Related to blah?

divagirl

Cathlete
I'm curious.

Does anyone occasionally ever just feel like they have some more exciting life...waiting for them....somewhere?

Maybe its something you strive for...maybe something you feel you missed the boat on...maybe a different lifestyle...could be anything.
 
No, not really. My life might not be great for other people, but I'm pretty pleased with it.

Here's a pretty interesting article that may help you out when you're feeling blah. It's Wayne Coyen's (from The Flaming Lips) "This I Believe" segment from NPR. It's about creating your own happiness:

I believe we have the power to create our own happiness. I believe the real magic in the world is done by humans. I believe normal life is extraordinary.

I was sitting in my car at a stoplight intersection listening to the radio. I was, I guess, lost in the moment, thinking how happy I was to be inside my nice warm car. It was cold and windy outside, and I thought, "Life is good."

Now, this was a long light. As I waited, I noticed two people huddled together at the bus stop. To my eyes, they looked uncomfortable; they looked cold and they looked poor. Their coats looked like they came from a thrift store. They weren't wearing stuff from The Gap. I knew it because I'd been there.

The couple seemed to be doing their best to keep warm. They were huddled together, and I thought to myself, "Oh, those poor people in that punishing wind."

But then I saw their faces. Yes, they were huddling, but they were also laughing. They looked to be sharing a good joke, and suddenly, instead of pitying them, I envied them. I thought, "Huh, what's so funny?" They didn't notice the wind. They weren't worried about their clothes. They weren't looking at my car thinking, "I wish I had that."

You know when a single moment feels like an hour? Well, in that moment, I realized I had assumed this couple needed my pity, but they didn't. I assumed things were all bad for them, but they weren't. And I understood we all have the power to make moments of happiness happen.

Now, maybe that's easy for me to say. I feel lucky to have fans around the world, a house with a roof and a wife who puts up with me. But I felt this way even when I was working at Long John Silver's. I worked there for 11 years as a fry cook. When you work at a place that long, you see teenagers coming in on their first dates; then they're married; then they're bringing in their kids. You witness whole sections of people's lives.

In the beginning, it seemed like a dead end job. But at least I had a job. And frankly, it was easy. After two weeks, I knew all I needed to know, and it freed my mind. The job allowed me to dream about what my life could become.

The first year I worked there, we got robbed. I lay on the floor. I thought I was going to die. I didn't think I stood a chance. But everything turned out all right. A lot of people look at life as a series of miserable tasks, but after that, I didn't.

I believe this is something all of us can do: Try to be happy within the context of the life we are actually living. Happiness is not a situation to be longed for or a convergence of lucky happenstance. Through the power of our own minds, we can help ourselves. This I believe.
 
Getting caught up in that kind of thinking causes me to not live in the moment and after the moment has passed I usually regret not relishing it. I think that if I felt like I had a more "exciting" life waiting for me then I would identifiy what that is and set about achieving that goal a chunk at a time.

This quote is something that I reflect on every now and then when I need a reminder that happiness is a journey not a destination.


“For a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin – real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life. This perspective has helped me to see there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. So treasure every moment you have and remember that time waits for no one. Happiness is a journey, not a destination.” Souza
 
My exciting shot at life went down the drain after I checked the mega drawing this morning ;)





Debbie


Adults are always asking kids what they want to be when they grow up because they are looking for ideas.
--Paula Poundstone
 
I agree you do need to be happy with the present moment. Maybe its me that I feel like sometimes I'd like to experience everything...probably why it got me into trouble with choosing a career :)

Like:

What would it be like to live in a Penthouse over looking the city in NYC and hob knob in the evenings with prominent, intelligent people in fancy restaurants and discuss various topics.

Or, what if I could just travel the world and go on safaris and live in a jungle for a while and do the whole national geographic thing...haha.

Or live in California and be a well known writer and go to various artsy events.

Personally I think I'd like to live 10 lifetimes in one lifetime if I could.
 
Well, you could start out small. A recurring theme seems to be that you want to be around interesting, creative, and/or intelligent people. How about going to art openings/galleries/museums in your area? Take an art history class. Maybe joining (or starting) a book club. No, it's not glamorous, but it might help tap into some of those creative/intellectual needs that you seem to be craving now and you may meet some people who have some of the same interests. Take a writing class or just write on your own. Start reading the types of books you'd like to write. Why not a trip to an exotic place...maybe not a whole year, but a couple of weeks? Take a photography class or learn a new language before you go.

Just remember, "promininent" and rich doesn't always mean intelligent, and "fancy restaurants" aren't where you will necessarily find the stimuli you want. They can be very separate things. If the fancy and rich life-style is what you really want, well, I'm not the one to tell you how to get that. ;) Quite honestly, it's never been something I've really aimed for.

I wish I could help more, but this is journey that only you can take. Why not figure out what about your life, right now, is good. What little things do you really love and appreciate? And then think about the things or people that aren't so positive...and maybe you need to get rid of them. Easier said than done, huh?

You've got it all in front of you...enjoy the scenery, girl.
 
I know how you feel. I have felt that way on and off for years. I seem to suffer from "the grass is greener on the other side" syndrome alot. LOL I try not to let it get me down although sometimes I must admit that it does! My life can feel pretty boring at times...I figure I'm human though. Is anyone 100% pleased with every aspect of thier lives all of the time? Probably not. :)
 
I think it can part of human nature too. However, I also really like the idea of trying to incorporate some of my desires into my life as mentioned by TeTe. Maybe I'll make my own list of 50 things I'd like to do in my life and start there.
 
>My exciting shot at life went down the drain after I checked
>the mega drawing this morning ;)
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>Debbie


You mean you aren't one of the big winners, Deb? ACK...well then forget it...I don't like you anymore!;) :p :7
 

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