Like A Dog With Two Tails

The Boy Scout has a generally happy disposition. His “happy quota” is pretty high. When he took a short term job washing dishes, he would come home and say, “I am blessed with work”. Things like “I love my job”, “We get to live here”, “I get to be with you”  and “My life is so good” come out of his mouth regularly.

There are studies that suggest that we are born with a baseline of happiness and that it remains, for most, about that level. Peaks and pits are circumstantial with the dial moving back to baseline when circumstances either level back out or become the new normal.

If the studies are correct, I would have considered my baseline well below average, generally looking for the next bad thing to happen. I wasn’t quite Eeyore but I sure as heck wasn’t Betty White.

When I read about the studies, I was disappointed, thinking that there was no real way to make it better. The small dark cloud would remain. 

This has not been the case for me. I’m still not Betty White but I am usually able to see the good. My default has shifted. My dial has risen a few degrees and it is noticeable in my relationships, my body and my inner monologue. Circumstances have remained the same but I’ve found my silver linings.

For today I am happier. Tomorrow will take care of itself. 


Comments

  1. Debra She Who SeeksJune 23, 2023 at 10:35 AM

    I saw a good quotation just this morning -- "Focus on the donut, not the hole" -- LOL! Not unduly dwelling on or obsessing about the negatives of life definitely pushes our happiness/contentment scale higher on the dial.

    ReplyDelete
  2. ColetteJune 23, 2023 at 2:25 PM

    I really love this post!

    ReplyDelete
  3. MargaretJune 23, 2023 at 3:48 PM

    Losing people I loved at a young age changed my perspective (default) entirely. I realized how quickly life can end and how much I needed to grab ahold and squeeze out the joy as much as possible. Like you I'm no Pollyanna but I am realistically optimistic.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Marie SmithJune 23, 2023 at 4:23 PM

    It must be a great thing to realize you’ve become a happier person! Another reason to be happy.

    ReplyDelete

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