Are you naturally happy? Or do you have to “act” happy, remind yourself that gosh darn it you’re happy! I’m like “okay” but I don’t light up a room either.
I am naturally happy, however, it has been a very bad year, so it hasn’t come as easy.
I’m a basically happy person. I have a way of putting all into perspective.
I am naturally happy — consider myself a realistic optimist. I can generally find the silver lining in most situations.
I have been depressed for a long time but I’m averse to inflicting or imposing my depression on other people, for a variety of reasons. So I think I come across as cheerful and maybe even happy in most settings.
Yes. I had a friend who this always seemed to annoy as she was never happy, but not for any reason. In the past few years however she’s had some genuinely horrific things happen and I swear she’s less unhappy than she used to be. I’ve tried to figure out why this is, but I can’t.
I am pretty easy-going, tend to optimism but am not “chirpy” happy. I have been told I have a great smile, which is a good thing, as I’m pretty plain looking/bordering on homely otherwise. (We can be honest here, right?)
I think I’m generally a happy sunny person who loves to smile and laugh. I like to have fun and have been very blessed to have a great life.
As I like to say no one has a better life than me. The family has decided that my mil’s dog has a better life and they’re right. But I’m close 
I’m a pretty happy person and tend to see the silver lining or the positive aspect of something before (sometimes instead of) the negative. Not 100% of the time, of course, but in general. When I think about my life, I recognize that I’ve been very fortunate and try to remember that.
Oddly, the place I’ve noticed my negativity is while driving. When someone cuts me off or drives really slowly in the fast lane, for example, I’ve noticed lately that my reaction is much more negative then is reasonable. Of course, no one knows it and I’m not one to let the other driver know but it affects my mood. It’s such a departure from the way I normally am that it’s been kind of shocking. I’ve really been thinking about it and trying to get myself to change my reaction.
This is a great question! I just wrote a long description of my mother on another board, and how despite some horrific life experiences, she found a way to enjoy the little things in life, and be happy. But she was no Pollyanna. I think I inherited her survival instincts, and generally figure out a way to be happy.
No. Glass half-empty is just the way I think.
And my resting b*** face continually unnerves everyone around me.
Plus, I have the disposition of an axe murderer throughout winter - I am an SAD sufferer.
And then, spring comes and I am burbling happily around the garden and trilling like a lark.
By fall – which, since photography is a huge hobby of mine, should be a wonderful season for me - I am dreading winter and can’t enjoy it.
(Yes, I let weather affect me way more than it should.)
This is a great question.
I’m naturally kind of melancholy. But I’m also pretty good at finding the positive meaning/metaphor in any situation, so I guess my dominant mood is “contentment”. I don’t give myself pep talks but rather work at appreciating the moment.
I am not normally an exuberant person but I never generally thought of myself as unhappy until fairly recently. My current situation has me extremely down. I don’t think I qualify as depressed but it is harder for me to feel happy. I find that I have to remind myself to smile for instance or nod happily. I also find myself thinking more and more about the things that bother or annoy me. I don’t think that anyone outside of my immediate family would know that I am miserable most of the time.
If my family was describing me in a few words I feel pretty sure they would say “glass half full” - and I would agree that that is true - sometimes to a fault - it’s like it’s my job to make everything happy and “ok”.
That doesn’t mean that I don’t have an off day. But yes, I’d say I’m naturally happy.
So many of your responses describe me:
- I am generally content. Not exuberant, but not Debbie Downer either. I like my life.
- It has been cold and rainy this last week and I thought about how gloomy it was and how I could understand anyone affected by SAD. The weather does not send me into depression, but I do NOTICE it.
- In the car, I am a different person. I say words I would never say in any other place. I shock myself sometimes!
I am mostly happy. I volunteered with some other members of my chorus the other day and when I got to the place where we were singing they were all like “I’m so tired, I only got three hours of sleep,” and “I’ve got a migraine,” and “I don’t know why I’m here I’ve got so much to do.” And I was just happy to be there. I don’t know why people are so miserable sometimes. I feel like life is short so I need to enjoy it while I can.
Oh my gosh, the car thing is killing me! I’m so glad it’s not me. I just say things at drivers who annoy me that are incredibly ugly, then I’m on my way! It shocks me sometimes.
I’m happy, but not exuberant. I also can be very cynical, go figure! But I feel lucky in life. I’m a glass half full.
What’s weird is my DH is a happy guy and cheerful. I love being around him, the ying/yang thing. But his glass is half empty…always worrying.
I wake up happy each day. Not jumping-around-the-room-happy, but content with my life, my family, my job and the people with whom I surround myself.
If I had a “do over” there’s not too much I would change.
Content and optomistic, but not smiley happy. One of the things I like least about myself is my lack of sense of humor. I don’t enjoy “silly” and don’t laugh often. But I do consider myself happy in general, albeit too often serious.
If my family had to describe me, they would probably say “Expecting the half/full, half/empty glass to spill in her lap” (something, by the way, that happened to my son on a plane yesterday). I am not naturally happy. My natural state is anticipating all the things that can go wrong in any given situation and what you might do to avoid them. (If my son had had a spare pair of pants in his carry-on bag, he wouldn’t have had to spend the next four hours in-flight with a soaking-wet leg.)
Once a mom, always a mom.