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Ask HN: What was the biggest contributor to your happiness in the past year?

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Re: Ask HN: What was the biggest contributor to your happiness in the past year?

#61

Post by _5p0g »

cko wrote: post #37
brainless wrote: post #29

Staying away from the startup hustle and city life. I have been constantly disturbed by the chase in the startup system. Building up something out of own passion is one thing, but trying to act like the investor-led founders has been driving me crazy for years. I live a village life now, do much less software work. Have dialed down my ambitions and I am actually very happy. I do feel that my skills, acquired over 15…

How do you sustain this dialed down ambition? Community? Physical labor? Every time I read HN or watch youtube my ambition goes up. And I tried to retire last year but my mind is still restless.

I am just guessing here. Have you acted upon your ambitions yet, or do you get overwhelmed and depressed everytime the ambition shoots up (could be due of other startups, HN, friends, YouTube, anything)?

My guess is that most people when the latter happens n number of times(n being the threshold), they breakdown. It's very difficult to know if it is a want or a want-to-want, or a have-to-want. But you can be sure that if the latter is happening, it is never a want, it is always either a want-to-want, or a have-to-want. Once you realise that, I think it will be easier to realise what you really want.

Re: Ask HN: What was the biggest contributor to your happiness in the past year?

#63

Post by StickyRibbs »

rococode wrote: post #40

Video walks on Youtube. If you haven't heard of them before, they're simple first-person videos where the filmer walks around some area with a stabilized video camera - no talking, just walking. I've really missed traveling and watching video walks while exercising has been a great way to satisfy that travel craving a bit and also trick my brain into experiencing some semblance of normalcy (not sure I could remember…

Thank you for this.

Re: Ask HN: What was the biggest contributor to your happiness in the past year?

#65

Post by d3nj4l »

Working from home. I realised being in an office - especially an open-plan office - was setting off my social anxiety all the time. Working in a place where I could choose to engage with people instead of having it forced upon me made it so much easier to work. I became a lot more productive and started enjoying what I did, even picking up more side projects and learning actively. It's a shame it's coming to an end, and I can't seem to find many places that are going to remain remote.

Re: Ask HN: What was the biggest contributor to your happiness in the past year?

#66

Post by hliyan »

Starting each day with 20 minutes of the type of meditation espoused here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaNO09cPS6c

In terms the more scientifically-inclined will understand: everything that is outside your current, immediate perception is a simulation in your mind and therefore is both inaccurate and prone to reflect your hopes and fears (especially fears). Simply dialing down those mental simulations of the past, future and distant places can significantly relax you.

Re: Ask HN: What was the biggest contributor to your happiness in the past year?

#67

Post by emgo »

rococode wrote: post #40

Video walks on Youtube. If you haven't heard of them before, they're simple first-person videos where the filmer walks around some area with a stabilized video camera - no talking, just walking. I've really missed traveling and watching video walks while exercising has been a great way to satisfy that travel craving a bit and also trick my brain into experiencing some semblance of normalcy (not sure I could remember…

+1

Also, train ride videos, for example this one in Switzerland: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mw9qiV7XlFs

Re: Ask HN: What was the biggest contributor to your happiness in the past year?

#68

Post by d3nj4l »

sawmurai wrote: post #64
schoolornot wrote: post #52

Working from home. I'm not going back.

I can second this. That and building a homegym into our basement. Both result in a total extra 8h of free time per week which is crazy.

I moved in with my parents for WFH, and apart from the time, I've saved so much money. No longer having to pay rent in itself made for a much bigger boost to my savings than any raise could've.

Re: Ask HN: What was the biggest contributor to your happiness in the past year?

#69

Post by theonething »

murrayb wrote: post #36
huuman12 wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What was the course?

From memory it was called The Marriage Course. It was offered by The Uniting Church. We are not affiliated with the church and did not find the course overly religious. The session on sex was the most moralistic but no surprises there and the content was still useful /helpful.

is it this one? https://themarriagecourse.org/
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