What Does Unstinted Happiness Feel Like? (1 Viewer)

rockaction said:

"Oh my most dear,

I know the live imprint of that smile of gratitude/know it more perfectly than any book/it brims upon the world a mood of love/a mode of gladness without stint/O that I may be worthy of that look."

-Anthony Hecht, Dedication to Collected Later Poems

Reading the Yandek thread and I started thinking about earnestness and community and what it takes in America to achieve that. What makes one truly happy, that is.

So I figured I'd ask a late Friday night question: What gives you happiness "without stint?" Anything? 

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Man of Constant Sorrow said:

Very nice poem, rock.

I have not read the thread you are referring to, but I think I have an answer to your question - a personal one.

Laughing.

Yeah, I know it seems like laughing follows happiness, but I don't think that is always the case; for me at least.

At one time, I read a hypothesis that smiling - even a forced smile - had a significant positive correlation with an improvement of mood. I don't know what became of it; or if it was ever validated more broadly, but for me, it seems to work very well.

When I laugh, it is un-stinted happiness. I am in the moment, and all else negative fades away.

I don't think it's possible to laugh 24/7, but the more the merrier. 

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NREC34 said:

Total peace of mind

which is impossible to achieve 

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Ilov80s said:

I’m lucky in that while sarcastic and a bit cynical about things, I can find happiness in almost anything. A sunset, a flower blooming, a home cooked meal with my wife, beer with friends, a day at school that goes well, music- definitely music, learning something new, art, candies. I’m probably just lucky chemically but my first reaction to almost anything is to laugh and smile.

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Da Guru said:

For me it is appreciation for life in general. My family has suffered many losses on both sides some being tragic.  The life my wife and I have built for ourselves and family makes me sit back and be happy.  To me work is work...I enjoy the people I deal with but not sure it really makes me happy in the way sitting on a beach drinking a beer does.

Happy things, Walking the dogs with my wife at 6am this morning with nobody around, drinking ice cold beer after working on the yard on a hot day, seeing my daughters anytime, not watching cable news and realizing there are really nice people out there and not everyone is angry and bitter about life as it seems, Sundays when I am home by myself and can watch football all day. Listening to live music of any kind, my 25th annual golf trip to Northern MI with guys I grew up with. Go out to dinner with just my wife. I can go on but these are a few.

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