-
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: Please read THIS THREAD about a rebrand for SF.
Are you over 60?
- Thread starter Waves
- Start date
I used to, but it's tough nowadays. Depression destroys everything. I think the term is anhedonia. I recognize it, but can't do anything about it.
What's left is only the occasional moment of "clarity," when I briefly feel what it used to be like to enjoy anything. I wonder whether anyone else has such moments.
What's left is only the occasional moment of "clarity," when I briefly feel what it used to be like to enjoy anything. I wonder whether anyone else has such moments.
They say you're only as old as you feel, so I'm certainly there. (I guess whoever "they" are wanted to be positive about it, but it goes both ways.)
In terms of purpose and meaning, that's the age at which we're supposed to be looking back at things we've accomplished, particularly family, kids and grandkids, as well as careers. Sort of tough to look back and see little worth mentioning...
In terms of purpose and meaning, that's the age at which we're supposed to be looking back at things we've accomplished, particularly family, kids and grandkids, as well as careers. Sort of tough to look back and see little worth mentioning...
Seeing as how I finally made my fondest dream come true, I certainly have meaning in life. Sure, I still have painful woes that befall me at times, and they often dishearten me, but then I realize that my fondest dream has come true, and realize I have to stay alive. What I marvel at when I look back in retrospect is how over the many years I developed the ideas that would finally lead me to develop the solution which, at long last, made my ultimate dream come true. How those ideas gradually developed is what I marvel at.
In my 60s as I am, I think I have the advantage over those who are younger. Why? Well, because what I'm blessed with now, could have only resulted from the accumulation of many years-- and that blessing is the knowledge of how my emotions work and why I have those specific emotions. When I was young, I did not even know what would make me happy. But now I do. And I managed to finally attain the goal which would make me happy.
So I think that youngsters have it much harder than us oldsters because the young have hardly any experience yet, so they don't know how emotions work. This can only come from experience. Of course there are some who can learn it fast--but those are the ones who are popular, so the fact that they have many friends obviously enable them to succeed faster. Unfortunately, most of the members at this SF site of ours are misfits and outcasts. So they have a much harder time.
It might help us if we realize that life itself is a test. A test of our emotions. Your toughest enemy is yourself. Even if you have enemies that hurt you a lot, even then your worst enemy is still yourself. Because the emotions come from yourself. This is what I learned from Buddhism. Buddhism which also taught me techniques to rein in my emotions.
Emotion control even includes one's eating habits too. For example, tonight, all I had for supper was just Broccoli. And I did not even put any salt on it at all, no seasoning at all. But that is Buddhist discipline. Because too much spices is a sign of emotion. This is how I live my life now. No, not happy--because happiness is an emotion. Let's just say that I have peace of mind, serenity. Of course, I still have problems, and storms will come. My emotions can seep through at times, but overall, I like reality.
So I think that youngsters have it much harder than us oldsters because the young have hardly any experience yet, so they don't know how emotions work. This can only come from experience. Of course there are some who can learn it fast--but those are the ones who are popular, so the fact that they have many friends obviously enable them to succeed faster. Unfortunately, most of the members at this SF site of ours are misfits and outcasts. So they have a much harder time.
It might help us if we realize that life itself is a test. A test of our emotions. Your toughest enemy is yourself. Even if you have enemies that hurt you a lot, even then your worst enemy is still yourself. Because the emotions come from yourself. This is what I learned from Buddhism. Buddhism which also taught me techniques to rein in my emotions.
Emotion control even includes one's eating habits too. For example, tonight, all I had for supper was just Broccoli. And I did not even put any salt on it at all, no seasoning at all. But that is Buddhist discipline. Because too much spices is a sign of emotion. This is how I live my life now. No, not happy--because happiness is an emotion. Let's just say that I have peace of mind, serenity. Of course, I still have problems, and storms will come. My emotions can seep through at times, but overall, I like reality.
Actually, that's my point about meditation, because meditation teaches that you don't need emotional attachment. That is, one big benefit of meditation is Non-attachment. Because having friends has a big drawback too. Because friends can betray you or friends can die too, thereby causing great heartbreak. That's why Zen meditation teaches Non-attachment. That way, it prevents heartbreak.