Alright, be honest. Who's legitimately happy?

Animals don't get depressed in the wild.

They only get depressed when held in captivity. We're not animals but I find that the more restricted I feel, the more depressed I am. Any time my sense of freedom is heightened, I feel great and not so great when I feel that my world has shrunk.

This usually has to do with perspective. Doing something that breaks away from the everyday routine is helpful. This could be a holiday for example. Having a balanced lifestyle helps maintain this.

Your anger might be the root cause. I really believe that anger suppressed and not dealt with leads to depression. This involves a lot of introspection and I find that acknowledging the anger somehow releases it. It involves a lot of 'counselling' – basically having someone that will listen and draw out all the grievances you've ever had. It's a lot of work but you'll find yourself lighter over time.

Then just keep a short account when stuff pisses you off. Stay light.
 


mrmeotz said:
Rationality, an on-going desire for knowledge and social interaction and the need to feel successful/achieve something of significance (either for me, my family, my friends or anyone else) dictates this thing I call life(style).
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a quote by a fellow German:

"What the world doesn’t tell you—because it doesn’t know—is that you cannot become successful. You can only be successful. Don’t let a mad world tell you that success is anything other than a successful present moment."

- Eckhart Tolle
 
About a year ago, I was miserable. I HATED living in Victoria, BC Canada. I was always board, the weather sucked, it was cold and windy and grey all the time. So what did I do? I packed up, sold all my shit and me and my girl moved to Cabo. Now we are moving to Costa Rica on the 29th and this will be the last move we make for a long time.

I guess my point is.. if you don't like something, don't complain about it -- do something about it.
 
HiGhPeR said:
I was always board
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gLYBJ.jpg
 
HiGhPeR said:
I guess my point is.. if you don't like something, don't complain about it -- do something about it.
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Flip the script. That's what I did.. that's the fun part. Just dump the bullshit and get your ass happy.
 
I'm happy. I work a few hours a week, we have everything we need. My wife is hot & wonderful, my house is big, my kids are awesome, I spend my time doing shit I enjoy.

What's not to like?
 
tangy said:
I know for sure that I absolutely despise the city I'm living in and (generally speaking)
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This, I don't get.

I just spent a week in Vancouver and was mind-blown. Hands down the most beautiful city I've seen in North America, and I've been/lived in over 20 cities on this continent both south and north. You guys got the beaches, the mountains, a vibrant downtown and great food... what else can you ask for? But then again the locals told me I was lucky to get good weather all week and that normally it rains all the time...
 
guerilla said:
It's each individual's responsibility to find a raison d'être (reason to be) in this world. 100s of thousands of people do it successfully every day.
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I agree with this.

Everyone is different, and the answer to an existential crisis, depression, whatever is different for everyone.

You need to find your own answers by digging deep within yourself and finding out what is important to you, what gives you meaning and purpose, and what makes you happy. And not just "la la la, life is great happy" but real deep contentment & happiness, which on the surface doesn't always look like "happiness".

There is real value in depression and having an existential crisis. It means you are stretching and growing.

All the best to you.
 
And PS: Professional Help and Anti-Depressents saved my ass a few years ago. It's like having a helping hand up out of a pit.

Medication worked for me (I only took it for a year and a half) I used to be against it, cuz I'm a hippy like that, but consider all of your options seriously.

Professional help & medication don't solve your problems for you, you still have to dig deep and find your answer. But it can give you the support, energy and strength to pull yourself up.
 
avatar33 said:
This, I don't get.

I just spent a week in Vancouver and was mind-blown. Hands down the most beautiful city I've seen in North America, and I've been/lived in over 20 cities on this continent both south and north. You guys got the beaches, the mountains, a vibrant downtown and great food... what else can you ask for? But then again the locals told me I was lucky to get good weather all week and that normally it rains all the time...
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It's not the city, my friend... it's the people who live here (generally speaking). Yes, the place is physically beautiful. The beaches, by the way, are usable 2 months out of 12. And yes, for 6 months of the year it rains on average 3-4 days of the week which isn't all that fun but the weather is the weather.

But the people... fuck. I'm from a very small town, and the pretentiousness of the average Vancouverite makes relating with them very challenging.

Poll paints Vancouver as less than friendly or inclusive - British Columbia - CBC News
 
Vancouver might be a part of the problem. But it's not the whole problem.

PS: I know what you mean about Van. I live here too... There is a definite brand of haughtiness here which I think is particular to this city.

When I went to other countries, even other close cities like portland and seattle, I was amazed that the vibe can be so different.

Although us being here we could be less than objective. Because a lot of people when they come here rave about how friendly and welcoming Vancouver is... so... who knows.
 
Maybe see if you can transfer your studies to a uni in Toronto. Sounds like there's a chance you'd like it alot more over there.

I've lived in most major cities in Canada, and without question, Vancouver and Toronto are my favorite (I'm a small town boy too btw). I love West Van, because well, it's West Van. How can you not like it? You can goto the beach, then out for a great meal, over to the casino for a while, then to Yuk Yuk's stand-up comedy, then back home, and the entire experience is all within walking distance (somewhat).

Toronto has a much more relaxed, live and let live vibe to it though. They call Vancouver multicultural, but that's bullshit... it's just white people, Asians, and some Mexicans thrown in for flavor. Toronto is far more multicultural though, and you have strong influences from various parts of the world such as Eastern Europe and Caribbean, and it's very noticeable.

Having that seems to create a really nice, laid back atmosphere. Everyone realizes they're from different places and different cultures, they're cool with it all, and they just live and let live.
 
Send me a PM with your Skype name. I've also spent pretty much all of college running a business, with lots and lots of other things on my plate. I'd love to talk to you about it.
 
We're all doing shit we're not really supposed to be doing, sitting at a box for xx hrs a day chasing paper to wipe ass with better toilet paper in a shinier bathroom...

I think the conditioning to follow the system has most too busy to tune into emotion, and too scared of themselves (by design) to do anything about it other than follow the school of fish before them (go to school, get in debt, marry, mortgage, byebye 40years of debt slavery and trying to be happy).

WE on the other hand are rebellious, we don't want that shit, we see through it, and this ultimately can make you more unhappy because you are aware/awake, and sometimes can't help yourself even when you know what's up and how to manipulate the system against itself.

I've been at this game for over a decade and am on my last legs, as I type with a brace on my hand from a trapped Ulnar nerve from these fucking machines. The 'happiness' comes and goes and the money doesn't matter as much once you have some (read some as in six figures banked net, you're comfy for a while). The best moments of my day lately are actually getting the fuck off the machine, going for a walk, and staying out there for x hours, talking to strangers and meeting people in my area, petting a dog, grabbing a coffee and helping a bum by buying him one too etc.

I think in short, we humans lack 'being' as much as being preoccupied trying to live vs be.

Advice, as corny as it sounds, go help a random stranger today, or better yet go talk to 10 sheeple and let them open up about life, you'll quickly realize most are worse off, and ignorant to the system they're trapped in, complaining about surface shit. I found that when I went through down phases, it was usually a lack of positive emo's and for me 'giving' helped a lot, good karma returns fast in a lot of ways and you don't have to get on a plane and see third world shit to realize you have a lot of third world shit right here just in different forms, we're all slaves to some degree and again, not doing what we should be doing on this planet.

got me typing/.03.

edit:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
Meet your own self. Be with your own self, listen to it, obey it, cherish it, keep it in mind ceaselessly. You need no other guide. As long as your urge for truth affects your daily life, all is well with you. Live your life without hurting anybody. Harmlessness is a most powerful form of Yoga and it will take you speedily to your goal. This is what I call nisarga yoga, the Natural yoga. It is the art of living in peace and harmony, in friendliness and love. The fruit of it is happiness, uncaused and endless.


^ That's gold.
 
I'm definitely happy with my place in life. I've seen so many friends and close family members die in the past few years that I've been blessed with a new perspective on how short life really is. I'm talking about people in their 30's and 40's getting cancer and dying in 6 months time. Seeing that will give anyone a different view of how precious life is and how it can be gone tomorrow. I don't live life with a "fuck it" attitude, but I do try to let the small shit just roll off and focus on being a good person that does as much good as I can, with a positive attitude.

Whenever I get stressed about not making as much money as I want this month or the mortgage and bills etc., I just remind myself that if it was all gone tomorrow, the nice house, the cars, all of the "stuff" that I have, as long as I still have my wife and two great kids who love me, that's the only thing that really matters.

Hell, I work for myself, when I want, do what the hell I want and answer to nobody. If that's not just about perfect, I don't know what is.
 
ncmedia said:
as I type with a brace on my hand from a trapped Ulnar nerve from these fucking machines.
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