Category: Happiness
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People and the World
When I stop to think about the world and its 7 billion people, it blows my mind. As I write this I’m waiting to get my oil changed. The TV in the room is on the news, covering the happenings in the USA. Storms spewing softball-sized hail, murder trials, gunmen holding kids hostage, ideas for…
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Reality Is Subjective
Most people have the idea that the world, the universe, is an objective reality. It exists independently of us, independently of perceivers. For example, a tree is a tree. Regardless of whether I perceive the tree or an ant perceives the tree, the tree is the same thing. It has its own objective reality which…
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Your Life Is an Unbelievable Coincidence
How many times have you come reasonably close to dying? Probably more than you know. Yet you’re still alive, reading this post. Take all of those close calls and multiply by 100, going back along your ancestry for 100 generations. Yet you’re still alive, reading this post. Isn’t it unbelievable that despite all odds, you’re…
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My Pyramid House
Sometimes I’ll daydream about what kind of house I’d build if money were no object. My favorite one is as described below, my pyramid house. It’s a large pyramid, each of the four sides constructed of a special, high-tech glass. With a remote control, you can change the color and tint from completely opaque to…
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Chauncey Peak at Crescent Lake
One of my favorite local hikes is Chauncey Peak at Crescent lake. It’s a loop trail that’s only a couple miles long. The beginning is a steep ascent (very steep – you need to be in good shape to hike the first part) to Chauncey Peak, then you walk along the ridge with Crescent Lake…
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The Beauty of Our World
When we think of the beauty of our world, we usually first imagine a Caribbean sunset, a glassy mountain lake reflecting snowcapped mountains in the early summer, a sunny morning after a blizzard, a beautiful, fit girl in a skimpy bikini, or any number of classically beautiful sights. Of course this…
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What’s the Point, He Thought
He lay on the grass watching the invisible sky, comfortable, not feeling much of anything. There he was, a conscious human, aware of the fact that his consciousness was pondering its own existence, aware of the beauty surrounding him, although it didn’t touch him like he thought maybe it should. It was just there, as…
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Gratitude
It’s impossible to be happy all the time. Who would want to be? The downs are what make the ups so enjoyable. The downs are what make the ups possible. Obviously we want to maximize the ups in quantity and degree and minimize the downs, but a lot of the time it’s beyond our control,…
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Why You Shouldn’t Follow the News
The media makes more money the more viewers they attract. How do they get more viewers? By sensationalizing the absolute shit out of everything. One of the best, most proven ways to get people to keep coming back for more is to scare them. The economy is collapsing! No one is safe! You’re about to…
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Hiking with Dogs
I spent part of my Thanksgiving going on a hike with Buddy & Rigs. As soon as I grab the leashes, or say the word “hike”, they know it’s on. Usually I’ll tell them 30 minutes or more in advance of our departure so I can selfishly enjoy their uncontained excitement as they prance around,…