posted June 22, 2004 01:08 PM              

In this edition (no.40), it cheerfully states that a group of "..western economists inspired by Bhutun's concept of Gross National Happiness.." are thinking about expanding the idea internationally.

"Gross International Happiness could be the nest level of evolution in our economic thinking"

Bhutan is a tiny Himalayan kingdom, and is the only country in the world to measure it's wealth by Gross National Happiness, instead of Gross National Product

Aware of the unorthadox approach to the economy, this tiny country hosted an international conference on GIH;

"There's a need for a new movement that talks the language of economists and tries to expand their horizons.... since the Enlightenment we stopped seeing the divine in everything and the West created economic models that say if we have enough material goods we will be happy. Now that is completely invalidated."

The Dalai Lama himself, endorses this view;
"I have discovered in my travels around the world that people in wealthy countries are often not nearly as happy as I had expected them to be, considering their material affluence. Seeing deep poverty side by side with conspicuous consumption in both wealthy and poor countries also indicates that all is not well."

I mean.. how good would it be if happiness was the basis for things instead of money?

posted June 23, 2004 09:39 AM              

interesting idea, but defining happiness sounds awful slippery to me.

posted June 23, 2004 12:23 PM              

*clears throat*

Happiness is contentment within, and with-out!! A sparkly energy that bounces of all things near. It's a state of consciousness that envelopes you when you feel everything around you is the way it should be. (Feel like about to break into a musical )I've been wrestling with this for a while, been to St James' Church to light candles and now back in the office, and lots has popped into my head. This is when I need a dictaphone - I can imagine work loving me for that! What are you doing with that dictaphone K?; "Oh don't mind me I'm just defining my thoughts on happiness!"

Happiness is a strange thing as emotional complexities can be, since it's stems from the individuals values. Which is why it's 'slippery' in terms of definition!

I think it'll be easier to describe how I feel about happiness if I list some things which make me happy, wish I could have them all now!;

Since it's raining (at 17:10 in the west end of London and started this at 14:00! ) - beautiful fresh rainy mornings in the countryside, overlooking equally beautiful scenery, wearing no makeup, holding a hot mug of liquid and feeling warm and content with myself.

Having another soul to love and another soul love you.

Trust.

Storms!! I luuuurve storms!

Having my freedom, health and self belief.

Being able to help another soul and not 'expect' anything in return.

The expression on someone's face when you've made them happy!

Peace

Oooo.. there's lots, but it's nearing the end of the working day and I need to log off soon or I'll be known as; "The nutter who sits in the corner defining happiness".

How about you? What makes you happy?

Love to you Xelena and thanks for taxing my brain!

posted June 24, 2004 08:47 AM              

(did i mention i share a birthday with Danny Kaye? )

right on, sparkly special. i call it "being in the flow" - or feeling like i'm on the right path, when even when things go wrong they work out for the best. i think, like you, i'm naturally more of an optimist, so it's not usually so hard to get to this place.

i gotta run so i'll think about my response today... though thunderstorms top my list, too!

posted June 24, 2004 06:31 PM              

These are the things that make me the happiest. My children are capable of evoking such happiness in my heart that I cry... and they don't understand, yet. I tell them they will understand when they are grown and are mommies themselves.

They light up my life like it was dark before they came to me. I thank them often for choosing me to be their mommy. I tell them it is a very special gift.

Their hugs, snuggles, kisses they all make me happier than anything in this world ever could. (my eyes are filling with tears now... happy ones)

They have the power to bring me up when I am down, without even knowing what they are doing.

They are my special little angels of happiness from God(ess).

posted June 24, 2004 06:35 PM              

So, Daddies, you hold your babies too... cuz they don't stay that way for long.

posted June 24, 2004 10:31 PM              

gem ~ yep, right there with ya on bath products - love Lush's stuff cos it smells so heavenly, although walking into the stores is so overpowering I often think my face'll melt Oh and massages - really wanna book one, never have done before!

LibraSparkle ~ "I love you like a circle" Awww.. how cute?? Never thought of that, do you mind if I adopt it?! I know I'm gonna love the feeling of being a parent when I eventually am And yep, dad's are important too.. mine was a single parent and am very proud of him now I understand some of the struggles he had.

You know what else makes me happy? DANCING! It's 3:15am and back from the company summer party, we're in high spirits even though England lost to Portugal in footy tonight. After the hotel dancefloor, we went to 'Havana' a Salsa bar/club - never Salsa'd before but it was amazing - had the best teachers to lead too. It was like the bit in 'Dirty Dancing' when Baby's being taught, and we did some of the moves - even the lift! Sssshhyeah right!! OK NOT the lift! But hey, been wanting to try Salsa for ages and now I wanna do lessons

Lovely ladies, I really must depart for bed now, it's almost half three and need to be at work at 8am!!!!! uurgh - on the positive though, it is Frrriiidaayy! So yeah I'm still happy

Looking forward to hearin' from you,

Lotsa love (like a circle )
Moi x

posted June 25, 2004 12:56 AM              

I'm happiest when I make others happy. When you say or do something nice for someone and you can see it in their eyes and smile - that you've given them a little piece of happiness. Usually it's the simple things. Today I had to tell my boyfriend how lucky I felt to have him in my life. He is a beautiful soul, so kind. ( a fellow Taurus - sun and moon ) He's very much a Taurus in that he is the quite type, but I know this made him very happy to hear this. We need to let our loved ones know how special they are to us more often.

posted June 25, 2004 10:12 PM              

Seriously it's such a pleasure chattin' with you guys. My happy list should def. include LL because it's when I'm most myself 26 .. it's always refreshing and stabilising when someone talks about their love for someone or something, since it comes from the heart and I wish you and your taurean so much love LibraSparkle - this goes for you too!! The way you talked about your children.. 26 is right, they're lucky kiddos!

Oh yeah LS ~ "Gooood on ya gal!" aaand tribal belly dancing?? What a kewl new thing to do! Really need to get my (Saggie!!) tummy trim! Yup.. Boogies are great, yup I love shakin my thang to a good hiphop beat. I miss streetdance, been so busy recently it's been put on the back burner for a while. Anyway - I visualise dancing when I write so .. err kinda just as good right?!

I always seem to be replying to this thread at 3am ish! Well it's now Saturday and my relaxin' plans start again - it begins here with lotsa sleeeep! What's everyone up to this weekend?

And..

Can everyone feel the white light around this thread?

As Knowflake tradition will have it ~ I loves ya!! Noitey - noite!

posted June 26, 2004 04:11 PM              

Now...

Get your tummy trim?! Please. I saw the pics you posted of yourself. You are breathtakingly BEAUTIFUL! Don't change a thing!!!

Also, I would love to hear your voice. English accents make me all gooey inside. So lovely.

Hehe.. my hubby works with a guy that's from England. His wife teases me and says if I want she'll tape him for me in their next love making session so I can play it while I'm with MY hubby. LOL. Sometimes for a special treat when my hubby calls me from work he'll patch me through to this English fellow and he'll just say silly little words that are so differnt and beautiful spoken with an English tongue vs. an American tongue.

Anyhow... I don't want to hear another word about your needing to change your physical apperance. You are Special and BEAUTIFUL just as you are!

posted June 27, 2004 01:27 AM            

You are all so lovely and good and I started smiling from the moment I saw this thread until it's end, and I am still smiling. That is happiness right there.
I have a few happy things for me that I can share.. more feelings mixed with events.

That bubble in your stomach feeling. sore cheeks from laughing so hard. That undefinable moment in a movie or a book or a friends' life when you experience their happiness and it is as real as your own. The way my daughter says some words in a very matter of fact way.. too cute. That pride in your family. Thrusting them out into the world and saying... he/she is mine, I made that!!! *gush*
Hanging out in a backyard/on a beach with friends, being one in the moment. content. sharing popcorn at the movie. Looking over at a loved one and when you aren't thinking about much, just feeling an absolute rush of love for them, from out of nowhere. Wanting to absorb them into you, because your chest literally hurts for a hug, and it is just never enough to truly express how you feel.
spontaneous rushes of happy energy that takes you by surprise.
Oh so much more, but I worked til midnight tonight, and I have to go in again for the morning, so I must sleep now.
*but I am happy that I could go on and on*

posted June 28, 2004 09:52 AM              

pixie - your post made me smile and then smile s'more!! I felt your happiness as it came through and know what you mean I can't stop happily gushing on this thread!

Ahh.. you guys are sooo loved with your families and children! I kinda get the feeling I'm gonna have three? (children!) I don't know when because whoever I do have them with has to be the Ultimate.

How odd - but lovely, that taking into account LL will be around for years, as long as we stay on, we'll be online friends for time - and building soul connections all the while! Wow - you may even see future pics of my wedding / kids??!

Wow that'll make me happy!

In the words of LS - I love you like a circle guys

posted June 29, 2004 06:11 AM              

26taurus
Knowflake
Posts: 215
From: somewhere in the Green Mountains, VT
Registered: Jun 2004
posted June 26, 2004 07:39 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is an update for those of you who read my thread called: “I just blew up my couch”
Although it is only day two since this piece of furniture has made it’s blessed presence in my living room. We already want to get rid of it. That’s right. Unfortunately this inflatable couch was not all it was blown up to be.

One thing is for sure. It was $40 bucks sucked quickly down the drain.

Why did we make such an impulsive, not at all well thought out furniture investment? What sign was the moon in that day? I bet it was Aries (impulsive, enthusiastic). Was the moon possibly squaring one of our natal Neptune’s ( confusion, illusion, fantasy)? I don’t know, or furthermore care, to probe the depths or dimensions of inflatable furniture buying and it’s correlation to transiting planets aspecting the natal chart.
All I know is this thing sucks and I can’t believe we purchased it. I mean we are both Taurus’. We are supposed to be the practical - rational ones in the zodiac. All we want is comfort - stability. Something this “couch” was severely lacking.

It seemed okay at first - it was cute we thought. Like a giant beach ball or something. But in all reality it’s just a big bubble of air, taking up far too much space in our tiny living room.

For example, last night - excited by the prospect of our new “couch” - we decided to pop in a movie. We were normal people now! We had a couch! Or so we thought. About halfway through the movie, I noticed, to my bewilderment, we were not at the same level of elevation we were at an hour or so ago.
What’s this? Is the TV stand growing?! No. Sadly we were sinking. “Oh, that’s right, I’m on an inflatable couch!!! How silly of me!” And to think this would last us more than a day, would stand the test of time, maybe we’ll pass it on to our children, when and if we had some. All of the things you think about when investing in a piece of furniture. Reality had struck - and hard.

To make matters worse this “couch” almost caused a huge blowout between my boyfriend and I.
It all started when he got up to go to the bathroom. With that simple action, I was left helplessly bouncing about - my glass of water spilled all over me.
“God damn it!” I yelled.
“You know this isn’t like a regular couch. Try and be a little more considerate when you get up, will you PLEASE?!?!!”
“Sorry!!” he said, glaring at me, obviously annoyed with the circumstances.
I mean this really sucks. To get on and off this thing peacefully, without a fight breaking out, are we to hold hands, and synchronize our movements on and off of it??

Another near miss happened. As the “couch” was slowly - sneakily - deflating on us, we sort of started to inadvertently lean into the sides of one another. Until the sides of our shoulders and heads were touching. Luckily, this all happened in Slow Mo. Otherwise there would have been a serious bumpage of heads. I mean this is dangerous. Don’t you think? Not to mention the fact that as I was returning from fetching a new glass of water - I sat back down, and almost sent a loved one propelling through the air. I shudder at the thought of what could have happened to him.

After unsuccessfully trying to peacefully watch a movie with my boyfriend - who had somehow morphed into my little brother in the way we were fighting, just like my brother and I used to do on long car rides -threatening the other not to cross “my side” of the back seat.
"DON'T MAKE ME TURN THIS COUCH AROUND!" I swear I heard my mother scream - like the way she always used to.
I decided to give the couch another shot. Maybe I just needed to break it in. It is brand new and all. So I decided to take the new book I bought and have myself a nice read, curled up on our new couch.

The strong odor of shower curtains engulfed me - it was overwhelming. Which reminded me, I think it’s about time to change ours. I couldn’t concentrate on what I was reading, my mind kept wandering…..maybe I was getting high off the fumes.

It was all quite unnerving. I mean, here I was lying on this thin plastic thing filled with air. I don’t even know the weight limits of it! For all I know it’s about to burst right now! All through the movie and even now still - I couldn’t get the underlying panic of this reality out of my head. It really could pop at any moment, just one wrong move is all it would take. I could envision it now. I would come crashing to the floor with a POP and a Thud.
The main purpose of a couch is to relax on it. Unfortunately this kind of couch just induces panic attacks.
No, it’s not just my Virgo moon talking.

Refusing to let this thing scare me, I remained on it. I even bounced up and down on it a bit. Just to show it who’s boss. “Remember couch, I gave you life and one sharp object is all it will take to end it.” “Don’t push me.”

As I was reading the words of my book and not absorbing any of it - I pondered to myself, “I’m actually sitting on a couch…..yet I’m not. I’m sitting on air. I’m sitting on nothing!”
“I’m floating!! Oh, my God.”
“I’m FLOATING!”
“No - LEVITATING!”
“Something I’ve tried to do all my life through meditation with no success!”
“Look Ma! No hands! I’m floating - I mean levitating!!”
“Wweeeeeeee!”

Suddenly I had a newfound respect for this so called couch. “Thank you my couch! My teacher!”
When I really think about it I did feel a sense of déjà vu with it upon its arrival. And looking back I realize I have KNOWN this couch before.

“You were my “floaties” when I was learning how to swim.”
“My support, while relaxing in the pool, on that hot summer day, while I was sipping lemonade getting a tan.”
“And I held on to you for dear life as we flew, recklessly down many a snowy hillside, so many winters ago.”
"You are also that thing the nurses use to take my blood pressure........that hurts, you know."

My couch, my companion, my guru.
“I have awoken. Is it too late? Have I failed you?”
“I see you are not replying. I get it - I am to look within.
You are so wise.”

I am now torn as to what to do with my couch. Depart? Deflate? It all seems so easy, yet now too hard.

Wow. Imagine how I’d be if I was male and owned a blow-up DOLL.

I have way too much time on my hands.

posted July 15, 2004 04:19 PM              

Love,
Rainbow

posted July 16, 2004 02:51 AM              

now coming back to GNH..well there is always a interesting debate on it. but i guess no matter how hard we find it to keep in force it is still there in all of our mind and thats why..wht our development is progressing in a way it will benifit people of the country.

see ya...
mystical..rain

posted July 16, 2004 06:27 AM              

Tara ~ awww love back at ya girl the hearts jus popped right outta the pc & did a little Disney dance around my head!! After viewing taurian images, I thought gold (solid love) one was apt for you!

(Without a gold bit sticking outta your back of course!! x x)

mystical ~ I can imagine GNP in Bhutan, I hear what you're saying and am happy that you have pride in your country! It also looks beautiful there

Some of the images I found were so colourful!

Danielle ~ Good luck with your house move! A saggie horsey love image from me to you!

Ahhh it's Friday again guys, and love is in the air!

Sheaa