The Happiness Factor

Sunday, I was thinking about happiness or perhaps, a better phrase is: optimism. The glass half full or empty thing. I was wondering what factors made folks optimists and some folks pessimists, and actually did a small amount of research on this point. Some factors were genetic, some were environmental, and the others were free will and determination to set one's course a certain way.

I am one of those genuinely happy and optimistic folks, seeing challenges as opportunities. But I haven't always been like that, so I was reflecting back to see how and when this change took place.

Then, Monday, yesterday, the day I was going to share my thoughts on happiness, I got a call that a special friend of mine, a 30 year friend, was killed suddenly in a tractor accident.

Obviously, I don't feel like writing about happiness. But today, Tuesday, as I am sitting a personal, meditative shiva to absorb the transition of my relationship with David form one on an earthly plane to a spiritual one, I pondered: what is my happiness quotient now?

My answer is that optimism is a better word (at times) than happiness. I am still optimistic. I feel that I and many are blessed for having David touch our lives. I am at peace with his next journey in the spiritual realm. Yet, I mourn the loss. But this mourning, although certainly not a happy process, does not dim my optimistic take on life.

Suffice it to say for now, that I believe we can create in our lives, certain set points on the optimism/pessimism balance. And we can give ourselves a foundation that will hold our set point when the winds of change and life batter us. And my loss was tragic, but it did not shake my foundation.

I will ponder this set point concept-- this "how do we create optimistic foundations in our lives" a bit more and hopefully be moved to share my thoughts with you. Please feel free to share yours with me. Do you have a happiness set point? And how do you maintain it.