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Welcome to Happiness.com 😃 I'm chloe don't worry we are all incredibly nice and supportive here on happiness.com and you are likely to make lots of friends

I don't see myself as positive and enjoy having friends in my life that would not be defined as such, however understand your meaning and glad your here. I don't know suedseefrucht, but he just nailed it for me. Thx seudseefrucht.

Dear Friends, I have come across many advice that gratitude makes one happy. Some people suggest writing every day a gratitude diary. Others suggest writing letters to friends and family expressing your gratitude. There are also lots of psychological research on gratitude. Indeed, gratitude has become the intervention tools in psychotherapy. My own experience is also that, the happier I become, the more thankfulness I feel. What is your experience? Below I have attached a short youtube video on gratefulness from David Steindl-Rast, which I can highly recommend. https://youtu.be/UtBsl3j0YRQ Would like to hear your experience and advice. Have a happy grateful day 🤠🤓 Max

HI Max welcome to happiness we are all really nice and supportive hope you make friends here From ChloeX

No matter. We can still talk. The other side of the coin. It can work. It just takes a lot more patients and a lot of humility. These things I have struggled with but have still made such connections work in the long run and made them meaningful when others would of given up. Typically such an effort I only put in with those very closet to me. Family and long time friends whom for all their faults are no more fallible than me. I try to extend this willingness to remain open with acquaintances but due to delusions on what receiving and giving is often find those bouts quite draining. Main stream consumer narratives and attitudes do not help. Those kind of mindsets result in a 'got to give to get' and this I would propose is where complex relations begin.

Dear Friends, Your help is needed. For my master’s thesis at the Vienna University, department for clinical and health psychology, I am carrying out a study on meditation. The aim of the study is to investigate the effects of the meditation practice on different aspects of psychological well being and self-view. This is an anonymous online study in English. Meditators and Nonmeditators are required for this study. This study will take around 15min. It would be very helpful if you can support me in filling out the questions. Below the link to the study: https://www.soscisurvey.de/Selbstbild2022/ Many thanks for your support🙏❤️ Kind regards, Max

Too bad the topic starter is no longer on board. It's an interesting topic. I have friends, albeit few. If I had to run after them to have contact, I would ask myself if they are friends at all. Friendship isn't measured in how often you're in contact, but friendship is a give and take. It cannot work otherwise.

Sorry you can't come in because your not positive enough! Wow. Are we really living a world like that? We love solving problems but no negatives allowed? Hmmm ... Houston, I think we have a problem! No wonder the numbers don't add up. There seems to be something missing? In fact, there seems to be a LOT missing! So how do we solve this issue of over abundance and inequality? Dar da da daaa ... do not fear; happy smiley is here. 🙂 ... Put on this cape and at the fist sign of discomfort "Cut and run!' I mean if anyone makes you feels sad, your mum, your dad, siblings or long time friends, the only way to solve the problem is to cut them out of your life and spend the reset of eternity blaming them for the world's negativity. You must only ever contemplate with a smile and smother yourself in excess. If your not thriving but only surviving then you must of done it wrong. Is there anyone else in left in your life that you can reject? Yes you must get rid of them too ... you should of rejected them first. Silly you. No matter, I have a link and a book that will solve all your problems. It's all about positivity and holds all the secrets to living a life of success. 1st and foremost you will manifest money!!! Yes, that is right ... you will finally have all you need to attract others like yourself. Every page is chapter is full of glorious revelations that will see you continue to thrive with each turning of the page. We guarantee that you will burst at the seems with joy and bliss that you really won't need anyone but people will want to be around you because that want to be like you. You'll be ecstatic no longer having to worry about others as you now just wear people like trinkets to show off your new authentic self. Hell ... you'll be able to make more success from the sales own books. Just remember to also reject anything or anyone that makes you feel uncomfortable. At the first sing of negativity we must extinguish with the shield of positivity. Just be sure when dispatching of others you do it love. Yet another secret. Do this and you'll never be wrong. Yea yea ... I know ... I'm just another one trying to sell another book. Sigh ... Here's to a glorious day in the trenches. A kid who knows a thing or two about the law of attraction ... It's all in the expelling - Breathing in mind, not continually rejecting as we do in this todays world of excess and quick fixes - Needles and pills in mind. I'll have an IV of todays vits and minerals please!\ Sometimes life is too short and other times its not short enough. Life simply does not exist without either dynamic. At least not outside of books or someone else's workshop. Be your own author and resonate as you must. Don't let others dictate your frequency. We might exist in a pool but we are all unique. Have a fantastic day. 🙃

My Journey? Hmmm - That's actually a bit too cliché for me but will use what works for others in an attempt to be heard. More often than not I find this world more a place in which people do time. I think now think of Eckhart Tolle and his lectures on the subject: If I may share: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgj7u86e4wc Perhaps not for everyone. I do tend to find him easy on the ear and have spent a more than a few years being open to his core message with respect to here and now. I think I prefer to deal with depression, anxiety, or other mental health challenges through the process of dis-Identifying. Commonly known in Eckhart's circle as dis-Identifying from the mind. Apparently key to becoming present. I make now claims either way but can only say what works for me and share what I see. Quote: "Simple but now easy" Reminds me of Jon Kabat-Zin whom I first came across on YouTube doing a presentation at Google. The quote that just came to mind somewhere from his book 'Wherever you go there you are.' I sense a sadness in him when watching him now but he handles it well. He is his own master of course with his own box of tools. I'd say that source of sadness comes from the irony of having talked at Google and they being what they are. Can be summed up in an article 'Father of virtual reality: Facebook and Google are dangerous 'behavior-modification empires' resulting from a tragic mistake' Jon tried his best and still does today with the odd online meet and greet. I know his has made a positive influence on me. Me ... I'm a sponge and whilst have a failing memory and struggle cognitively when out and about in a world not designed for me, things that resonate with me tend to last for life. Although this can be said for both negative and positive experiences. For me, I am not into cutting people out of my life on a whim because some article claims that's how I will claim my prize. I find such doctrine as it be, a tact like perhaps what google does when assimilating the knowledge of great speakers like Jon then creating an algorithm to hook people in. Everyone promoting themselves behind a veil of excellence and success sold in many other likewise terms. Kind of like how western society adopts and twist other cultures, religion and philosophy. Why not throw into the mix domination and control? Smiles because it's all so challenging that anyone that talks on such things in todays world is quickly such down in a finely tuned machine that sees automated robot responses from humans all over today's info tech world. Indeed, depression, anxiety, or other mental health challenges abound. Just to be clear, I'm not looking for advice myself. Most of my take and approach is also very challenging but not so much for me. It just fly's in the face of main stream ideals as peddled from the machine. I'm acutely aware though of how my own resistance works against me which is why I find the likes of Tolle, Zin and Watts very compelling. That said, I don't find watts as soothing at Eckhart and Jon. He is a little more blunt but still I find enough gold in his sharing to be helpful for me. Grain of salt until it hits a home run, but then I much prefer revisiting such insights until I can either acknowledge them as my experience or not. I don't care much for the dramatic music played in the background and images pasted over the top. That's more part of the trap the Tolle often talks about and even Watt's himself. Much irony abounds in as much at Jon talking at Google and again it being what it be. In that regard the lycra , iconic images and drama used to profile peoples self promoting journeys is also something I recoil from. Smiles again ... no wonder I prefer small groups. arrr ... Now I think of the Life of Brian. Don't ask how I got there. hehe. I also don't take myself too seriously but also keep things true enough for me when creating my own script. I have no purpose that fits into another group ideal although many would propose in their daily speech. "What do you do for a living?" As if to imply I must be 'doing' something in order to live or whatever. "Keeping Busy?" all the way into the new age group that also ask many questions of others "What have you contributed?" Different dynamics, same patterns. The use of exclamations marks following claims of stillness and peace. Tis a crazy world to be sure full of irony at every turn. Yet there are snippets to be had in every irony to be had. "You shall know them by their fruits." The latter being from a book I consider and no more than a book, yet rings true enough. I don't always throw the fruit out either just because it does not look pretty or not pitch perfect in taste. Sadly it seems out culture today is steering more toward said irony more and more. So sad indeed that it's nice to a section like this in a happiness forum that appears to be open to such things. Each to their own of course. This is my world view from what I have seen, experienced and see and seeing. Although it's worth noting such revelations can be hard to cope with. Especially in a world programmed with such an inherent need for validation and approval. Time for some gardening and to quickly share a pic of what keeps me out of such a chaotic and shallow world - more so what keeps me grounded, brings me solace and peace: Is not about the end result but about the experience. Instead of cutting people out of my life on a whim and gong form relationship to relationship, I make friends with that which does do not use open its mouth or take photos of itself: Again ... we all find happiness in our own way. 🙃 Takes more than a fancy profile, well constructed answers to text book questions to build trust in a world of deception. How's that for non-neurotypical? Oh the labels! ← Notes* first exclamation mark. Well done on the drama. Oh how they hand those labels out and how people cling to them. Forgive my candor here but true enough for yours truly. Such is a bit of an epidemic from what I can see. I choose to be none of them but like so many others jump through the hoops in order that I may have the right to live. But yea ... whatever works. I burnt out the sensor on my wife's camera taking the image bellow. It was cheap tiny compact affordable at the time to replace with the newer one - but how lost I was in the taking of that shot. It was an experience which makes this one of so many years later still my favorite. When I am doing well I enjoy taking these kinds of photos. I find much of the essence in the talks given by those I named above in images like these. I'm only just starting to get back into a cycle where I am considering sharing more of these experiences. Minus my world view of course. These kind of shares tend to convey more in a way that's more digestible. That said, writing in our own way from the heart as we see and breathe is also therapeutic. This is why I am often more my own audience but open to all minds. Even those that are not like mine but get the gist of being more open to those that resonate. I'm just not into cutting out people as commonly sold nor all the other aspects of today's selfish algorithm. This makes me a target by being so open, but then I also get to meet real people otherwise isolated by the things of which I highlight. I'm all for those on the fringes - for all those who have been rejected - yet get the boundaries that others use to reason when taking a less painful route. Until next share - have a nice day.

Hi Charlie. Understanding does indeed help. I don't always get it but the notion to be open and accepting is what helps me most. My friends and I are very much into one and one despite anothers wishing to come on over when we meet. We like it when they do and in fact will often ring when we meet to let them know they are welcome to meet up too. More often than not we tend to laugh more heartedly when it is three but my closer connections are generally when it's two. I sense we understand this about each other which is why we have been friends for so long and yea - what you say make sense even with our tiny group. We often go from two to three when needing a bit more of a boost so understand why others like to seek out the crowed as they do. Whilst the dynamics are different with increased or fewer numbers, I think mixing it up can be a thing. I tend to think not so much in terms of age but will add I think the wiser among us will be found in smaller groups. But that's just my take. Nice to meet you regardless of your own preference. Full respect and all that. 🙂

I know this situation too. I have friends and some of them are really close to eachother and even though they are my friends we don't share everything. Everyone should have a best friend. When I got to know my now fiancee, she became a friend and I could make her a best friend by frequently showing interest and caring about her problems. She wouldn't share everything from day one, but I kept asking and so we shared more and more things over time. It's not easy, it's a lot of work, but it's worth it. So if you would like to be someone's best friend, frequently show interest, ask about his/her day, guide them through problems and be there for him/her. Of course it will have to be someone, who likes you. You can't force it, but if you want to improve your chances for someone to like you, you can ask him/her for a favor. This way you show weakness, which makes you more human and more likable. Also it feels good to do someone a favor and people tend to like someone they've done a favor for. That's because it feels more natural to the human brain to have helped someone you like than to have helped someone you don't like.

Hi Janeames, I think it's a safe bet that there are many people out there feeling like this. Happiness is not always as others coin it. Being quiet and unobtrusive can be unsettling for those always seeking to be seen and heard. Of course the dynamics are much more complex than that. I deal with loneliness through the practice of acceptance. More so inner work. The latter not so easy when bogged down in low states of energy and emotion. These negative aspects of being for sure inhibit our ability to make substantial connections with other people. Thankfully I have discovered I don't need many people in my life to find substantial peace. Such an insight not welcome in busy groups that thrive on every day clichés of joy and bliss. That said, one or two connections can greatly improve our health and wellbeing. I just practice being myself as best I can be, but not to be better, thriving, successful or anything of those things. The few friends I have had for decades now to which I can count with just a few fingers on one hand, do not go to parties, sing or dance, we just accept the others for who they be, we take heart that we understand the things that others are so quick to disown. I hope this finds you as well as can be. I use nature over all and stay true to myself despite the push to fit in. Practice stillness and you'll come to see that square pegs do in fact fit into round holes without the need to be something or somebody else.

I'm not quite sure if I can offer relevant life advice to someone who survived a time double my age, but I'll try. People want to be happy. So they follow people who are happy and who organize fun events. If you are sad most of the time, don't expect others to make you happy. If you want happiness, you will have to make it yourself. Nobody knows you better than you do. So you can be your own best friend who takes care of you. Care about yourself like you care about others or even more. Comfort yourself with a nice bath, some ice cream or whatever makes you happy. If you like movies, take yourself out to the cinema or go with a partner if you have one. This way you will feel cared for, you will feel respected and that's the moment when you are truly independent and happy. And with your new happy and positive energy you will attract friends. And some of the friends who enjoy the time with you might also be with you in bad times. And these are the ones to keep. Good luck.

I am 62 and feel that I have no real close friends. I always find that I have to be the instigator of phone calls and conne ting with people. If I wait to see if I hear from these people who I conne t with they don't contact me. It's been like this for 30 years. I help people out are friendly and join many groups of interest like photography hiking etc. Am I typical? Anyone else have this experience and how do u deal with the sadness

I would like to make sure, I understood this correctly: You went to church and met some korean strangers. These people live in a different city far away from yours. Since you left the church, I guess you only went to church to meet new friends? And now you are angry, because they didn'tpick you upfrom your city far away and because they don't invite you to their parties? In my opinion, it's normal not to pick up strangers you barely know from cities far away. And you can't force someone to be your friend and a friendship rejection can have many reasons. I don't like everyone from my country either. Just imagine a new person in your neighborhood. For some reason you don't like the person. Maybe because the person makes a lot of noise on sundays, maybe because he/she likes a different football team than you do or for whatever reason. Now this person asks you to hang out with him/her every day. You said no, but he/she keeps asking. It can be pretty annoying, right? So maybe the person should just accept the rejection and ask someone else to hang out with him/her. And so should you. P.S. You shouldn't hate all the korean people, just because some didn't like you.

They never invite me (36F African American ) to hang out with them. I met them in 2013. I stopped going to the church in February 2017. They ignore my calls, text messages and social media messages. I tried everything to get them to invite me to hang out with them and nothing worked. They make dumb excuses not to pick me up to take to church all because I live in another city and I live far away from them. I guess they want to hang out with other Koreans, Korean Americans and half Koreans which so selfish. So now I gave up on them because I don’t call them my friends if they don’t invite me to hang out with them, take me out to lunch or do something nice for me and don’t respond to my text messages and social messages and calls. What’s your opinion? P.S. This girl name Youngeun ignored my calls and messages for the whole week because a fall fest at the church in 2014. I never went to the fall fest. I hate her. Then she texted me after the fall fest and apologized and said she was very busy. No she wasn’t. She just ignored me. I guess she just want to have a party with a bunch of Koreans. So in high school, I didn’t know that Koreans are very homogeneous. I just found out last year. They keep telling me that them and I are not that close. Whatever man. They just don’t want to get close with non Koreans or non Asians. They don’t seem to care about me. I feel like they’re not thinking about me. They don’t care if I’m bored or not. They keep telling me they’re busy when they’re not doing nothing all day. I see their Instagram and Snapchat stories of them not doing nothing or just hanging out with a bunch of Koreans. Every time I make a group chat on KakaoTalk and add them and say hey or ask them a question, they just leave group chat. I just wanna punch them. Every time I message them on social media, they just block me. So rude. I guess they’re so obsessed with Koreans and Korean culture. They just want to be friends with other Koreans because they’re Korean or half Korean or Korean American. So selfish as hell Why do Koreans hang out with only Koreans?

Groups and communities are nice to meet new people. Constant keep in touch with friends by messages are also good to keep network. New cities cultural houses are also a good idea to join and grow network and while citizens of world🌏 are already connected by internet to join anyone.

Why did you move to the city? For a job? To go to the university? Whatever it is, I guess there will be colleagues. You can get to know them by having lunch together for example and if you like some of them, you can ask them if they would like to meet after work or something like that. A second way would be pursuing hobbies with others. Like in a sports club, dancing, in a maker space, ... Same procedure. Activities could be going to the cinema, having dinner at one's place or in a restaurant, visiting a christmas market, game nights, ... But I know, it's hard. I've been there too. I met with colleagues at friday nights and I got to know some people by playing video games. And I've still got some old friends from school times.

I think a way to make friends is to introduce yourself, discuss interesting topics, read other's introductions and posts and if someone appears nice, you can write personal messages to get to know each other on a more personal level than in a public post.

I too am here to make new friends.

These are two different questions... 1. I would like others to know, I will probably help them if they ask for it. I got to know many aspects of life - like poverty, wealthiness, failure, success, loneliness, friends and a relationship, ... I also like to think things through. So if there are interesting topics to discuss, I'll be there. 2. The person I'm interested in, already knows it all.

I wouldn´t really say we are not friends, but when a friendship is one sided like this, it doesn´t feel right. I gave him several chances and i´d be still open if i would feel that there is a mutual thinking about our "relation", but as mentioned before this is tiring and i really look where i get supported

We should love and care our friendship and friends.

The best relationship can be with a former best friend or best friend. I'll explain what I mean. I had a girlfriend, everything was fine with us until a certain time, but over time the situation began to worsen, we stopped understanding each other. But the point of no return for me was my suspicion of my girlfriend of treason, fortunately with some help I was able to be 100% sure of this. At that time, it was hard for me and my friend, with whom I had been friends for 5 years, supported me. I started hanging out with my girlfriend more and I started to realize that I was falling in love with this person. After 5 months we were walking, I took her home and dared to kiss her. In general, we started dating and now we have been living for 10 years and even gave birth to children. Therefore, friendship that has grown into love is cool!

Hi I'm here to make Friends aswell Life is too always amazing with friends