Why do some people enjoy life, for others it's a chore?

Star wrote:

Many if not most people with a lot of money are still not happy. They still stress.

It's just attitude.

My mom is 82. She's widowed but still in very good health and is surrounded by family (3 children within a 10 mile radius). She lives in her home and is mobile and very financially secure. Yet every time I speak with her and ask her how she's doing, she gives a heavy sigh and says, "Just trying to make it through the day." She is waiting to die, but that probably won't happen for another 10 years so she will be pessimistic and miserable until then. Upsets me no end. I hope I'm not like that when I (hopefully) reach her age.

Not being injured. Also not having a bad back.

The key to happiness in life is finding pleasure in the simple things and setting expectations appropriately. For most of you, a simple goal, like having good, solid BM every morning would be sufficient - you'd be surprised that, when viewed from the proper perspective, this "chore" can actually be a source of great happiness and relief. Routinely hit your goals and you will be happy. The unhappy ones are the ones who set unreasonable expectations of themselves and constantly let themselves down. You can't all be rich and fast like the average LRC'er.

The key to being happy is either having the genetic predisposition to be so, or doing everything in your power to even the playing field. I have struggled with depression my entire life, I recently decided to take a genetic test and my depression can be traced to a several single nucleotide polymorphisms in my DNA that significantly increased my chances of depression and anxiety. However despite my genetic predisposition, I have managed to live a reasonably happy life by eating healthy, exercising, avoiding alcohol, taking proper vitamin supplementation, maintaining a close relationship with my family and friends, and doing various volunteer work. For the longest time I was envious of people who were just naturally happy, but I have finally learned to accept the fact that I just have to work a lot harder to achieve that same level of happiness. I would compare this to, some people who can eat all the food they want and never gain weight and those who constantly have to monitor their diet and exercise to maintain a proper weight.

I think it might be giving. Giving freely.

Oddly enough, I was thinking about this, for myself, yesterday in church, and in relation to running. Sat. was fairly hot and sunny, and even in the morning it made the long run for my HS athletes a little more grueling. I told them that runs like that one help make you tough, especially for warm races, and that I ran too and wanted to be done at one point, but then I decided that I needed to choose a positive thought and a say that I was going to beat this heat, it wasn't going to beat me. Have you ever had a negative thought during a race after/on some hills and it nearly crush you, just to feel good again a minute later on the flat? I have, and I was even winning the race. Positive thoughts change a lot. I'm not very good at this myself when it comes to "real life."

But I also think that, in the end, what relaxes me most is to realize life isn't about "making it" in the world's terms, but to enjoy the life God has given me, and to be thankful for what I've been given (especially in Jesus). But, again, I've got a lot of room to grow in actually doing this myself.

"No one ever promised you universal justice."

If you actively strive for happiness you will not find it.

If you actively strive to do what helps others and to accomplish things, happiness will find you.

exthrower wrote:

jamin wrote:

Some people -- specifically, those who've won the genetic lottery -- who are handsome, intelligent, athletic and mentally stable -- are able to have an enjoyable life. For the rest of us, getting by is such a struggle that there is not much room for having a well-rounded, vibrant life.

Then why do fat people always seem so happy?

Because they eat what they want, not what they are "supposed to" eat. They also avoid physical activities they hate. They spend their free time watching TV or playing video games instead of being on elliptical or stationary bikes at the gym.

Paraphrasing Epicteutus: "We are not disturbed by things that happen, but rather, by our perception of things that happen."

You never proved me anything but right

Your rue surprises. Consistency, defied

An overwhelming sense of predictability

I don't say we slide into mediocrity

Another day...

Spent buried in the shadow of your doubt

Always the same...

But still you refuse to figure out

You will destroy you

Distorted, tore yourself in two

Your will absorbed you

You can't ignore you anymore

A new time of declaration of distress

Strife, misery, and the pursuit of unhappiness

Endless complaining, no accountability

No reek of privilege and weightless tragedy

Another day...

Spent buried in the shadow of your doubt

Always the same...

But still you refuse to figure out

You will destroy you

Distorted, tore yourself in two

Your will absorbed you

You can't ignore you anymore

Cry over the silken pillow

Clipped wings beneath a crooked halo

A perfect child who never looks at the mirror

Right in your face, but not any clearer

A problem hidden in plain view...

Is staring right back at...

YOU!!!!

All the world's a stage...

But you are the only player

A black hole in the center of the universe

A dark cloud of despair

Caught in an endless rut

A crisis without solution

Someone should stitch your mouth shut...

And solve your fuking problem

Strife!

Another day in misery

Always the same

Strife!

Another day in misery

Always the same

You will destroy you

Distorted, tore yourself in two

Your will absorbed you

You can't ignore you anymore

Anymore

Anymore

Anymore

Anymore!!!

Anymore!!!

L.O.G

Conundrum wrote:

If you actively strive for happiness you will not find it.

If you actively strive to do what helps others and to accomplish things, happiness will find you.

You can drive yourself crazy trying to meet the expectation to be happy. Focusing on doing things that are beneficial to you, and beneficial to others, rather than worrying too much about the happiness aspect. My friend once told me that one thing he always try to integrate into his life is doing something that he enjoys that also helps others, especially young people, enjoy life as well.

Being content in every circumstance is better than trying to be happy. If your content whether you are rich or poor, popular or unpopular, fast or slow, than life will be much enjoyable. In the spectrum of eternity none of those things matter anyway. Just be content and enjoy every minute!

Content Dude wrote:

Being content in every circumstance is better than trying to be happy.............. enjoy every minute!

Don't you mean be content every minute instead of enjoy every minute?

Agreed.

No I meant enjoy. When you're content you will enjoy life much more.

If you have time to go trail running happiness is running for hours on the trails listening to music. Unhappiness is the wife heaping expectation on you and making you feel you have to do everything, and not appreciating you. Happiness is escaping this and again, going trail running.

and when you don't enjoy life your spending too much time in the house.

"Temperament is the iron wire on which the beads are strung."