You've got to make yourself happy.  That's all there is to it.  So frequently I hear stories (especially here on my favorite website) about people whose wives or children or co-workers or sisters-in-law make them miserable.  Well, of course they do!!! Most human beings are miserable bastards who don't want to work, want someone else to take care of them, and who only experience joy by injuring others, either emotionally or physically.  And that ain't good.  But you know what?  It doesn't mean you have to be unhappy.  And here's why -

God gives you 1000 good days for every bad day.  You get one truly bad day about once every three years.  Your mom dies.  You find out you have cancer.  Your dog gets hit by a truck.  But almost every other day is really pretty good.  You can screw it up if you want to, but really God handed you a perfectly good day to do with as you please.  Now of course there are exceptions to this rule.  But by and large my rule works for 95% of all humanity.  So quit screwing up your own life by focusing on the 1% of crap, and learn to focus on the 99% of life which is spectacular.  

My wife was watching The Sound of Music the other day, and that song about favorite things was on.  Now I hate all musicals, but it did make me think of things that I love, and can do or see almost every day.  So here's a little list for you, if you are a negative-type person.

Beer and buffalo wings.

The .45 ACP

N-Frame Smith & Wesson Revolvers.

Those dimples just above a woman's ass, on either side of her spine.

Sunrises and sunsets.

The woods.

Coffee and a good book in my living room, while laying on the couch.

My kids hogpiling on me when they wake up on a Saturday morning.

Steak.  Rare.

The M1 Garand.

Getting a new gun magazine in the mail.

Labrador puppies.

How long do you think I could make this list?  And how many things can you think of to add to it?

Waking up naturally to the singing birds, with the windows open, on a mild spring day in the country.

Looking at myself in the mirror always brightens my day...

The refreshing feel of cold beer suds rushing down my throat.

A full stomach after a delicious meal.

The precise click-click of chambering a round in a gun.

Encountering people that extend common courtesy and respect.

Hot dinner and a warm bed in my girlfriend's apartment after a 32 hour day.

I'm gonna go upstairs and make a cheeseburger for myself.  And drink a beer.

Standing on the top of my mountain and seeing the world around me.

True friends.

The look on a new shooters face.

Self reliance.

Sitting around a campfire with the people I knew when I was young.

The morning sun.

My family.

Life.

Sound of a Hammond B-3 organ.

The way my GF flinches when I raise my hand.

At my age--Waking up.
Waking up without something new aching.
My kids making it home from a long trip out of town.
Cold beer.
Annual gettogether of Jack's Creek Howling at the Moon Society.
Afternoon Delight.

When one of my boys says "I love you, mommy" out of the blue with no ulterior motive...

When my husband grabs me and plants one on me when I least expect it.

Days like today: sunny, warm, and filled with spring's promise

Days in October, when summer realizes she's lost and autumn steals in at dusk with enough chill to make me light the fireplace....

My dog. Doing just about ANYTHING besides chewing on my shoes....

My girlfriends. They make me laugh at myself. Alot. But they have ALOT of material...

My brother. He's just a good guy. And I get to be related to him....

Good fitting jeans that make my ass look good but allow me to breathe....

Quoted: Encountering people that extend common courtesy and respect.

I realised the other day that I'm actually surprised when people do so nowadays.


Hearing my baby laugh.

My husband's smile.

Watching the lake on a rough day.

My list is endless, every day's a gift.

Receiving an enthusiastic, righteous blowjob.

Just remember, when administering a Correction to one's Ladyfriend, a Gentleman will always use an open hand in public.  The closed fist should be reserved for use when one is in the confines of one's own domicile.

And always, ALWAYS follow the Rule of Thumb.

Quoted: The way my GF flinches when I raise my hand.

The smile of my students faces when we go down to the targets and  we both see a nice tight group in the 10 ring. They are thinking they are damn good, and I'm thinking damn I'm a good coach!!!!

Laying on the sofa with my dogs

The first motorcycle ride in the spring - you can smell EVERYTHING

A perfect X-ring cold bore shot at 600 with witnesses

Fresh sheets

A truly good cigar, and a quiet summer afternoon to smoke it

Having a few good friends

Being hated by the right people

Coffee in the woods, heated in a canteen cup

A good pair of boots

Being proven right after everyone told you you were wrong

A new toy

I just read this book after hearing about it on his radio program:




He makes some darn good points in it.

Kid stuff...

When I pick my kid up and he leans in to kis me (even though he hasn't learned to pucker up yet)

When he gets all excited when I sit next to the high chair

When he claps

When  he smiles

When he plays "peek-a-boo"

When he crawl across the living room to grab my leg when I come in the door

When he sits with me during a John Wayne movie

Non kid stuff...

When I drop into the water on a SCUBA dive, let the bubbles clear, roll around and I can allready see the bottom

When I pull up to the rifle range an no one else is there

When friends arive to do something

When a student says "OOOHHHHH, I get it"

When the wife wakes me up on a weekend morning telling me to "hurry brush my teeth the boy's still asleep"

when the water closes over your head when you descend, and everything is silent except for your regulator.  Feels like flying.

getting hit on by girls 15 years younger than me

Quoted: Looking at myself in the mirror always brightens my day...

2nd time today I've read about you, admiring...you. When do I get to see what all this fuss is about?

ETA: You are a woman I assume?

Gloom, Despair and Agony on me, whooooaaa!!!
Deep Dark Depression, Excessive misery,whooooaaa!!!
If it weren't for bad luck I'd have know luck at all, whooooaaa!!!
Gloom Despair and agony on me. whooooaaa!!!

Who knows what T.V. show that came from????

Quoted: Gloom, Despair and Agony on me, whooooaaa!!! Deep Dark Depression, Excessive misery,whooooaaa!!! If it weren't for bad luck I'd have know luck at all, whooooaaa!!! Gloom Despair and agony on me. whooooaaa!!! Who knows what T.V. show that came from????

HeeHaw

Writing a new part on guitar

Pizza

Buffalo Wings

Seeing a band I love

Catching a fish, esp a musky

Smell of a camp fire

Seeing the northern lights

Seeing animals (bears, moose, owls, etc) while hunting

My dog

=======

Lots of things to be happy about.  Lots of things to stress out about.  I prefer the happy things.

I like the Sound of Music
You are obviously not in excrusiating pain


I like getting up to my driveway and being relieved that I am home

I enjoy seeing mothers in the grocery store with kids, especially babies.  

Enjoy learning something new and actually remembering it

Thrilled to snowboard down powder runs, through trees, dropping off new terrain, hitting a few kickers to get some air...without killing myself

Love it when the pain medication kicks in

Totally pumped when I play my flute well and discover some new melody that I can play off of to create some enjoyable music.

Love it when the other pain killers kick in, after the wine

Totally stoked when I run racks on the pool table or create some spontaneous artistic shots

Love hiking in the woods, finding antlers, seeing game and discovering some new area I haven't been

antique stores

Quoted: It's more complicated than that but you knew that right? There are people that wake up happy and others that don't and a bunch more somewhere inbetween. Chemicals or whatever ... they start their days somewhere other than happy.

I really DON"T think it's more complicated than this for MOST people.  I have a good friend who is clinically depressed and on medication, and my uncle committed suicide; obviously their outlook (medically speaking) was different.  But it is their outlook, not the reality of their lives that causes them pain.  That outlook is physiologically induced (they are sick, literally) but their lives really don't suck.  They just THINK that they do, because of their illness.  

Cancer patients, contrarily, are certainly an exception to this rule.  There are others, as well, but not many.  

Quoted: Receiving an enthusiastic, righteous blowjob.

Preach it, brother!

Quoted: A good pair of boots

What is it about good boots?  It's like you know you've always got an escape mechanism, or something.  Hear, hear!!

Quoted: Sound of a Hammond B-3 organ.

Hells yes, and Jimmy Smith rocks.

Large pizza and Cherry Vanilla Coke