Has your life turned out the way you thought it would? Are you happy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm struggling with the idea that I SHOULD be happy but I'm not. I have wonderful kids, a good husband, we are not rich but we we are well off, two high income salaries but flexibile non crazy work schedules. nice house, and we are in normal shape/weight. There are moments when I am outside with the kids and just very happy and thankful but most times I am just overwhelmed with how much I need to do and sad that I can't enjoy things more often. Work, commute, house is a mess, kids birthday parties or playdates to get to, errands to run, and I never seem to be on top of things. I am normal weight and look good but I have no time to exercise. I started back running but then caught a bad cold from the kids and that went out the window for a few weeks. Now, I have not gotten back to it.

I keep thinking that if I could just get a burst of energy and organize it all then I would be able to sit back and enjoy things more. As soon as I accomplish something big at work, obviously something else rolls in the door. At home, I will sometimes stay up all night and do a huge clutter purse and clean up but then within a week DH and the kids have trashed everything. I really hate DH for this because whenever I get a little ahead he dumps something there. I have given up all of my prior interests before I was married. I can't see a time when I would ever regain these as I have no time and it just feels gone.

Ahh...how I relate to this -- my life. I SHOULD be happy -- my husband always says that we have a wonderful life and we do, but still I'm never satisfied. I thought I was depressed for a little while, but I'm not ... I'm just overwhelmed with how fast the time is flying by. My life now is a routine, I've always been a free spirit, but no more. I work on my happiness every day -- because I do not have a reason to be unhappy, just need to get over all this little things that get in a way.

just wanna "me too" this. trying to figure out how to get my serenity/happiness back. With all the real misery in the world, there is no earthly reason I should not be happy with all that I have, but I dont seem to be. anyone who has found the answer, please speak up!

[Anonymous]

Mostly it didn’t for me, but so far is has turned out much better than I expected (knock on wood).

I didn’t expect to leave home, settle into a new country and love it here. I always thought if I left I would be miserable.

I always thought I would be a journalist or a writer, but I am something completely different for a living and I love it.

I make a lot more money than I ever dreamed (not a whole lot by DC standards but a lot judging how poor I was growing up).

I always imagined marrying an European (I’m a sucker for accents), which I did, yet he’s quite different from what I expected my husband to be.

I never expected to have half my family be in Europe (in-laws) but there they are.

I didn’t expect to have a loving, stable, equal marriage, since I grew up in a home where yelling and fighting was the norm, and my mom divorced twice.

I thought my mom would always be a very important part of my life, and she is not (by her own choice).

I thought I always would have a few close friends wherever I was, but I don’t. I’ve kept old ones but they are all far away.

Am I happy? Some days I am so freaking happy I tear up just thinking about it (could also be pregnancy hormones). I look at DH and how amazing he is, and the happy, beautiful, healthy 2 year old DD we have, and the baby boy who's coming soon, and the job I love, and our happy lives and feel like the luckiest woman in the world. I am so grateful.

[Anonymous]

One of my goals in life is to be the mother I never had. Another goal is health for me and my family. If we have those two very important things, we are well on our way. I am extremely thankful every day, for sure.

To those who have sought professional help, I congratulate you, seriously. There are so many who need it who do not seek it.