03/20/2012

Interesting answers that that survey I asked earlier.

9 – 1
8.5 – 2
8 – 2
7.5 – 1
7 – 5
6 – 2
5 – 1

The average rating was 7.5 Only 25% rated themselves somewhere other than the 7-8 range. The highest was a 9, the lowest was a 5.

Things contributing to ODer happiness right now:

-Weather
-Keeping things in perspective
-Husbands/Boyfriends
-Friends/family
-Freedom
-Feeling God’s guidance/nearness
-Physical fitness
-Ending of a relationship
-Feeling blessed

Things detracting from ODer happiness:

-Money issues (definitely the most common response)
-Living situation/roommates
-Job situation
-Politics/Current events
-Aging
-Lack of purpose/direction in life
-Uncertainty
-Busyness

For me? Hmm.

I’m going to put myself at 6, at the moment.

I normally run at about an 8, but lately the chaoticness of life has been stealing my joy a bit. I’m a little uncertain about work, my boss has been a bit cold lately. Hopefully, that’s not anything to do with me. Of course, as always I wish there was someone coming around in a relationship context.

Positives of course are spirituality, feeling like God has things under control. My faith isn’t the highest place it’s ever been the past week or three, but it’s still here and sustaining.

Gratefulness for what you have is always helpful in producing happiness too.

I was prompted to this by a list I saw that someone else sent me. A radio host who I am not familiar with wrote out this list, but I think there’s a lot of truth there.

Basically, who is happy? People who were given little and earn what they have, people who feel like they have control over their lives. People who don’t see themselves as victims. People who don’t complain, people who have close friends, who are in a healthy relationship, who aren’t envious, etc. But the last one was, people who are grateful. Certainly it is good to focus on what we have at least as much as what we desire.