Thursday, February 17, 2011

Happy vs Unhappy. Who wins?

I don’t know if it is that time of the year or what, but so people appear to be unhappy.  Why is that?  In general we have so much to be happy for.  Are we as Americans just an unhappy lot? Do we like to hear ourselves bitch and complain?
I am not talking about the “Damn, I don’t want to get up and work out at 5am”, type of unhappiness.  I am talking about the kind that appears to come from somewhere deep in us.   I like to think of myself as a half full kind of guy.   I am not bubbly or overly charismatic, but I try to look on the bright side of things.  There are people that will say I am not always happy.  I raise my voice at the news on TV or really stupid calls by officials in my favorite sporting events.  I am also a realist and sarcastic at times.  But that doesn’t make me unhappy. 
Since I am realist I have been told over and over that I am too hard on others, typically people who appear to me to be unhappy.  I try to point out the good things in their lives, that sometimes there expectations are unrealistic.   Why do people get angry or unhappy that they “only “lost 1.5lbs this week?  Or did not PR a race?  It is not realistic to be perfect.
Why is it that the individuals who get mad at something are the most likely to do the same type thing?   Are they projecting?  I have people around me who are convinced that others need to respond to them immediately, but then they like to hold back information or wait until the last minute to pass on information or complete a task.  My personal opinion is that they do that for control reasons and think that anyone that doesn’t respond “their way” is trying to control them.  Double standard?
Do you that angry or unhappy people sleep less?  Worrying about things that they can’t control?  Do they try to bring you down to make themselves feel better? 
I know this isn’t exactly a happy (no pun intended) post, but it was something I was thinking about this morning on my run.  Happiness is not always  that flowery feeling.  But look around you—is your spouse by your side (even if you don’t always agree?) are your kids healthy, are you trying to improve yourself or make yourself better?  I like to play the cards I have been dealt, patiently made my decisions, and make the best of my situation.   
What are your thoughts on the situation?  Are you the unhappy one?  Is the person making you unhappy really doing something wrong?  Is it something you can change or should change?

4 comments:

Matthew Smith said...

I feel like we are so blessed and should be thankful for what we have/do. Something that I've been working on is CONTENTMENT! We hate when the weather is too cold, but then we hate it when it's too hot. We aren't happy when we don't have something, but as soon as we get it, we're looking for the next something to get. We are responsible for our own actions and feelings, so why not be HAPPY!

Great post!

Kim said...

ahh what a great post. i agree with matt's comment...people are always complaining about something. i'm currently struggling with my moods. once i figure out how i am feeling and why, ill get back to you :)

Lesser is More said...

Great post! I'm a firm believer in the concept that our life is what we make of it. If you aren't happy, you have to make the change, not someone else. People who have the strength to make that change are typically the happy ones while the angry ones complain yet do nothing to actually improve their situation.

Chad Davis said...

I too am a glass half full person. Unhappy people suck and I used to let them bother me. Events over the past year have caused me to change my attitude. Unhappy people still suck, but I do not let them bother me.