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nomadder

Joined: 15 Feb 2003 Posts: 709 Location: Somewherebetweenhereandthere
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Posted: Tue May 11, 2004 7:31 pm Post subject: What Makes You Happy? |
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Being miles away from anyone or anything you know you sometimes get to thinking what in the wide world makes you happy?
Lately I've been thinking that the satisfaction of my old teaching job made me happy-seeing progress and feeling like you were contributing to something useful.
Nature makes me happy-like the dozens of hummingbirds buzzing around me yesterday and a walk in the rainy rain forest.
Seeing new and inspiring places.
Happy, flowing, meeting of the mind relationships-more difficult to find the older you get I find.
Coffee and yummy foods of the world.
******Serious replies only please.****** |
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Aramas
Joined: 13 Feb 2004 Posts: 874 Location: Slightly left of Centre
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Posted: Tue May 11, 2004 8:25 pm Post subject: Re: What Makes You Happy? |
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nomadder wrote: |
Happy, flowing, meeting of the mind relationships-more difficult to find the older you get I find.
******Serious replies only please.****** |
That's probably because people tend to be less happy and their minds congeal as they get older. |
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Shaman

Joined: 06 Apr 2003 Posts: 446 Location: Hammertown
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Posted: Tue May 11, 2004 8:38 pm Post subject: |
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A good list indeed, nomadder. I'd add good music as another quintessential component.
Shaman |
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Alitas

Joined: 19 May 2003 Posts: 187 Location: Maine
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Posted: Tue May 11, 2004 10:07 pm Post subject: |
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My first extended time away from home, I made lists of things that I missed, and these were the things that made me happy.
Things like a cool breeze on a hot August night, the crickets chirping, new snow, staying up all night to watch hockey on CBC and then laughing at Don Cherry with my friends.
Then when I left my "new" home in Venezuela to come back to New England, I made lists of things I missed there, such as fresh mangos, the jasmine tree outside my window, Polar on the beach, dancing with friends all night. Seeing lush, tropical vegetation and the green-ness of things always made me smile.
My nose has the best memory, every once in a while I'll smell something from some other time and place, and that truly gives me a moment of reverie. |
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johnslat

Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 13859 Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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Posted: Tue May 11, 2004 10:17 pm Post subject: |
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Dear Aramas,
Quote: |
That's probably because people tend to be less happy and their minds congeal as they get older.
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Oh my - and here I thought I was even happier as a geezer and that my mind was quite uncongealed. But then, the above must be true because:
"I am not young enough to know everything."
Oscar Wilde
Regards,
Unknowingly Sad and Congealed John |
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Gordon

Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan
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Posted: Tue May 11, 2004 10:21 pm Post subject: |
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Watching my daughter experience things for the first time.
DQ Blizzards
Tim Horton's coffee
Beautiful sunsets
My daughter letting us sleep in past 6:30
School vacations
The Canucks winning the Stanley Cup (a wish really)
Having a day off with my wife |
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denise

Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Posts: 3419 Location: finally home-ish
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Posted: Wed May 12, 2004 12:11 am Post subject: |
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sitting in a cafe/pub/house/park/etc. with a friend
staring at the ocean on a clear day (although the polluted beaches of Japan tend to depress me, but that's a whole 'nother story)
formerly, lacing up my ice skates and stepping out onto the rink--the rush that I felt now comes from binding on my snowboard
watching Major League Baseball
seeing people walking their dogs
seeing dogs run on a beach
finding a really good vegan substitute for something typically not vegan (e.g., ice cream, beef jerky, buttermilk pancakes, etc.)
calling my parents & friends back home and hearing the surprise in their voice when they realize it's me
etc., etc.
One last thing--great topic, nomadder! It's nice to see people focusing on the positive.
d |
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small_human
Joined: 07 May 2004 Posts: 24 Location: World
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Posted: Wed May 12, 2004 12:33 am Post subject: |
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I've been thinking about this very topic myself recently...
The thing (or situation) that makes me happiest is having a balance between new experiences and familiar comforts.
The moment when the new country you're settling into becomes manageable but still surprises you everyday. Ah, if only it could last forever... |
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Capergirl

Joined: 02 Feb 2003 Posts: 1232 Location: Nova Scotia, Canada
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Posted: Wed May 12, 2004 12:45 am Post subject: |
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Things that make me happy:
My daughter
My friends
Teaching
Travelling
Reading
Being active (and healthy)
Feeling safe and secure
Freedom - to do what I want and live how I want |
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nomadder

Joined: 15 Feb 2003 Posts: 709 Location: Somewherebetweenhereandthere
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Posted: Wed May 12, 2004 1:26 am Post subject: |
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Yes Denise-cafes and pubs are excellent. If only it were easier to find pubs that don't blast the music.
Capergirl-health and safety are also things we sometimes take for granted but after being sick too many times in Latin America and after hearing about some tourist horror stories I think about these things alot. After just scanning Thorntree on Lonely Planet I'll be afraid to step out my hostel tomorrow let alone go on to the next countries. Common sense and luck will get me through.
Shaman-yes I later thought about inspiring music as a good addition to the list.
Gordon & Capergirl-I don't have kids but early today I saw a little girl barefoot on the side of the road waving good bye to her father as he left on his motorcycle and this made me happy too-the sweetness of children |
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foster
Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Posts: 485 Location: Honkers, SARS
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Posted: Wed May 12, 2004 1:39 am Post subject: |
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Friends and family
Freedom to come and go as I please
Travel
Reading deliciously trashy novels on a rainy afternoon
Eating yummy yummy food
Getting a long-distance phone call from someone I miss
A good weekend out with my pals in HK or having them over for a roof-top BBQ
The view from my flat on a clear day (so rare, must appreciate it!!)
When my students say something nice to me (again, rare)
Having enough cash to do what I want to do within reason
Realizing that I lost weight without trying!! (Happened this AM - Joyous!  ) |
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nolefan

Joined: 14 Jan 2004 Posts: 1458 Location: on the run
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Posted: Wed May 12, 2004 2:24 am Post subject: good one |
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Having lived in 4 countries in the past year, I have gradually taken off quite a number of things out of my list.
It used to be food items, music, my favorite pub, watching football etc......
Now, most of those things seem unimportant. The things that bring a smile to my face are/would be:
-Thinking about my long motorcycle road trips in the States or the Time I did the Paris Dakar.
- Hearing a song on my ipod that I have not listened to in a while
- a smile of my wife's face
- setting a new record when I play SNOOD
- Watching "as good as it gets" for the Nth time.
- A good conversation that lasts all night.
- making a new website |
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Magoo
Joined: 31 Oct 2003 Posts: 651 Location: Wuhan, China
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Posted: Wed May 12, 2004 7:07 am Post subject: |
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Spending the evening alone with my wife and off-the-wall daughter
No longer feeling the need to go out and get smashed, every night (cf the above)
Going out for a potentially boring evening with my (Chinese) family and getting smashed
Throwing off the chains of youth (Aramas)
Beer, slippers and a home-cooked dinner
Being in China
I'm getting old...and loving it  |
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Magoo
Joined: 31 Oct 2003 Posts: 651 Location: Wuhan, China
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Posted: Wed May 12, 2004 7:14 am Post subject: |
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John
shouldn't that be, "I'm not young enough to THINK I know everything"?  |
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gugelhupf
Joined: 24 Jan 2004 Posts: 575 Location: Jabotabek
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Posted: Wed May 12, 2004 7:22 am Post subject: |
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Riding my motorbike along country roads early on Sunday mornings in the summer, before all the day trippers are out of bed.
Playing with kittens. I'm not very paternal with human infants but I can't see a kitten without wanting to pick it up and play with it. |
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