• A_Rusty_Pearl said on Sep 25, 2008....

  Hmm, thanks for a nice post.
  Really made me think over it...
  

• secretlife said on Sep 25, 2008....

  your dad seems like he was quite a man.  humor, kindness and the
  ability to laugh at ourselves is a great combination for shaping
  perspective on life.  and a great model for you.
   
  i think about this question of why certain people seem to have a greater
  capacity for happiness, and also why certain people just never seem to be
  able to give up on life and hope-
   
  i believe it's mostly a character trait.  it surely is a blessing to be able
  to wake up each morning, attempt to see the positive in each day, and
  continue to hope for the best.
   
  great post!  i can feel your love and admiration for your dad in your words.

• uniquely-ironic said on Sep 25, 2008....

  Nice blog!  And so true!  I try to remember this, but am afraid that I'm not always successful.  I do believe that happiness is a choice.

• skald said on Sep 25, 2008....

  Yes, I chose to be happy. I have had my troubles like every one else. I do think Abraham Lincoln was a great men. 

• woman said on Sep 25, 2008....

  Rusty Pearl~You are welcome. Thanks for reading.

• woman said on Sep 25, 2008....

  Hey twin~Thank you dear. My father is still living, still an inspiration, and often, still funny. I would agree that it is a character trait. Now my question is, is that a trait that is developed by will, or is it something inherited that we have no control over. (Control freaks find that a little hard to accept...)

• woman said on Sep 25, 2008....

  Thanks unique. We are human and we all have down days but if we believe that we can move forward with humor and a smile, life seems sweeter.

• woman said on Sep 25, 2008....

  Hi skald, I've always sensed that you were a happy soul. Lincoln was a great man, I totally agree.

• andora said on Sep 25, 2008....

  thanks woman for the sentiments
  
  you said: "some people do seem to have a bigger capacity for joy,"
  
  i had to overcome some terrible things from my childhood and early adult life...i chose to own it all and take responsibility for it all. when i expressed my negativity about these events, I cleared the space for the positive emotions. so for me, expressing the inevitable negativity with the intention of taking responsibility free'd me from shame and blame, essentially giving me the grace to feel deep joy.
  
  also, i must say, education and a living faith contribute to the best life one could possibly hope for. i am grateful to all my true friends who allowed me to be negative, until i could, once again, honestly feel joy without denying the truth!
  false happiness has smiling teeth and dull eyes
  

• secretlife said on Sep 25, 2008....

  i used to think we controled everything.....
  now?  i think we control very little.
   
  i would bet one day they find out that it's mostly inherited. 
   
   

• Lucytorial said on Sep 25, 2008....

  Women - indeed happiness is a state of mind and a choice we make.  I believe my happiness stems from my willingness to see the good and joy in life and others.

• mobil said on Sep 25, 2008....

  Abe suffered from depression, all one has to do is look into those deep dark eye sockets to see the torment his mind must have suffered, his wife Mary suffered even more, she was almost insane, borderline.

   

  Abe was the best story teller and his stories weren't trivial, they mostly held some lesson or deeper meaning within the confines of a simple story.

   

  I think we both learn and inherit the ability to maintain a happy countenance. I know one thing.....I like being around happy people !

• woman said on Sep 25, 2008....

  Lucy~Your zest for life is obvious and makes me laugh often and hard. Perhaps Secret is right though, so many things prove to be genetic. I prefer to believe that while we may be wired for a certain personality, we do have some ability to work around that and live the life we desire.

• Lucytorial said on Sep 25, 2008....

  Woman ~ I've learned that if I allow myself to get caught up in the drama or negativity the battles the hardness of life its far harder to deal with.  If I project my happiness in a direction then I can deal with all of the things I know I can change and leave the ones I can't for later... Ron always knocks on the door...
   
   

• Me-Myself&I said on Sep 25, 2008....

  great post! wise words. i choose to be happy too. i have moments of despair, grief but i try hard to shake it off....not let one certain event rule everything in my life. balance....living in the moment thing.

  thanks for a wonderful read! take care ~see ya

• woman said on Sep 25, 2008....

  Abe's life was indeed tragic in many ways. With his wife's mental illness and the death of all of his children but one. Combine that with a very difficult childhood and the pressure of his political life and you have a man under considerable stress. I'm sure he did suffer some depression, however from what I read, historians believe that he may have had a genetic condition that caused his appearance. And Mobil~I like being around happy people too. That's part of the choice we make when we decide WE want to be happy. Picking our enviroment. Thanks for stopping by Mobil. I hope I see more of you.

• woman said on Sep 25, 2008....

  Andora~you are welcome and thank you for joining us. I am glad you were able to do the work needed to live a life of joy. There is no doubt that we have to aknowledge our pain and move through it, not bury it. Good for you. May the rest of your life be full of happiness.

• woman said on Sep 25, 2008....

  Me, Myself~Good point about living in the moment. It took me a long time to really understand that and live it. Nice to see you.

• hotaka said on Sep 25, 2008....

  As long as you can find happiness in small things you will have a way to overcome or at least withstand hard times. Little Orphan Annie always thought things would get better by tomorrow. That kept her going. I don't like to stay unhappy for long and so I find lots of little things to keep my spirits up. I am a happy person, even when the chips are down I don't like to stay down there with them for long. I choose not to be unhappy. It's too much trouble to be upset most of the time.

• woman said on Sep 25, 2008....

  Hotaka~I'm with you. Don't you feel that it just takes more energy to always be upset? My whole being is lighter with a smile. A real smile.

• hotaka said on Sep 25, 2008....

  An spreading it around helps too, doesn't it. :)

• woman said on Sep 25, 2008....

  Hotaka~ Yeppers. Makes a spring in my step and hopefully brightens their day.

• findingX said on Sep 26, 2008....

  got me thinking....GREAT POST THX!!

• woman said on Sep 26, 2008....

  findingX~You are welcome and thank you for reading.

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