't unconditionally happy.

Or something.

[ruiner4u]

62. AMEN!

I might not have as much money as I would like, but im very happy. My job sucks <which by the way is NOT Bush's fault> but I have a paycheck...

I also have two great dogs, an awesome family, great neighbors, and last but not least hope.

Merry Christmas.

[cboy4]

64. Are you saying you cannot understand why people

who have NO money or NO job, etc., might not be happy?

I mean, you would supporting Tahiti's argument more credibly in my opinion if you said you don't have crap, but yet you're still "very happy."

However, you say you have a paycheck. I assume you have a roof over you head. A car. You can pay your bills.

Do you know what it's like to not have a paycheck, with bills due in January...especially right after Holiday expenditures?

Do you kinda get my point?

[ruiner4u]

96. well supposedly its Christmas...

Christ allready suffered for our sins... So you can get down off the cross..

[RedCappedBandit]

95. If by "choice" you mean "chemical reaction"..

then hell yah! I agree with you. :hi:

[GoneOffShore]

2. A more interesting question would be:

How content are you with your life?

Happiness is ephemeral, contentment more lasting.

[Lucinda]

4. I'm among the newly disabled, in near constant pain

and have never been happier. I have found that happiness is a state of mind, in even the darkest times.

It doesn't hurt that we're going to be electing a Dem to help us clean up juniors mess either.

[TahitiNut]

34. You sure got that right, luv!

:hug: :hug:

I used to operate on the theory of "If I don't feel sorry for myself then who will?"

Boy! Was that STUPID! :evilgrin:

When I was hospitalized with the TIAs a few weeks ago, I guess a lot of the staff thought I was a nut. (I am!!) I kept finding things that were FUNNY. I teased people. I enjoyed looking at (female staff) tushes.

Was I scared? You bet your sweet ass I was. A stroke isn't fun.
But I'll be goddamned if that shit stops me from being happy.

Hell ... I'll even get a good rant going and express outrage. But I WON'T be unhappy. I refuse.
There's a difference.

[Lucinda]

41. Exactly! And pretty freeing when you finally come around to seeing it.

:)

[waiting for hope]

5. I'm okay...

Overworked, underpaid and want a better future for my children. Do I have to say - Edwards!

[nickinSTL]

6. well...

I have a supportive wife and family, a good job (except that it doesn't really pay enough to support 2 people with heavy debts), but...

I'm recovering from surgery AGAIN, trying to fix a problem that keeps recurring...I'm struggling to pay the bills because my wife has been out of work for 6 years - despite trying over and over again to get jobs. She has tried everything from the kind of computer jobs she's qualified for (former computer programmer-10 years experience) all the way to working at the local gas station. Nothing.

So...I guess I'm ok. But on the edge of being screwed financially, that's for sure.

[caligirl]

9. Turned 50 in Nov, ran 5 miles for the first time in my life, did it 4 more times since.

[FogerRox]

20. HAppy B-day

I'm 50 next month.

<a href="" target="_blank"><img src="" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

[caligirl]

22. happy birthday to you to. I have more energy and dedication to staying fit and healthy

now than when I was thirty. It's a number only. Work out 3-4 times a week lifting weights and running with a trainer's help 4 times a month. Don't plan to be an invalid at 70. Just wish I hadn't waited so long to get so dedicated.

[Historic NY]

58. Hey I'm up to 6.5 miles on the treadmill...........

I'm turning 52,stopped smoking 23 mons 11 days,lost 81 lbs, got back in shape. Its hard work but it gets easier every day.

[caligirl]

61. Mines on the treadmill too. I would love to get to 6.2. Its my next goal, but

my toes start to burn just before five miles. I run it at 4.8, takes me 63 minutes. My legs and lungs could go further if my feet could. Sometimes my hips ache a bit but I just keep moving. It helps to do some shorter faster runs, 5.5. I'm due for a new pair of running shoes(7 months old) so hoping thats where I can help the burning toes. I've lost 15 pounds and built a lot of muscle with the regular weight lifting I do.

Be proud of yourself for the big changes you've made. My hubby quit smoking a few years ago, I know its hard to do. eAdd the weight loss and your amazing!

[Historic NY]

73. Try those sport socks that are like compression gear.....

made a big difference with my flat feet. We have a guy who owns a running footwear store who make inserts and give lessons in hqving properly fitting shoes. I never knew lacing was so important. Good luck I only started the work out regime in July. Made a big dif.

[caligirl]

93. Thanks, we have a store like that here, I'm going next month. Thats amazing progress for the amount

of time since July that you started doing this. I started in January, stopped for surgery and recovery in late March-April which was about 6 weeks, restarted in May. I have a trainer that writes my program and works me to death and I've been running short distances since then. The 5 miles started in November. Good luck. don't stop.

[Kokonoe]

10. All the above.

We need to understand that feelings are simply communication.

[Kokonoe]

16. Oh, with my life, unhappy.

Except thanks to President George W Bush, I'm very happy I do not live in Iraq. Isn't it about time we started calling him President. Lets stop making him unaccountable.

[Rydz777]

11. I'm okay but a lot of people aren't okay, and I think it is

going to ger much worse. What worries me is that Bush will leave such a mountain of problems that a new Democratic administration won't be able to fix them. One in every six of our manufacturing jobs has been lost under Bush, and it is a lot easier to lose them than to get them back.

[enigmatic]

13. Very, very happy

Probably the happiest I've ever been, for which I'm thankful.

[FogerRox]

15. I'm scared shitless about what the Bush regime will/could do

"My life can't get much worse"


I'm into campaign field ops, I organize the trenches. I feel like I'm taking it right to all the asshats.

Fighting for political power against the Bush Regime makes me feel pretty darnded good. In fact theres no place I'd rather be. SO actually I doing pretty freakin good.

Peace be with you.

[Steven_S]

17. I'm OK - content, in fact....

In spite of the terminal illness and the paralysis and all. Diagnosed with ALS and told that most are dead in 3-5 years has a way of putting things in perspective.

I was content before the dx as well. :)

I have to agree with your sentiment, though, that's some cruel shit to pull. I really hope your friend can have a nice Christmas anyway.

[graywarrior]

23. I've decided to be in total denial.

[cboy4]

25. LOL. You never fail to crack me up.

Not that I'm laughing at your denial. ;)

[graywarrior]

31. That's ok, I'm in denial.

[cboy4]

36. LOL nt

[mdmc]

28. I am very happy tonight

peace and low stress to all :)

[Breeze54]

29. I was layed off on Christmas Eve too but they gave me a Poinsettia!!

:P

That's the truth!! I shit you not!!

It totally sucked and it was an 'almost' state job that I'd been training for and working at for almost a year!!

But I didn't speak Spanish or Portuguese. That's what the manager said...

A year later he was gone too and they hired a recovering heroin addict as manager at the DMV!

I trained HER!! But she's a nice person but... well, that did freak me out some.

:hug: to your friend. I hope this free time will open new doors.

[cboy4]

40. Here, please get the hell out of our building, but enjoy

this complimentary poisonous plant. :eyes: lol

Thanks for your wishes...I've been down the unemployment road before, but Christmas Eve just has to be the worst.

[Breeze54]

43. As a single parent and college student...I was devastated.

:(

But I ...hell; I don't know what I did!

I just continued with school and tried to make it.

I think my Dad helped me out some... it was a bad time.

But I made it to unemployment, when my other new job went overseas!! :woohoo: :sarcasm:

[Contrary1]

63. Yes, to be unemployed at Christmas does suck.

Way back in 1975, my husband and I bought our first home. We had the closing on a Wednesday. The next day I found out I was pregnant with our first child. On Friday, the husband comes home and says "I'm getting laid off in two weeks".

We hung on as long as we could. Our refrigerator was an old Coke machine chest. We had a $25 used couch, and TV trays for end tables. We went through all our savings. On the day my first child was due, I was busy loading a U-Haul to move what little we had from our dream house to a dumpy 2 bedroom apartment.

I thought there could be nothing worse. I was wrong.

I won't bore you with the "worser" things that came along over these past 35 years. Life is an experience. Sometimes you're up, and sometimes you're down. I can tell you one thing, though. Money hasn't had much to do with what I look back as the worst periods of my life.

I wish you well in the coming year. Be patient, you will get there.

[Neecy]

32. I'm okay bordering on happy...

But I suspect the happiness is mainly from the schnapps/sake* party I just returned from.

*Please don't do this at home. It's nasty.

[parasim]

42. A schnapps/sake party? Yikes!

I love sake, but the last time I drank schnapps I was wearing all white and ended up covered in mud head to toe (don't ask).

Can't imagine a party devoted to the two together... :scared:

[143tbone]

51. Tequila is worst than schnapps. That's bad ass alcohol. nt

[dysfunctional press]

33. it may not be bush that created the misery for your friend...

if our participation in nafta or the wto had anything to do with it, for instance- clinton deserves a big part of the credit.

[cboy4]

39. Well, Bush many not have "created" the misery, but he's

had a hand in it.

And frankly, I threw in his name because there nothing more synonymous with unhappiness, than Bush.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

49. Absolutely. He made everything much much worse. nt

[Peregrine Took]

37. I'm a lot better than I was last year when I had PBS and PFD, that's for sure!

[hyphenate]

38. Everytime I say things couldn't be much worse

Somehow they do get worse. So I try not to tempt fate anymore.

[OutNow]

44. A Grandchild - I'm doing great

We retired and moved to Oregon this year to be closer to family. I have a grandson, just turned 18 months old. We get to take care of him 2 or 3 days a week when our daughter-in-law works. This is the best "job" I've ever had.

I worry about the future of course, it will take many years to undo the profound damage that Bush has done to the economy, the Constitution, and our standing in the world. I wonder if any Democratic President will able turn the ship around.

I have a pension and have started a 529 college saving plan for my grandson. I'm working for a better world, but I'm doing pretty darn well.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

47. I'm still breathing, retired, love my wife, got it made. Life is better than ever.

[gollygee]

50. That seriously sucks for your friend

Wow. It's like they wanted to hurt him. :( I hope things turn around for him and he finds something even better, but with the economy as it is I'm sure it'll be difficult.

I had to answer "very happy" though because I'm really lucky.

[readmoreoften]

52. I'm grateful that I have my partner even though she's sick in bed with flu and the plumbing broke.

Our plumbing went on Saturday morning and we have not been able to get a plumber so we have no working toilets and won't until Wed or Thurs. Now my girlfriend is sick with the flu. She is probably sick in part because her job is forcing her to work 14-16 hour days indoors with chemicals. Neither of us have health insurance. We don't have a heater, but we live in the south so we can just turn on the oven for a half hour and the house is warm.

But I have her. Some friends of ours came over and we lit a bonfire in our backyard. My parents are still alive and well. I can't say I'm unhappy even though things are harder than ever. I feel rich with the things Dick Cheney will never know.

[WillowTree]

53. I am happy.

I'm healthy. I have a new job, a really good one, doing what I enjoy and what I'm good at, with good benefits and working with a nice bunch of people. My parents have passed on and I miss them terribly every single day, but I count myself fortunate indeed to have had those two extraordinary people in my life at all. My sibs and nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews are all healthy and secure.

And with all it's shortcomings, I live in a place where I'm more free and have more opportunities than most of the people on the planet.

Yeah. I'm happy. And contented. And thankful.

[MrSlayer]

59. Happy enough.

I'm not ecstatic but I'm living ok.

[Contrary1]

60. I am pretty content...

My daughter's main gift was too big to wrap. So, I wrapped a very small package with a clue, that sent her to the next place, and on and on. The last clue had her looking in the pantry for "something hot".

She's digging out hot chocolate, taco kits, etc...while all the time she was straddling her gift, which was covered with a blanket. And we got video, so we can laugh at her for years to come. Lots of fun.

To those of you with young ones, don't ever wish them older. They are grown and gone far too soon. What children leave behind when they leave...is a house too big, a home too quiet, and parents who wish they could turn back time.

Hope today is wonderful for all of you.

[Raine]

65. I'm somewhere between unhappy and happy

my father is really ill which makes me sad and unhappy (probably this will be his last Christams) but I'm happy he's still here. Christmas for me is always bittersweet because I find myself thinking of happier times in the past but the decorations and lights and all of that always give me abit of a thrill.

[cboy4]

66. I'm sorry to hear about your dad Raine. You're such a

kind and compassionate human being.

You deserve nothing but happiness. :pals:

[Raine]

67. Thanks Cboy

you're one of the very nicest people in DU. :hug:

[cboy4]

68. .......

:blush: :hug:

[Eurobabe]

69. Happy because I left....

feel bad for my friends and family carrying on under this fascist regime. :grouphug:

[tomreedtoon]

70. I ought to be happy, but I'm not.

I sent a ham to a lady I only know from the internet, who fears she's being laid off, who didn't get the bonus everyone else in her office got, and who is really in the hole. I even tried to send it anonymously; when that didn't work I said I was just the agent for her on-line friends.

I got presents to people I rarely deal with, some whom I have real problems with, and I work hard to find them economical gifts they need and that fit them.

I even made a deal to pay taxes for a lady who's been out of work for years, who scratches around at cleaning houses and walking dogs. She will never, ever be able to pay me back.

I should feel noble. I used to feel noble doing this. So why aren't I happy? Is it just that I'm being a George Bailey, and seeing that this isn't really helping these people significantly?

[Fox Mulder]

71. I hate everything about my life right now...

and I hope it changes. Soon.

[Perry Logan]

72. Be of good cheer, comrades. Christmas will soon be crushed beneath the treads of our tanks.

http://www.scroogeyourself.com/?id=1240344992

[EFerrari]

77. I don't know about happy. I'm more grateful that my roof doesn't leak

that it's there at all, that my animals are fed and that my family is mostly all right, and that my neighbors are friendly except that Russian guy who wants to shoot me. lol

My son will be laid off in January, my brother is also sweating January, my mom is looking for money, I need a job but, that's just money. The sun is out, my dog intends to walk me. Life is pretty good. :)

:grouphug: