What brings you the greatest joy in your life?

@Picklebobble2 i love this answer... our senses are the vehicle through which we experience the world around us. Simply having them is a treasure especially given that there are those who are not as fortunate.

@Miram the world would be such a better place if there was no suffering. We need more people like yourself in this world

@astrosandorbits Yes. I think these people are usually the most fruitful to be around because they won’t need anything from you. They’ll appreciate your company for what it is because they’ve learned how to appreciate their own company for what it is. When simple existence is enough to make you happy, then you tend to make existence happy as well.

@Reject you know something? There are many people terrified of being alone. They say that maybe they are afraid of their own thoughts... i knew someone that became an alcoholic for that exact reason. They'd drink so they wouldnt have to listen to their own sober(ing) thoughts. Our thoughts have character. Sometimes theyre clouded by emotions or other things, but we can learn a lot by at least observing our own thoughts for what they are.
For too long ive desired to get back into meditation. When i did it consistently i used to be much happier with myself and my own company.
I dont mean to go on a long tangent... but i really like your comments and they gave me a lot to think about 😁

@astrosandorbits I’m happy my comments stirred your thoughts! I’ve been alone for nearly all of my life and for most of it I hated that. I felt there was nothing more painful. For me it was a need to be emotionally fulfilled with someone. Unfortunately my desperate need to keep people close only drove them away and then I discovered that was more painful than loneliness. After that I devoted everything I was to learning how to be happy on my own.

I will say you’re right and it’s our thoughts that hold our character. Meditation is a normal part of everyday for me and where I engage my thoughts as my lifeline. I can’t imagine running away from them. That sounds like the loneliest thing in the world. Even more so than me who has never had a companion in others. Still, I enjoy companionship of a different kind and it’s in the relationship I have with myself. I believe if you do not have a good relationship with yourself, then no amount of outside company will fulfill you as it is not the presence of others with soothes loneliness, it’s your presence with yourself.

@Mellowgirl That’s a precious photo!

@NoGamesTolerated thank you x

@Mellowgirl very welcome xx

@rinkydinkydoink i like this answer a lot. I feel in this world there are too many who dont get rewarded for their efforts. And justice is very important as well.

@astrosandorbits

Yes! For too long the greedy and the sly have been rewarded for conning hard-working, honest folks.

Great post and even better follow-up comments.

@rinkydinkydoink i agree!
And i appreciate that! I love to get the cogs turning in peoples' heads by a simple yet thoughtful question. :) and one of my favorite things is just to hear what people have to say. Their thoughts and experiences.

@bijouxbroussard you practically voiced my answer for me. Nothing brings me greater joy that playing and listening to music 💙

@twistedrope an old friend of mine was in his 70s. He told me that as men gets older it gets harder and harder to have stable friends to hang out with consistently. I can definitely testify to this and I'm not even 30. My early 20s were riddled with hanging with the boys and having the time of our lives... but things changed as time has moved on. Weve all gotten busier and moved onto other things in life. I also dearly miss having the boys to hang out with.

@OogieBoogie ive been thinking about it more and more and God... most of these things we can trace back to experiencing through our senses. For instance: someone put listening and music. We can not experience music without our sense of hearing. And maybe (just maybe) I'd need to rescind my own answer and say the same as you and pickle. Our senses make us human... alive...

@astrosandorbits maybe be careful saying they make us human....not everyone enjoys a full set of senses - does it make them less human ?

Most aminals view the world thru the same set of senses🤷‍♀️
My brother in law is 90% deaf....he still enjoys the bass feels of music .

In a way our senses are a beguiling intoxicating mix of stimulii ...we can easily be seduced by them. Become a slave to them .

I wonder eternally - "what does make us human?", it is consciousness?, is it imagination?, or is it more basic thinks like wanting to know "why" or even simpler "wanting more".

Or maybe it's the concept of 'want'.

We all continually want more of this or that.

I dunno 🤷‍♀️

@astrosandorbits 😞yes true and that is sad but i am speaking from a personal aspect to your question

@smiler2012 and Mrs Smiler

@nedkelly 😯not even in the picture lol

@ThreeLittleBirds i would like you to elaborate a little more on this. 😁the first thing i thought of was the founding fathers in america but freedom is much deeper than that. So I'd like to know which freedoms you hold most dear

Ahh ahaha yeah I should have elaborated right 😵‍💫

I meant from a personal pov

Annnd I definitely need coffee to elaborate further lol 🥴😘@astrosandorbits

@ThreeLittleBirds well once you get your coffee and youre all nice and caffeinated up youre welcome back here anytime to elaborate. Seriously! I'd love to hear it 😁

@Jimbo1 ya? Did you especially like the part where pennywise crashes and burns?