Interactive post!!

[violachic]

Yeah! I know you are all excited for this very first Interactive Post!! WOOHOO!!!

Seeing as I don't have a paid account, and therefore no ability to post honest-to-goodness polls, and anyway my polls would be more the short-answer variety than the multiple choice, I am posting a few questions that I'd love if you guys could take the time to answer, if you feel compelled. You don't have to answer all of them, and you don't have to feel that I'm using them to judge you or anything. I am gathering information, I guess, trying to put a new spin on things that have been on my mind in one form or another for quite some time. These are not rhetorical questions. You are all intelligent, philosophical people, so feel free to split hairs, but try not to lose the forest for the trees. Ready? Ready?? Here we goooooo!!!!!!! Try not to have too much fun...

>1)Do you consider yourself happy?

2)On a scale of one to ten, how "easy" do you feel you have it in life? Do you ever wonder why other people think life is so hard? Do you ever envy other people who seem to have it easier?

3)What about life makes you happy? What about life makes it easy for you (or easier for you than for someone else)?

4)Conversely, what about life makes you unhappy or frustrated? What makes life hard (or harder for you than for someone else)?

5)If you had the chance, what specifically would you change, whether in your own life or someone else's- however idealistically- to make your life run more smoothly? If you are not happy, what would make you happy?

6)However idealistically, how do you wish your life were different? What changes would you make? Do you truly regret any choices you have made? What would you not trade for anything in the world, even if it meant retaining any pain that came with it?

7)What makes your life meaningful? What motivates you to get up in the morning (or afternoon, or whatever....)? If you don't think your life is meaningful, what would make it as such?

8)Do you ever wish that Amy would quit being so maudlin and dramatic and just get on with her life?

Comments

[dust-wind-dude.livejournal.com]

1) I would say i'm happy enough. I remind myself on a constant basis on how far i've come and what i have now as opposed to what i didn't a little more than a year ago.

2)I rate myself as having about a 5-7 as far as ease in life goes. I, like everyone else at one point or another, has wondered why some have it easier or why it's more difficult for me. But in the end, i just let all the questions and wonder go when i learned that, that's just life...some have to work harder than others to get where they want to be, and some just have it handed to them with a side of fries...and so be it.

7)I never really thought about what makes me get up in the morning. Without going into to much babble, just having to get out and try to do it my way at any cost, rolling with the punches and taking the good with the bad, is why i still try.

4)What makes me unhappy is all the stupid people i encounter on a day to day basis. Ther are alot of people that seem to have been brainwashed in the last 13 or so years into believing that "it's not their fault". Common sense and basic reasoning have been lost, irresponsibility almost seems to be the basis for this society and only winners right now appear to me to be the lawyers.
The other is the ignorant people who have it better in some ways over others, and feel the need to shove it in everyone's faces just so they can fill some empty, vacuous void that leaves them crying for attention in any way.

3)It's the little things that rarely go noticed anymore. Plain and simple.

5)I just want to succeed like everyone else, and have it done my way. If there was one thing i wanted to change, it would be a split between finances and spirituality. While i do have my beliefs, they aren't as strong as i know they should be, or maybe not as greatly practiced as it should be would be a better way to say it. And i often wish that i was richer, 'nuff said.

i gotta finish this later, i'm late for damn work

Re:

[violachic.livejournal.com]

Thanks, sweetie =D You get a cookie for being my first respondent. Thanks for not rear-ending me as i came out of the driveway this morning! I always know i can count on you.

[dust-wind-dude.livejournal.com]

actually, i was hoping i would get enough pick-up to try and t-bone you, but it's a Ford that i drive, so i may as well have been hoping to buy the moon...

[dust-wind-dude.livejournal.com]

now, back to biz...

6)since i'm reflecting now, i wish i wouldn't have let myself get so lazy(i.e.-lack of motivation as far as career and health) but i'm taking steps to correct that. I just have to tell myself that i can't achieve it all in one day...or as soon as i expect. Just gotta let it happen.

8) What kind of cookie do i win. i chocolate chips and pecans, or raisin-oat bran cookies, those are good. Tollhouse cookies, i like tollhouse. Or what about the Nabisco soft and chewey chocolate chips...those are the nizzle, fa shizzle...word ta ya muffla.

[ex-divalibby633.livejournal.com]

A) I consider myself to be a happy pessimist. That means that I expect everything to go wrong, so I seldom get really angry or upset about anything. There are exceptions, of course, but most of the time I am one of the happiest people I know.

B) I've got it made in the shade, baby. I don't feel like elaborating in this context.

C) Life makes me happy, usually. I enjoy interaction with people, and I have a ton of friends to interact with. I enjoy music, and I have the wonderful opportunity to pursue something I love so much as a career. I love sex, and I get the opportunity to have safe, consensual, usually meaningful sex on a fairly regular basis.

D) I get most frustrated by things that go wrong due to stupidity (mine or someone else's) or lack of caring, or bad things that happen for no good reason at all.

E) we need teleporters. Time taken up by travel or visits that dont happen because of time constraints make me sad. On a more serious note, we need to find a way for people to be more openminded and understanding. We need to do our best to not react with emotion to things, it only makes bad situations worse. Hate can only be turned around by openmindedness and clarity. We cannot fight hate. We cannot fight terror. We can only do our best to try to understand them.

F) I wish Mark were more open to his feelings about me, but I'm capable of and willing to love him anyway. I like to think that if I had it all to do over again I would change the way I treated Aaron and Shane in my relationships with them. I regret many choices I've made in the past, but the consequences of those choices have been important in shaping my personality and my life, and I think I have a good life, overall. I would not trade my friendships with Mark, Karl, Brooks, Amy M K, Jess, Roz, and Katie for anything else in the world. I dont always agree with any of them, but they are my absolute best friends, and I couldn't imagine life without them.

G) my music, my friends, my spiritual life, the possibilities of tomorrow......

H) all the time, but if she did, she wouldn't be Amy, and we'd all be missing out.

[jasenka.livejournal.com]

1)Do you consider yourself happy?
-sometimes.

2)On a scale of one to ten, how "easy" do you feel you have it in life?
-not too easy, but i always try to think about how much harder it could get... the problem is i am always aware of how much easier it could get too... it's all pretty confusing.
Do you ever wonder why other people think life is so hard?
-yes, every now an then
Do you ever envy other people who seem to have it easier?
-no. i like my life, fucked up as it may be, and i believe there is a reason i have it the way i do, just like there is a reason they have it the way they do.

3)What about life makes you happy?
-boys. my friends. good positive things. smiles. daisies. animals.
What about life makes it easy for you (or easier for you than for someone else)?
-i lived through hell. after that, things fall into perspective more. and i don't think i have it easier per say, i just have a more effective way of dealing.

4)Conversely, what about life makes you unhappy or frustrated?
-unfairnes, organixzed religion, human sheep, government.
What makes life hard (or harder for you than for someone else)?
-the fact i lived through hell, and have to live with that and deal with it on a daily bases, even when i'm unaware of it.

5)If you had the chance, what specifically would you change, whether in your own life or someone else's- however idealistically- to make your life run more smoothly?
-location and money situation of my parents. they would be living in a place they like, not working and having enough money to get what they want and need. that's localy.
globaly. i'd shoot people for small offences like not recycling.
okay maybe not shoot them... but cut off a finger or two...
nah, i'd shoot them.
If you are not happy, what would make you happy?
the above named things.

6)However idealistically, how do you wish your life were different?
-my parents would be taken care of.
What changes would you make?
-i don't know... i'm just making this life shit up as i go along... i gues sthat's how it's supposed to work...
Do you truly regret any choices you have made?
-hmmm... no, i don't think so. i was led to situstions and i could only have so many choices to make the decisions, and i think i made mostlyu good ones.
What would you not trade for anything in the world, even if it meant retaining any pain that came with it?
-my parents

7)What makes your life meaningful?
-i do.
What motivates you to get up in the morning (or afternoon, or whatever....)?
-turning of the very annoying alarm clock.
If you don't think your life is meaningful, what would make it as such?
-i do think my life is meaningful

8)Do you ever wish that Amy would quit being so maudlin and dramatic and just get on with her life?
-sometimes... late at night...

:)

[opera1.livejournal.com]

>1)Do you consider yourself happy?

---Generally yes. I get in a funk every now and then, but usually am able to pull out of it within a semi-reasonable amount of time.


2)On a scale of one to ten, how "easy" do you feel you have it in life? Do you ever wonder why other people think life is so hard? Do you ever envy other people who seem to have it easier?

---I work my ass off in life and never seem to get anywhere I really want to be. If people think life is harder than I think it is, I feel really really really sorry for them. Do I envy people who have the easy life... occassionally, but I know that I appreciate all that I've worked for in life and wonder if they have that same appreciation.


3)What about life makes you happy? What about life makes it easy for you (or easier for you than for someone else)?

---Friends Family and God. for both questions.

4)Conversely, what about life makes you unhappy or frustrated? What makes life hard (or harder for you than for someone else)?

--- Stupid people who don't listen.

5)If you had the chance, what specifically would you change, whether in your own life or someone else's- however idealistically- to make your life run more smoothly? If you are not happy, what would make you happy?

---I would change the fact that I'm usually attracted to losers or gay men... doesn't work out so well being a straight female.

6)However idealistically, how do you wish your life were different? What changes would you make? Do you truly regret any choices you have made? What would you not trade for anything in the world, even if it meant retaining any pain that came with it?

---I wish that I wasn't such a sucker sometimes. I do regret some things in life. Mostly some stupid guy choices. I wouldn't trade my family and dearest friends for anything.

7)What makes your life meaningful? What motivates you to get up in the morning (or afternoon, or whatever....)? If you don't think your life is meaningful, what would make it as such?

---Music, Friendship, Family. Occassionally it's my cats that motivate me to get up. They seem to like to meow in my face. Not sure if my life is meaningful, but it isn't meaningless either.

8)Do you ever wish that Amy would quit being so maudlin and dramatic and just get on with her life?

Nope, love Amy just the way she is!

[rincewindrocks.livejournal.com]

1. Yes, I am pretty happy.
2. Right now I rate myself as having a 7.5. I don't wonder why other people find life hard, I just know that life is more difficult at different times for different people. Of course I envy those who seem to have easy lives. But I know a secret...not everything is always as it appears.
3. Eric, my sister Mel, my friends, and of course my puppies make me happy. I the support I get from Mel and Eric makes life ALOT more easy.
4. Stupid people annoy the hell out of me. Most of my family lives in different states including my father and thats pretty hard for me.
5. Ideally, I would love to have a father thats there. And, I would love it if my mom wasn't such a looney.
6. The only thing I would make different would be to have gone to college right away instead of waiting like I did. I feel like I'm way behind in life. I don't regret any choices that I've made. Some things I would have liked to handle differently (like Ryan) but I learn as I go. I wouldn't trade what I had with Ryan, I learned alot from him.
7. I'm not sure what makes my life meaningful....But I have a strong drive to not end up like my parents, especially mom.
8. No, I love Amy...and not like that girl on girl kind of love.

[violachic.livejournal.com]

1)I consider myself generally happy, in that i know i have it better than many people in the world, but i guess i could consider myself "restless" in my happiness, only because i feel like i am searching for something more. I have problems with clinical depression, but i tend to separate that from my basic feelings of happiness because i know that there are reasons behind them not associated with the rest of th world. If that makes any sense...

2)Depending on my mood, my ranking changes, but truly objectively, i'd have to say i hover somewhere between a 6 and an 8. I don't wonder why people think life is hard, even when they seem to appear like they have everything, because i know enough "backstage" secrets to know exactly how deceiving appearances can be. Also, because for some really whacked out reason people seem to look at me and think i have it all together when i really just -don't-. Sometimes when i look at people who seem to glide through life and wonder what quality they have that makes it look so easy, but i don't know if that exactly qualifies as envy. Again, appearances can be deceiving, and i know there are people who have endured truly horrible things in their lifetime, and i that am extremely lucky i have not.

3)Family and friends, music, the collective family cats, r'ei, the el, my new cellphone faceplate (sunflowers, woohoo!!), glow-in-the-dark stars.... shall i go on?

4)Watching other people suffer, not being able to change the world, stupid and thoughtless people, people who mistreat other people, depression, misunderstanding, lack of monetary funds....

5)even though i asked this question, i'm unsure how to answer it. In general, i consider myself a fairly happy person, but there are moments when it can feel futile. Sometimes i think money would solve all my major problems. i dunno... i wish i could automatically instill in everyone- including myself- the ability to truly listen to and understand others.

6)I guess i wish i had finished college and had a halfway solvent career. But it is hard to say that i truly regret anything, because to say that would imply that i wish for a different life, and i cannot even begin to dream about bedrudging people and events in my life that have resulted from the divergent path i apparently have chosen to take. I wouldn't trade my friends for anything in the world, even though we have had our differences sometimes, i wouldn't trade my time with r'ei for anything in the world, and i wouldn't trade my artistic talents and ability to appreciate the arts, i woulnd't trade my sense of hearing no matter what, because that is most precious to me. i have a vague outline of what i'd really like out of life- a permanent partner, possibly a family, friends, a way to earn a living that i don't totally hate, etc...- that i wish would just hurry up and appear, but i know that it will come in time, and if it doesn't i'll just have to map out a new plan.

7)I make my own life meaningful. It took me a very long time to realize that. But for the most part my own happiness is dependent on the choices i make, and i can't blame anyone except myself when i make poor decisions. I don't always feel like getting out of bed, no matter what time of day it is, but i think that the sense of "oh, i'm kind of curious to see what comes next in the story" is probably the most prevalent reason i -do- get up. If i had to wish away exactly one thing in the world to make my life feel more meaningful- for me and for other people- it would be my overriding sense of depression that makes it hard to get things accomplished.