Comments on: Personal Praxis: is our quest for happiness and the uber-life creating a crappy world?

By: happiness - a group writing project

happiness - a group writing project — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 18:45:54 +0000

[...] nancy zimmerman, the money coach [...]

By: Stephen Rees

Stephen Rees — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 22:37:24 +0000

I don’t think that we are very good at determining what will make us happy. After all there is an entire industry devoted to turning us into consumers – and it takes quite a while to realise that buying things – or experiences – based on commercials is not going to make you happy. But obviously enough people do that. otherwise the economy would grind to a halt. Or maybe that is what is happening just south of here.

I did not get off the merry go round voluntarily. And I spent frustrating few years trying to clamber back on. But once I stopped doing that, and let go of all the things I had been trying to hang onto, I suddenly kept having these brief moments when it occurred to me that I was actually happy. Not all the time. And hardly ever at 3am. But more often now. And after a while you start to recognize what will make you happy – and what you need to do to get it.

Often surprisingly little.

By: Nancy Zimmerman: a canadian money coach (not a financial planner!) » Blog Archive » Freebie (or nearly) Wednesday: free REM online, an amazing music festival in Pemberton, and the XFiles set sale

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 05:25:50 +0000

[...] anyone think I walk around in sackcloth and ashes after Monday’s post – I assure you, I am not averse to good things in life, and esp. not averse to some rock n’ [...]

By: Wooly Woman

Wooly Woman — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:22:45 +0000

Those who are always chasing never seem happy to me (despite the lip service to the contrary). We do what we do, try to improve what we can, and we should enjoy the shiny moments (wasn’t yesterday lovely out?). Great post as usual Nancy.

By: The Blackbird

The Blackbird — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 04:45:53 +0000

Thanks for the heartfelt article and the compliment on my photos.

There may be times, years down the road, when you question whether you made the right move going with your heart instead of with your wallet. The answer to that question is, who knows? No one can say what might have happened. But what did happen is you chose to live an authentic life, to be true to your own instincts and nature.

Take care.

By: nancy

nancy — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 02:20:50 +0000

@isabella – thot of you as I was writing. My prof’s would have been all over this for how roughly framed my little argument is, esp defining terms like ‘happiness’. I’m not sure that ‘the world being better off’ translates into collective happiness, although that could be one side effect. And I do agree – what could be happier than the world looking reeeall good because we have learned to respect our own lives, and those of others. In fact, I’d choose a stronger word – maybe, joyous.
@sean – just keep doing what you’re doing.
@matt – thanks for dropping by! And of course, welcome your thoughts. Hope you’ve recovered from the demonic light.
@C8j – i suppose figuring out what’s worth paying for, and what’s not, is one of our life-long questions, yeah?

By: Big Cajun Man

Big Cajun Man — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 23:02:38 +0000

I guess I am lazy, because I have seen my Father and Brother chase the elusive “Best Life” for different reasons, and decided (did I really decide, or procrastinate) that just wasn’t what I wanted.

I’d love to have more money, I’d love to have a more stable job environment, and I’d love to feel I was more physically fit (I am not in bad shape), but then again, at what cost?

Everything has a price, are you willing to pay it?
-C8j

By: Matt Charron

Matt Charron — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 18:12:37 +0000

Just spotted this on twitter and, after a quick glance, have reserved it for more focused reading after my travel today.

PS: Wish the blinking fluorescent light in this conference room *was* playing the moonlight sonata instead of the “bug bouncing against the hot light bulb” stoccata.

By: Sean Orr

Sean Orr — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 03:21:30 +0000

Thanks Nancy! Great post!

By: isabella mori

isabella mori — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 03:00:05 +0000

oh gaw. where do i start.

i notice that despite my impending cold, i am much more passionate about dragging a response to this out of my tired brain than a previous post to which i “should” have responded professionally.

this post, my dear, has so much meat in it i HAVE to sink my teeth into it.

1) what’s happiness? we all have our own definitions, and that’s good an important. however, i find that much happiness lies in contentment. here’s one: most of my relationships are very, very good. that’s happiness. kinda dwarfs the rust spots on my old car.

2) deepening roots in the crazy soil of the downtown eastside, that’s LIVING. is it “happy” living? do you care?

3) the world is better off for your/own non-shiny life – isn’t that happiness? why measure happiness only in terms of our little singular lives?

if we all tuned out inane messages, and just got on with inhabiting this planet, taking due note of it, deeply respecting our lives and that of others, the world would look reeeeal good. what could be happier than that?