15 Comments
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Galynn Ferris's avatar

EXCELLENT! This parallels my life experience. I would only add one thing: Happiness is a choice, but joy is a fruit of the Spirit.

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Eric Westphal's avatar

One of your best essays.

I do suspect that with regard to alcohol, correlation is easily confused with causation. People tend to drink to soften their other pains and sadnesses.

I'm glad you've found your happiness.

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HAI's avatar

Wait, talk about God a little bit more lol

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asskick1n's avatar

Beautiful

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Adam Singer's avatar

It sounds stupid but exercise, time with the dog and decent food does it for me. That's it. That's the comment

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amy elder's avatar

Check out Huberman Lab podcast. Also Anita Lempke book, “Dopamine nation.”

Both describe that we don’t return to baseline, but rather we dip below baseline

after a powerful dopamine hit - that neurotransmitter that stimulates pleasure center

of the human brain. I don’t know about cats. Both Drs. Huberman and Lempke work

out of the Stanford school of medicine.

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JJ's avatar

Excellent , thought provoking . Thanks for writing in this great article

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Suzie Smith's avatar

Interesting post. Can relate on several points. Would add one thing. Paraphrasing Martin Luther King and William Blake - I believe if you love your neighbor and yourself you will love your higher power/God.

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Slick's avatar

Well done sir.

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powderspicy's avatar

I reject the premise, a wise man once said "we're all here to experience a little stress"

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Sarah Horowitz's avatar

Excellent JD. Paging Dennis Prager.

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Nicole Doyle's avatar

Wow! Powerful writing. I enjoyed reading and agree

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E.B.'s avatar

Excellent!

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DRich's avatar

Fantastic. Just fantastic.

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danh's avatar

just read this...your best yet...thank you...

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