Happiness
Happiness
This topic once again is so complicated. Remember in the first book there was the statement that in life 1 size DOESN'T FIT ALL? Religion can make people happy. Believing in Santa can make people happy. Worshiping Satan can make people happy. Heroin can make people happy. A sadist is happy when when he or she hurts others. Contemplating the misfortunes of others can brighten one's day. Put on nice clothes even if you don't plan on going out can make you feel good. Sugar sure makes kids happy. Pretty sure people that summited Everest ( without losing any loved ones ) are happy. Is all happiness temporary? I believe it is, but there are some differences. People that go shopping feel temporary happiness when they buy something and then the routine is repeated. Just like drinking and smoking is for me. The buzz goes away and the next day the behavior is repeated. Now let's say you accomplished a significant goal. Could be anything for example losing 50 lbs or not drinking for a year or winning a golf tournament or you did really well on a test etc. Something significant. Now you have that goal stored in long term memory and it can be retrieved anytime. That memory can make you happy. Or even remembering a good vacation or a good laugh you had with some of your friends back in the day. You know the laughs you guys had when you couldn't stop? Those happy experiences are tempory, but they can be relived in the nostalgic sense and put a smile on your face many years later. The beer that I will drink later this evening won't have that quality. The expensive shoes that a shopper buys will bring ephemeral happiness as well. Was thinking about that Sheril Crow song ( 'If It Makes You Happy' It Can't Be That Bad ) not too long ago. Now I'm not going to tell you what makes you happy because I don't know for certain. Will tell you what makes me happy and surmise what CAN make me happy and perhaps dear reader you can relate.
Drinking and drugs ( I don't touch the stuff in Japan, but my drug of choice would be magic mushrooms ) can make me happy. Problem is I feel like crap later and drinking is expensive and time consuming. The feeling I get after a good workout is great, but the workout itself isn't fun. So it's the opposite. Drink first feel happy and feel bad later with a hangover. Workout first and stress your body, then feel fantastic later. The thing about working out is that you can feel really good after a solid hour and a half session. You can feel good even the next day when your muscles are sore because you know they are growing. Yup a good workout can make you feel good for 2 days. So drinking and the feeling I get after working out makes me happy, but in different ways.
Gambling. What a great feeling it is to win, but losing really sucks. When I play Keno and my numbers hit, it feels euphoric. A mixure of heavy drinking and heavy betting will most of the time make you not want to get out of bed the next morning. I've woken up some mornings remembering that I made big withdrawls from my bank the night before. Stupid, stupid, stupid. But there is no doubt that winning when you gamble is such a wonderful feeling. It sure makes me happy.
People enjoying my work makes me really happy. Everyday people are listening to my songs on my website and on Youtube. It will be perpetual. Long after I die my work will be around. It's a wonderful feeling and I also want to thank YOU for reading this book. So here we have a win-win-win situation. I enjoy writing songs and books and I like the fact that the material will be around for ever and you win because you can enjoy ( I hope ) what's going on in my brain. Muslims and their hypocrite groupies ( so called moderates ) won't enjoy this book because they don't appreciate the truth. They won't enjoy the book, but they still win because they can see a different perspective. Thanks to the internet there are now many Ex-Muslims and Ex-Christians.
Having someone that loves you is probably the most important ingredient for happiness. People die way too early because of lonelyness. From early 1996 - late 2000 I hit a dry spell and it was perhaps the worst time in my life. In 1995 I was doing great. Had a girlfriend 4 years older than me, but then we broke up. A short time later her friend hooked up with me and things were fantastic. I was a happy 19 year old guy. Feb. 29th, 1996 was a really bad day. It set off a chain of events that would put a guy in his sexual prime into misery. Roughly 4 and a half years of lonlyness and poverty. Lonelyness and poverty go together because if you have money worst comes to worst you can always rent companionship. Oldest business in history. I am so glad I came to Japan and procured resourses and am no longer lonely.
Being able to wake up anytime you like would make everyone happy. Are there people out there that enjoy waking up to an alarm? Kids can be a human alarm I guess. I love staying up late. It's so nice and quiet and the best time to relax. Watching movies or interesting Youtube videos in the evening is great. Problem is is that I have morning work so always set my alarm for early and it takes me 3 snoozes before I unhappily get my sorry ass out of bed. It's a miserable feeling all the time. I would love to have the option to still make money and wake up when ever I feel like it. The only way for this to become a reality is for me to become wealthy, own assets that cover my bills or to start a business I love. When you have a passion for something you look forward to getting up and doing what needs to get done. There are many things that I enjoy doing, but haven't found something I really really love doing other than drink and smoke and have the company of a nice lady. No doubt drinking can impede progress, but after work having a beer on the train is so nice. Then a few more when I get home. Living alone can be great because there is no stress. Beer in 1 hand and a cigarette in the other while relaxing on the couch. No one there to cause trouble. But then what happens is time goes by and I get older and nothing gets done. Unless something is done I will never be able to wake up when I want. So yes, happiness to me is a no rush to get up.
Having a purpose in life is sure to make many happy and especially yours truely. My purpose in life right now is to make money so that my daughter is taken care of. The way I make money is unfullfilling. Teaching English to kids can be fun sometimes, but when the students study for an hour or less once a week they won't learn very much. Every lesson I always ask how they are and their names. Some students after 3 years can't answer How Are You? They just repeat back How Are You? 3 freakin years! Or sometimes after you ask them How Are You, they will reply with My Name Is... It gets frustrating, but you can only do the best you can and enjoy those beers that always make things ( seem ) better after work. My job doesn't serve much of a purpose and many teachers I know don't like teaching. They are there only for the money. Not one I know would teach English for free. After summer or winter vacation the students will come back and forget many things they were taught. Imagine building something and every morning you wake up, it's disassembled and has to be rebuilt? What a waste! No purpose there. I will find my purpose in life. I have to in order to live a happy life. I hope you find yours as well.