Random Thoughts by Pauline

May 21 2015, Thursday                

Are you happy? 

Do you have time to answer these five questions?  Rate how you felt from 0 to 10 with 10 being the most satisfying. These are the very 5 questions used in an international study to identify the people of which countries are the happiest or not happy at all.

1. Were you well rested yesterday?
2. Were you treated with respect yesterday?
3. Did you smile or laugh yesterday?
4. Did you do something interesting yesterday?
5. Did you have any feelings of enjoyment      yesterday?

 Let me see! My five answers are: 4, 6, 3, 0, 0! Oh, dear! I am one very unhappy person! It’s time to reflect on my life and how it is impacting on my mood.

 It is true that when I don’t sleep enough and have to handle a long day, I am agitated and exhausted longing to go home and lie down. When my views are not taken or worst simply swept aside, I am disappointed and frustrated. If the day is like that, certainly there is no reason to smile!

Of course, I can still do something to salvage myself from the dark valley – do something silly or maybe interesting. That was what I did on Monday in the middle of the afternoon after a meaningless meeting. I walked up to an ice-cream store nearby and bought a sundae with marshmallows! I devoured it with a very guilty conscience and halfway through it, I decided to stop! My palate was not satisfied neither was my morale boosted! I did not feel any sense of enjoyment!

That is life! There are mood swings and we have to be our own savior all the time. Do what we can and then extract ourselves from the dead ends. Move on. The next moment is an unknown to be experienced!