Comments on: Caution to the Winds

By: Beth

Beth — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 03:16:06 +0000

I am not daring, and I am totally fine with that. Sometimes I wish things in my life were different, but only for 10 minutes or so.

By: Emily

Emily — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 20:51:03 +0000

I struggle with this question everyday. Most days my dreams are big and I am looking for the next bear to wrestle or mountain to climb. But then there are the days when I say, I don’t have to be a famous writer or work so hard. I can just hang out an enjoy all that I have. And I feel relieved. Until the urge to kill the bear comes back.

Nice post. Hope to hear from you again.

By: Heidi

Heidi — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 03:46:41 +0000

To your questions; I do wish I was more daring and, I am happy with the life I have.
I am satisfied with my life and where it is going, but I want more from myself in the life I am in.

A great subject for further pondering indeed.

By: Danyiel

Danyiel — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:43:45 +0000

There are days that I am happy where I am, I couldn’t imagine a better life. I have my house, my wonderful husband, and a beautiful daughter. On top of that I have a great job that I love. What more could one woman ask for?

Well there are those days that I sit back and wonder what my life would have been like if I had run off to New York after graduation and worked the stock market floor, or changed my major to History and become a professor. Would my life be any better or just different. I always come back to the same conclusion, I would change my life now for anything.

Sometimes I wonder if we are really striving for more in our lives or are we just yearing for the what ifs of our past?

By: Aidan Donnelley Rowley

Aidan Donnelley Rowley — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:59:42 +0000

Wonderfully written, evocative post. As you know, I contemplate happiness almost on a daily basis. What is it? Is it different for each of us? Can it be taught or learned or simply stumbled upon. I don’t pretend to know the answer to any of these questions. But I do think they are worth asking. And here you are asking such questions, bravely, eloquently.

I do not think there is anything at all wrong with deciding that you love the life you live. But I also think that you can live that life and soak up its rays while contemplating questions about evolution and meaning. I think as humans we are wired to reach beyond the periphery of our own bliss and ponder what else it is that we might want or hope for. I don’t think this reaching or pondering itself is evidence of inchoate dissatisfaction necessarily, just of the fact that we are human.

From what I gather, you have a rich and meaningful life, but that doesn’t mean you need to stop dreaming, right?

By: Bridget

Bridget — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:54:22 +0000

Well said, Gale. Is it a bad thing to be content without accomplishing big, glorious things? Is that settling? Wouldn’t many people be better off if they were fulfilled by the ordinary? Congrats to you for finding what we’re all seeking – happiness!

Maybe the “life in pencil” part comes in knowing that today’s path to happiness does not equal the path 10 or 20 years from now. The path will be erased and redrawn many times. As much as we try to control it, nothing is permanent. Be ready for the next fork in the road and enjoy the smooth, happy sailing while it’s here.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:11:05 +0000

Ultimately, you have to decide if you are living your life for yourself and your family, and the happiness it brings you, or, are you living your life for the critique of others.

At 60, I frequently reflect on what I might have done, but chose not to do. In the end, I almost always land on this spot: If anything I might have done (travelling more in business, taking larger entrepreneurial risks, moving to a larger, more competitive city, etc.) would have, in any way, changed the way my life has turned out, or the family times I have had, or the friends I have, I wouldn’t make the trade. Yes, I do challenge myself that I haven’t changed the face of the world (or even my home town), but in the end I am mostly content. And contentedness does mean merely “settling” for mediocrity. It just means you can appreciate the life you have been given without the burden of over-analysis or beating yourself up for a long list of shortcomings.

By: elizabeth

elizabeth — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:02:29 +0000

Gale, these are tough questions that I’ve pondered myself. The best answer I’ve come up with is that we all have different levels of comfortableness with risk taking, and we all have different things that make us happy. There is a great book you might enjoy by Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert called “Stumbling on Happiness.” He has studied happiness his entire career, and looked at some of the questions you pose.