I’ve been to hell and back. What’s happiness without ever being unhappy? I feel I’m happier now than I could have ever been. Gosh I’m having a bad day. This is probably the wrong time to make this thread, or maybe a good time because I don’t come off as in your face. The point is I could still have bad days. But even if I was in heaven, I’m talking cornfields and books and a dreamy atmosphere, just relaxing all day chilling with Abe Lincoln, I would still have days like today. But for the most part I’m pretty damn happy. And I doubt I would ever be this ecstatic if I didn’t struggle so much in my teens and early-mid twenties. It’s true, you gotta face demons in your life to sing with the angels. For the most part I feel like I’m in heaven cuz I’ve been through hell. Yup like I said it’s not perfect, but it will never be perfect. You gotta go through hell to get to heaven. I hope all of us can use our struggles we’ve faced and translate it to a greater appreciation of life. That’d be ideal…
You must cultivate heaven from within…
No tree can grow to heaven unless its roots reach down to hell-carl jung
I’m still everything messed up I was before, and I’m just being honest. However, the way I handle my messed-upness is improved, therefore I’m generally happier. I’m stronger and more stable. So, I look back to my teenage self and I celebrate her survival. I actually made it this far! I’m astounded, and I’m grateful, and I’m humbled. You’re right, @turningthepage. If I had not overcome/managed so very much, I wouldn’t know the difference. And the sunflowers and lizards and birds in my yard wouldn’t be nearly as meaningful.
Sounds like a Christian rhetoric ttp.
Just saying…we pick up those unconsciously.
It’s from this song actually 
Who’s dat ? Maybe he was a Christian 
I think that my ideal life would involve an alternation between joy and tranquility, with an absence of overt pain and negative emotions. I feel like tranquility is enough of a contrast to happiness to keep happiness meaningful; I’m aware that a constant state of pleasure would be tiresome. In Buddhism there’s the metaphor that a lotus must grow up from out of the muck at the bottom of a pond to reach the sunlit sky above (very similar to the Jung quote that is mentioned here). I also don’t believe my past and current behavior and habits merit a life completely free of pain.
I also believe in karmic exhaust theory- the idea that when you reach a certain point in spiritual development, all your bad karmic potentials come to fruition and you experience a “hell” before being free of negative karma forevermore.
When I lived on my own in my last place, the house was right under the flight path of the jets landing at the airport. So a billion times each day, I would be watching TV or reading or trying to relax and the jet airliners would fly low over the house and drown out everything with the noise of their engine.
Yeah @turningthepage, I’m pretty happy too these days and I often have the peace of mind that has been eluding me for most of the last 35 years. So congrats to both of us.
That is my all time favorite group!
I think you are right on target with this Jon. We suffer more than most because of it, we are stronger than many would know.