Ray’s Daily
March 18, 2021
Happiness is a function of accepting what is.
Werner Erhard
I am basicly a happy person. I am older than I thought I would be, I am living in a better place than I thought I would, and I am with people who have become my friends. And best of all I have three great children who do what they can to make my life as pleasant as it can be.
I have learned over the years that it is no use being unhappy over things that really are not that important. Recently Marc Chernoff published an article on what not to do if you want happiness. Here is anbriged copy of what he wrote.
10 Things You Do NOT Need to Be Happier in Life
- To please everyone – Be careful not to give so much of yourself to others that you end up completely losing yourself.
- Everything to be easy – You have to do hard things to be happy in life. The things no one else is doing. The things that frighten you. The things others can’t do for you.
- Certainty and guarantees – Some people build too many walls in their lives and not enough bridges. It sounds crazy, but they would rather be certain they’re miserable, than risk being happy. Don’t be one of them.
- To be better than others – The size of our universe shrinks dramatically when we place ourselves at the center, someone who doesn’t keep score, who’s not looking to be richer, or smarter, or more attractive, who has not the slightest interest even in being better than anyone else.
- More control over everything and everyone – Sometimes we put too much interest into trying to control every tiny aspect of our lives. Learn to relax and ride the path that life takes you sometimes.
- Immense moments of glory –True, lasting happiness is found in the appreciation of all the small things.
- Other people to constantly validate me – Relationships are essential, but happiness originates from within. It is not exclusively dependent on external validation or on other people.
- Perfect harmony in all relationships at all times – Harmony in relationships is nice when it’s sincere, but too often we try to fake it. Effective communication is king. You have to talk it out sometimes. After all, the only way to be happy in life is to live with integrity.
- A superior time and place –Appreciate your past without reliving it, handle your present with confidence, and face your future without fear. Life is simply too short to spend at war with yourself.
- Happiness 24/7 – Absolutely no one is happy all of the time. Because you simply can’t be happy unless you’re unhappy sometimes. This is a harsh truth, I know. Just keep in mind that it’s perfectly normal to experience considerable fluctuations in your level of happiness from day to day, month to month, and even year to year.
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He who lives in harmony with himself lives in harmony with the universe.
Marcus Aurelius
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Remember: No matter where you go; there you are.
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George, a career Army officer I once met, was jumpmaster for his unit and was taking up a few novices for a drop. The flight was pretty rough, and, after a while, George called off the jump because of high winds. As the plane headed back to base, and the pilot pulled off an unusually smooth landing, two of the neophytes got airsick. “How come you could take that rough flight, but you couldn’t handle the smooth landing?” asked George. “Well, Sir,” one trainee explained, “we’ve always jumped out of planes. We’ve never actually landed before.”
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Sane? Hell, if I was sane why would I be here?
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Jill: My ex was just impossible. Absolutely nothing pleased him. Tell me, Mary, were your exes hard to please?
Mary: I wouldn’t know. I’ve never tried.
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The old make the rules, the young make up the exceptions.
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Mr. Dewey (of the famous law firm of Dewey, Cheatem, and Howe) was briefing his client, who was about to testify in his own defense. “You must swear to tell the complete truth. Do you understand?”
The client replied that he did.
The lawyer then asked, “Do you know what will happen if you don’t tell the truth?”
The client looked back and said, “I imagine that our side will win.”
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If ignorance is bliss, why aren’t more people happy?
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Soon after their last child left home for college, Linda’s husband was resting next to her on the couch with his head in her lap.
She carefully removed his glasses. “You know, honey,” she said sweetly, “Without your glasses, you look like the same handsome young man I married.”
“Honey,” he replied with a grin, “Without my glasses, you still look pretty good too!”
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Thank you for holding. This call may be monitored for quality purposes.
Of course, if we really cared about quality we’d hire more people to answer the phone.
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California vintners in the Napa Valley area that primarily produces Pinot Blanc and Pinot Grigio have developed a new hybrid grape that acts as an anti-diuretic and will reduce the number of trips an older person has to make to the bathroom during the night.
They will be marketing the new wine as Pinot More.
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Now and then it’s good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.
Guillaume Apollinaire
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Indianapolis, Indiana
Management is not responsible for duplicates from previous dailies. The editor is somewhat senile.
Ray’s Daily has been sent for more than twenty years to people who want to start their day on an upbeat. If you have system overload because of our daily clutter, let me know and I will send you the information via mental telepathy. If you have not been getting our daily you can request to be added by e-mailing me at raykiwsp@comcast.net. Back issues are posted at http://rays-daily,com/ currently there are hundreds of readers from around the world.
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