Interrogatory
A question, a question is what I have for...you. I'm currently working on arranging the room to achieve a level of highest work performance. While I work, I watch...I watch Dawon's Creek. Now, a reoccuring question arises throughout the entire series but comes apparent in the sixth season. Here's my deal, faithful blog readers, those that make comments and those who do not - those who I know read and those I do not. This is a simple question, very simple, but can bring about very profound and insightful answers. At least, the people on the show give these kinds of answers...as they're blatantly honest. But the deal is this, if I get at least ten good responses in the form of comments - I will post my answer to the question. For those of you fearful of your answer being posted...well, write it, and at the end tell me to delete it and I will before it's ever posted. Let the answers begin...and we'll see if you get mine. Here's the question:
Are you happy?
posted by andebos at 10:53 AM
16 Comments:
Yes as long as I am on vacation, of which I get 11 weeks, PAID, this year and 12 weeks next year.
But I have only 22 months to go to join your mother as those listed among the retired.
I enjoy my work but not the hassel of the BIG corporation.
Ah well I chose selling out to them of my own free will.
Uncle John
Sure, I pretty much do what I want when I want. I have a great past career that I'm glad I spent so many years at. I have two great kids that make me proud everyday. I have a husband that loves me and lots of friends that care about me. I had parents that loved and nutured me and a brother and sisters that will always be there for me! I do wish my hands didn't hurt and get as stiff as they do sometimes, I wish I did not still have some bouts with panic and anxiety. I sometimes see things I wish I could buy with out thinking about it. But yes I'm happy.. are you?
love mom
no, i'm not happy. but i reallyreallyreally wish that I were happy. Or content, rather. I think I'm always waiting for that "bend in the road" and thinking that just beyond it lies happiness. I'm still waiting to discover the truth that "I went looking for happiness outside myself, and I discovered it's not what the world holds for you... it's what you bring to it that counts."
Three answers thus far....a little weak in terms of quantity - gotta keep answering if you want my reply
tyler, i feel like you've asked this question several times already. and I've never answered it. it sort of makes me feel like you think none of us should be happy; that we're all just wearing illusions of happiness to make the time go by quicker.
Apart from feeling that way about the question itself, I'm not sure "happiness" is a trait that should be "strived" for. You know? Lots of people out there are happy, yet it has no real meaning to them for it is so very fleeting. If you get a promotion and pay increase at work, you're happy. If you get in a car wreck on the way home from work, you aren't. It is my opinion that we place WAY too much importance on such a passing, subjective emotion. Nowhere in the bible does it tell us to strive for hapiness. JOY, my friend, is what your question should focus on.
allow some examples from a quick bible search on the word.
"...rejoicing because God had given them great joy." - Nehemiah 12:43
"you fill me with joy in your presence" - psalm 16:11
"my heart leaps for joy and I will give him thanks in song" - psalm 28:7
"light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart" - psalm 97:11
"the lord has done great things for us and we are filled with joy." - psalm 126:3
(basically the whole book of psalms)
"and the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit." - Acts 13:52
"be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer" - romans 12:12
"may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the holy spirit." romans 15:13
"out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity" 2 cor 8:2
"be joyful always" - 1 thes 5:16
"your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints." philemon 1:7
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. " Hebrews 12:2
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds..." james 1:2
many times, with the announcment of Jesus' birth, angels use the word "joy" in the proclamation, bringing great news of "joy".
the fruits of the spirit are love, JOY, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
repeatedly, the bible talks about having JOY, despite negative circumstances (job, David, paul are three extreme examples...) Joy is not an emotion; is unwavering despite circumstances. It is a blessing of the spirit and a promise for those who abide in Him. Joy can be portrayed through happiness, but when my happiness fades, my JOY is what keeps me going.
Yes, in this moment, I am happy. In my life right now, I am happy. However, the past month has been a very different story and it is only because of my Joy for the Lord that I have that has blessed me with the outward emotion. It is because of the JOY that I have that I am able to look past the drama and the pain in life, the flaming arrows of the evil one, and sing praise to Him.
I am thankful that I am "happy" right now. But it's so much more important to me to be JOYFUL. It's something worth fighting for and I fight with courage knowing that the victory has already been won.
I would have to say that I am happy and sad. Its just a little of both. It kinda depends on the day really. Some days I come home from a hard class and just want someone to be on the couch I know will just open their eyes and listen to me without words spoken back but know how I feel. Then there are the days where I wish I could go into that old culd a sac and see someone who cared for me as much as my parents do. Wish I could just drive down 152 till I get to fox crest to see my hero in life. Or go back and find comfort among the silence of a council ring with my grandfather among me where all you can hear are my tears hitting the ground or going to football practice and just letting go of my anger or lifting weights for the same effect. Or driving until the pain goes away and the tank reads empty. I guess what I am really saying after all that rambling is that Yes I am happy depending on my day and the memories I have good and bad ones, yes happy and thankful for what I have and the people that have got me this far and will continue to be behind me.
Your Brother - Mike
First of all Michael's comment brought tears to my eyes, just thinking of the great memories he has in his life. To answer your question, yes I am happy. Somedays I may be more stressed than other, but generally happy. I really have no business to complain about my life. I have been blessed with an awesome family that unconditionally love and support me. My sister is now living with, which I love. I have a job that most days I enjoy, but more importantly, the friends I have at work are great. I have many other friends from many parts of my life that have stood my me through so much. I have a church family that make me happy to say they are a second family and kids in the youth group that challenge me everytime I am with them. On the otherside of the table, there are those days that may be a little lonelier than others and I wish I had someone in my life that was more than just a friend of family, but my best friend and companion, yes I wish I was in a relationship, but I know in the right time if that is what is in plan for me it will happen.
Laura
If your not. U'd better do something cause your only here once. I'm happy but I'm not a pop band, I'm more of a counting crows or Better than Ezra kid. You can't be happy without knowning the oposite and there are moments that ring out with more energy than others. Have a good one and thanks for the question.
isn't happiness circumstantial? so, to me it is kind of irrelevant. peace and happiness are no synonymous... and we are called to have peace and joy. but i don't think those things are happiness. maybe i am confused. and all that is not to say that i am unhappy, because actually this week i have been on a very circumstantial happiness high (seeing as i just passed my oral exam of my thesis which i thought i really had a good chance of failing... and i didn't even come close to failing!!!!)... but last week was I happy? no. I was stressed out of my mind. will i be happy next week? i have no flippin' idea... happiness comes and goes like most things... so being happy isn't a goal really because it is something you can't always control. you can't control the things that make you sad or the events that strip you of happiness. sometimes you can control those things, but not always. so why strive to 'be happy' when what we really need to do is strive to have peace? so i may not know if i will be happy next week but i do know i will be at peace. because i am where i need to be and things are going along. and they'll either be okay or they won't but regardless i'll be at peace.... that's my thought. and, yea i just read BJ's comment, and i guess mine is the same as hers.. but i am still posting it anyway cos you are only at 7 comments right now ;)
mmm... that emma is a very wise girl... ;) Hey emma, if I DO decide to be a hobo, can I come visit you and you can show me the ropes? I do love traveling alone, but I'm not the wisest at it which is why I would need a buddy! :)
mmm... that emma is a very wise girl... ;) Hey emma, if I DO decide to be a hobo, can I come visit you and you can show me the ropes? I do love traveling alone, but I'm not the wisest at it which is why I would need a buddy! :)
I still come up a few answers short...therefore my response to the question still waits, maybe forever.
BJ- of course i will "show you the ropes" :) however, i pretty much totally scatter-brained and along came poly-ish... however, the number one rule to remember: do not carry anyone else's bag. even if they seem harmless. you don't want to end up in some foreign jail for illegally smuggling drugs ;) (watch brokedown palace if you haven't seen it already)... other than that sometimes precautionary travel wisdom is overrated :)
Tyler- i think you should be a bit more leniant... you had 8 "quality" answers.... just post your answer already :) (and then make my banner!)
i've kept your post saved in my bloglines for a week now.
truth is, you know my answer. i told it to you a few days before you wrote this post...
but yeah, i'm happy. i tend to agree with bj about 'joy' - but the question was happiness, so yes, i am.
first, i have found that my identity is not in the things of the world. it used to be. identity in my job, what i had, how much money i earned, etc. lately, though, i have more than realized that all of that is god's anyway, so why would it be an indicator of happiness?? uhm, it's not.
second, i realize that i truly am not in control of anything around me. i'm simply a steward of what's been given to me. whether that is a job, the roof over my head, my personality, or whatever. so... knowing that i'm running around every day for no ones glory but god's is pretty cool - and... makes me happy.
third, i'm still single, so shouldn't i be mad, pissed, angry? yes, but actually no. i struggle with it, yes, but i, once again realize that my idea of being single is, well, just that.. MY IDEA. yeah, i want to be in a great relationship, but all the ones i've been in have not worked out. so, i wait. and i live. and i pray. but, yeah, i'm happy.
ok, there you have it. my answer, and three good reasons why.
now yours....
Ok, correct me if I'm wrong... I think all of you, well most of you, are looking at this too deeply.. although Tyler seems to be pretty deep a lot of the time. Correct me Tyler if I'm wrong.... Ithink he means in general.. are you happy! Are you able to get out of bed every day and face the day...maybe not thrilled with your days task, job what ever... but in general is your life a happy one? Yes days, weeks, months can change your disposition, your general feeling.. but are you happy.... I have been at a point in my life where I did not want to get out of bed... I can't say even then that I was not happy... I was sick mentally, but in general my life was happy.. Again My family, friends all cared and loved me.. and I got help and got better...
So now I ask in general.. Are you happy..?
mom
Searcy's newest comment on the newest post makes a total of 10 now...soon I will post my answer to this question and Emma, still working on it - trying to get into the start of school, but it's coming.
Post a Comment
<< Home