Happiness is having peace of mind. Material things come and go. But being able to fall asleep at night without a care in the world is something very precious upon which no pecuniary value or price can be set.

hi;-)) and welcome princess,,
this is so true,,i hope your in that special place;-))

I think the people in the group have defined happiness nicely. I'd add that happiness is different for different people. And what makes us happy often changes later in life.
What makes me feel happy is having freedoms to do as I please. When my freedoms are restricted, I am often unhappy.

dont be no more;-))
you got the freedom of expression here with no restrictions+ good friends;-))
nice to meet you knowtain

Nice to meet you Peter, my name is Jonathan.
It was freedoms in the physical sense that often creates my happiness. My life is limited by disabilities, so when physical freedoms happen, I'm much happier.

believe me when i say i understand and relate with that Jonathan;-))
have you ever experienced full freedom before,,

Yes, I wasn't born with disabilities. I suffered a brain injury when 14.

WELL IT DOESENT APPEAR TO HAVE STUNT YOUR GROWTH LOL,,SO ITS JUST BALANCE I GUESS,,

i hope you don't mind my free speech,,but i spent a year lying in a bed not being able to move an inch,,and i know i have a careless attitude towards disability since,,i know i used to feel sorry for people onetime who i taught was restricted ,,but i found out that you get used to it as a way of live and only notice the problems when you try do do something you cant,,i guess it is easier if one had never experienced full features,,but then to have would also be a +,,,
i want to share this video with you,,and i hope you don't find me abnoctious ,,,, but this inspires me,,,,

you may need to copy and paste it into your search engine

http://www.ted.com/index.php/speakers/view/id/216

If my disabilities were only physical, my limitations would be less. So many technologies are allowing the physically disabled to have complete lifestyles nowadays.
But I've got a combination of physical and mental disabilities. I appear nondisabled until given a challenge.

I'm truly sorry to hear that, Knowtain. I remember once a blind woman came to visit us....It was the first time I ever saw a blind person. I felt so sad. I closed my eyes and tried to walk around ...In the house I lived for years I found it so hard to walk with closed eyes. I thank God for this great blessing and all His blessings that I don't even realize .
You have mental and physical disabilities but I'm certain that you'r grateful you can use your hands , you can talk and express your feelings. I can understand the desire for you to be free from this disability but do you think this could be your"happiness"?
You can be happy even with having disability .You just have to look at the things you are blessed with instead of the things you lack.

It seems that we don't realize how much we've been blessed until we lose a blessing or two. My brain injury may limit my physical and mental abilities, thus limiting my freedoms, yet my brain injury created new freedoms for me. I have a new perspective on life that I wouldn't have if not for the disabilities.
The world is changing rapidly. What I used to complain about has become front page news. My limitations prevented me from pursuing the American Dream, and now the American Dream is backfiring badly. And I couldn't be more pleased to see record oil prices and the housing crisis.

well the most interesting people live in their head;-))
if you could run,you would pass,,
if you could stop you could go,,
if you are interesting,people will like you,,
stay interesting bud,,;-))
go to ted.com and listen to Dan Ellsey,,or Stephen Hawking
amassing really

It is very disturbing how much people allow themselves to be brainwashed. We're told from an early age that we are meant to live a certain way. And few people bother to question what they're told. It tends to take a crisis to change our mindsets.

we are always brainwashed in everything bud,,thats why we need teachers that just teach a subject full stop.,,and let the kids decide what they want to do themselves,,some kids would rather spend a week on one subject,,learn it well move on to the next one and so on, other kids would rather a bit of this a bit of that,,and this would begin to bring out their carrector
and show their interest`s also,,it would be easer to look back on a year and see where the child's interest are heading ,,of coarse they need to dabble in all subjects,,but they would be in control,,not us telling them what to do,,and as well you know when a child gets interested in something they will find out what they need to do,,this is better than us telling them what what we think they should be doing,,i never meat a kid that didn't ask question`s,,did you,,
my little girl told me every day that she did not like doing Irish class,,and the day she does it ,is the only day that she does not want to go to school,,
i told her just don't do it,,and that was the end of it,,all the teachers says she is top of her class at every parent day,,but she is a little week at irish,,last meeting i told the teacher that she dosent need it for her career ,,
teacher asked did i know what she wanted to do already as she is only 9,,i replied of coarse,,and so could you if you listened ;-))
,,
anything that dose`nt require irish,,
she asked what will happen in a few years if she discovers she needs it ,,i replied ,,if she does she will have to learn it then,, i am very involved in the running of the school,and i see teachers are the best,,but they have been brainwashed into an old system,,thats all thats wrong,,
brain W, by parents,,teachers,,tv,,radio,,and papers,,
let them think for themselves,, sorry that took a while ;-))

It is too easy to get brainwashed. Perhaps we could have antibrainwashing lessons.
I'm not crazy about foreign language classes in high schools. I took 3 years of French and 2 years in Spanish in high school, and I never use the languages. So I've forgotten most of what I learned in high school language courses. That 5 years of language study wasted!

well there it is again,,if you decide to go to spain to live an work, whats the first thing you need to do?? learn the language,,you don't need a teacher to tell you that;-))
let the kids decide,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I think kids should first learn the basics, like reading, writing, and math. Let's get the basics done properly before jamming all the other courses into their heads. After they master the basics, then they should have intellectual freedoms.

yes true and would have more time to grow also,,
also each school should have band equipment,,all instruments,,a class doesnt even need a teacher of all,,as kids learn from video,,tab,,etc,,all types of sports,,
kids we underestimate them,,they will learn themselves if they have to,,
i get really excited about this;-))

I think the music and the sports would be ideal for community centers, for kids of all ages.

I agree with Loren on this one. Peace in mind & heart!!!

I agree Alice
being good lover to all mankind

I think your missing the point here!!! LOL

i will do one ,,just to please my fans lol
i will be in the studio for the next too weeks,,
releasing an album then;-))

Oh boy, i cant wait peter, please do that!!! LOL

i was joking princess hehehe

I know you were, i play along with you. heheheheheeh

happiness, is when u make someone really smile, when u help someone who needs it, when u put a big smile on ur parents face, happiness is when u feel that ur relationship with god is improving when u obey him in everysingle step u take

nice topic but u havent said what is happiness to u? peter

gosh lol,,nobody asked me ;-))
you have a beautiful mind,,when you noticed this ;-))
well happiness to me is contentment in what i do;-))
but the happiest times is lying in bed with my kids talking about what happened in school,,and the way they fight to tell me things,,i could stay their for hours,,and they love it to,,they even started going to bed earlier so they would have more time at it;-)),,
or doing a good deed for someone,,when they appreciate it,,
last thing i done was ,,i done an urgent job for a family and when i finished, they said they wouldn't be able to pay me for a while as the car engine broke, and set them back,,and i told them it was free,,they didn't have a lot,,but were very nice people,,i felt class afterwards,,
i don't do this often mind you lol;-))

one time when i was younger i taught that being happy was ,getting that jeep i wanted and getting the house i dreamed of and having a family life,was all i needed to be happy,,it was like when i got all of that i would be sorted,,but then i found out that it was int about me, cause it didn't work like that,,you dream of a lifestyle ,and when you got it, its on to the next idea of happiness,cause it wasn't working as i taught ,,you can be a sort of happy,,but its not happiness,,
now i dont care as much about those things any more,,and if i lost it all in the morning,,i would enjoy the challange over again,,,
i have known the last few years its all about having fun with life, making other people happy,,helping other people,,
doing stuff that make people smile,,and when i do i feel allot happier inside,,
and i hate the fact that we don't know more about our world and the people in it, a guy told me today that he was thinking of going to Australia,for a year,was trying to do a house swap for a year,,and i taught its a pity the whole world couldn't do this to see how the other half lives
we then might find a little more inner happiness

its only the love of money that is wrong,,as money can also can do good ,so it can be good to have loads;-)),think about it,,,
it says in the bible ,,the love of it is the root of all evil

Yes, Money does good things in this world too! But not as much as the bad one exists! Yes, they are a few generous people around who constributes their wealth and money to the charity such as aids home, children home, hospital, school/institution, scholarship, disaster...etc. You can count them, there are only a few comparing to the bad ones.

thats class;-)),,how many of us really do it,,
thats living princess;-))

My little one rang me last Friday to ask me to do just that....so I left work drove home picked her up and we drove to Blackwater with the dog of course and we walked for miles,it was freezing but the laughter and childish giggles made me persevere,when we eventually left the beach-frozen solid,we had a car-nic as opposed to a picnic drove home singing along to Bon Jovi's crossroads with the poor mutt howling along with us.My sister rang me the following day and said I should be certified,if only she knew the joy that Friday night brought to my heart.Memories are pure gold.

ahhhh thats so sweet;-))
we get so caught up in our own lives sometimes we forget to do stuff like this,,the magic of living

just taught u might like this;-))
watch all the video ,,you'll c what i mean

If that was real what greater act of pure love than to give your sight to someone,softie that I am it made me cry . Do you know anyone who would do this for you? One of the better pieces of video on Youtube and a lovely piece of music.....thanks Lol M

glad you like it princess;-))
i am afraid i don't know anyone who would really do that for me;-((
why didn't he give her one??;-))

Now this is love...when you put yourself second and the one you love first.

how many of us really do it princess,,
i always look back and wish i had done more with family,,
and still i don't change,,
its not always easy to do this,,like my old teacher used to say,,must try harder lol

It is not easy but it is important that we try :)
Everyday is a new beginning ...All you have to do to change is to decide and make some effort.

true princess,,but i think our situation in life dosent always allow us sometimes,,plus enough is never enough,when its spending time with loved ones,,i think we are naturally greedy people, greedy for good an greedy for style,,where is the balance,,,,,,,,,

what about this;-))

hahaha