Someone else is HAPPY with less than what you have

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   Reeloposted 10 years ago

   Now why is it so hard for the fortunate people (the 'rich' in other words)in our society to be HAPPY? When I can be happy with just having R2000 to my name and still be able to live a life that I always wanted for myself? What exactly are they still looking for? They have everything. Even though Robin Williams was not the first celebrity to commit suicide, it does make one realize that no amount of money in the world can make you happy, makes life easier yes, but it really cannot buy happiness!
   We should start appreciating everything that we have, the one thing that will never change is that we can never be satisfied in life, but we ought to thank God for the little that we have. By not complaining, not stressing about where to go for the holidays, which car to drive today...goodness the list goes on. Let's just be thankful for what we have, because someone else is quite happier with LESS THAN WHAT YOU HAVE!
   So start appreciating your lifestyle, your friends, your family, and everything else. Be happy and stop behaving like kids in a candy store

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      Sed-meposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Well said. Now get ready b/c GM is coming and she doesn't agree with you.

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      dashingscorpioposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Poverty doesn't make you happy either.
      
      However whether one is rich or poor there are bound to be times when they laugh, cry, have hope or feel hopeless. Income has very little to do with one's inner desires or requirements to feel fulfilled in life.
      
      Perception is reality
      
      I know people during our most recent "Great Recession" who have not been laid off, gotten raises, promoted, seen their 401ks rise with the stock market, and have taken annual vacations and yet they (feel) insecure and worry about their future and the state of the economy.
      
      It was said the only thing that scared comedian Joan Rivers was having an empty calendar. She had to (know) what the future held with concert dates and appearances. Most people can't thoroughly enjoy "today" because they're worried about tomorrow. Thoughts of (uncertainty) about the future can cause depression in anyone regardless of wealth. Everyone has a need to have something on their calendar to "look forward to" that (they) care about in order to endure hardships they may be facing at the moment.
      
      In America most of us believe if we won $200M in the lottery our lives would be forever filled with happiness. The truth is once you are done struggling financially you are in a position to look at life from a "big picture" point of view. One may be asking themselves; "What now?"
      
      Another factor to consider is everyone's threshold for pain, stress, and heartache is different.
      One person could be diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and they decide to kill them self while another person with the same diagnosis invests their time and energy looking for ways to effectively fight it.
      And yet a third person embarks on a "bucket list" adventure to make the most of the time they have.
      Whether one is rich or poor has little do with their (mental attitude) towards life's ups and downs.
      People have been known to kill themselves because the love of their life dumped them! (Bear in mind there are 7 Billion other people on the planet!). Odds were in their favor at least one of them would have made a suitable mate. Suicide is often the result of short-term thinking.
      
      Clinical depression and suicidal thoughts are common for those who feel their life has become one big hamster wheel. They feel today is just like yesterday and tomorrow will be just like today. Life in general is seen as one boring continuous unfulfilling exercise as one marks the days on the calendar until their eventual death. A person of this mindset may be thinking; "Why not just get it over with and see what's on the other side." Essentially they're (tired) of living in this world.
      
      Lastly some medications have warnings on them that state among their side effects are depression and (suicidal thoughts). It's possible that the combination of new medications Robin Williams was taking for his recently diagnosed Parkinson's disease  and the cancelation of his TV show may have been contributing factors in his thought process. Suicidal people do not envision a future beyond what they're feeling today.
      The act of suicide is an impulsive decision predicated upon current circumstances and not future possibilities.

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         Reeloposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         And you are absolutely right. About everything in fact. But this is not an 'assumption' in no way whatsoever. Some of us do actually witness people who are very careless or act in a careless manner when it comes to how they get rid of what they no longer use or see useful. Be it cars, or materials and sometimes how they behave. The point of this article, leaving out the part about Robin who was just an example unfortunately, is that some people whether you believe it or not, do not appreciate what they have.
         
         I am simply trying to make a point that no matter the little you have or the lot you have, learn to appreciate everything. Happiness comes from just appreciating and being thankful with what you have. Whether it is your family, money, friends or anything really. I mean no one is saying that being rich makes you happy, but it contributes a WHOLE LOT. It does and I can argue that the whole day. Some people do not have what others have and are happy to just be alive. I am not really associating wealth with happiness, but yes i do wonder sometimes WHY the richest people that we look up to continue to do stuff that somehow always gets them into trouble. Is it that hard for them to just stop and look around for a minute to absorb the fortune they have and privileges? That's just what my article is REALLY about

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            dashingscorpioposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            In some ways I agree there are people who do not appreciate what they have. However I believe it's because what they have is not high up on their value system.
            
            A person may hate having to walk 3 blocks to catch a bus and then someone tells them how (lucky) they are to have legs and be able to walk compared to someone who is bedridden or wheelchair bound.
            
            Although it's true that having legs is better than not having them odds are such thoughts aren't going to change that person's state of mind. It's human nature to focus our attention on the things we don't have.
            Goals, dreams, and desires are different for every individual.
            
            There will always be people who are doing better and worse than you in your eyes. Some people do not require much to be happy and content in life. While others have a difficult time coping with not being able to achieve (their) ultimate dreams. Life is a (personal) journey.
            
            Comparing ourselves to others who are less fortunate rarely makes us feel better. Most children in the U.S. who are about to throw away food can relate to their parents saying:
            "Don't be wasteful! Think about the poor starving children in such and such country." The child mumbles to himself; "They can have this crap."
            
            He doesn't feel better or appreciate his meal anymore than he originally did. You can't shame or guilt anyone into feeling fortunate.
            What would make one person extremely happy may not please another.

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   Reeloposted 10 years ago

   Thanks Sed. Oh well, i am very open to different views. I am aware that we don't share the same views in life, can't wait to hear what she has to add

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   psycheskinnerposted 10 years ago

   Why would you assume any connection between having stuff and being happy?  Research shows that some of the happiest people out their live subsistence lifestyles--less time to sit around getting neurotic, I guess.

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