What do you want out of life?

[Pompidou]

I'm in one of those moments where it seems like everything I want in life is at my fingertips - self employment, a log cabin, a Mini Cooper, and a relationship. I suppose it's sort of a variation on the American Dream, if that was ever more than a hyped up catchphrase. Does everyone else have a defined threshold of: "Mission Accomplished"? A house in the suburbs with a white picket fence, a spouse, two and a half kids, a dog, a two car garage and neighbors who maintain their yard - all afforded on a single white collar income? That was the fabled mission accomplished point, they say, though how true that was, I don't know.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I like the idea of your white picket fence world you described and congratulations to you on being so close to so many things that could make you very happy.

What do I want out of life? Well, the usual delusions of grandeur. Big house, pretty wife, a car collection that would impress Jay Leno, good kids, a museum-quality antiques collection.

Realistically? A nice farm with a little bit of land and a couple barns, a classic car or two, and a station wagon. Sweet, loving wife, 4 great kids, and a good job that can pay the bills. I'd be a happy man.

 

[Berlin]

Stability and happiness.

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Whatever God grants to me,...love peace and happiness.
Most importantly the ability to realize it all when it finds me.

 

[Maguire]

An interesting question, i think if most people knew the answer they'd be in a different place altogether. I used to think i knew, i'm not sure now. Its all up in the air. I suppose all i can say is I don't want life to pass by, and youth specifically, without having accomplished anything. I want to be able to sit back in old age and be proud of what i've done, and leave a legacy. I'd say nearly everyone wants that, and that's the bare bones of it, but how to fill it in i still don't know.

 

[djd]

To be content

To feel like I've made a difference to the world by the time I'm ready to leave it

To feel like I've done more good than bad on balance

To have a few people remember me fondly

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

I'd say nearly everyone wants that, and that's the bare bones of it, but how to fill it in i still don't know.

Like this?
[video=youtube;I1wg1DNHbNU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1wg1DNHbNU&feature=related[/video]

 

[Stray Cat]

I only (and ever) had one mantra>
ME.. HAPPY! lol
..and nothing else matters (just like Niccolo Machiavelli said)

 

[Jaguar66]

The purpose of life is to experience living. The only purpose. To experience living do, be and have the things you want. Often one does not know the things one wants, so at that point, look out into the world, and down into the center of your being. Something always comes up. Go for it. The satisfaction in life is most rewarding when life is dedicated to bettering the lives of people around you, and the chance meeting of people during the travel through life.

Go for the gusto!

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Some various answers throughout recent history, by various other Talking Heads,... answers arranged by the age of the respondents.
You just might find that at least one person in these videos wants exactly what you want from life.
[video=youtube;nfVD2PKJMMs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfVD2PKJMMs&feature=related[/video]

 

[Puzzicato]

To be content

To feel like I've made a difference to the world by the time I'm ready to leave it

To feel like I've done more good than bad on balance

To have a few people remember me fondly

Very nicely said.

With the employment market the way it has been for the last few years, we've had some pretty hairy times. What I really want in life is not to have the sinking feeling of anxiety as the 8th of the month gets closer and we won't be able to make rent.

Specifically:
I'd like to own my own home, with enough land around it to have a bit of garden.
I'd like my husband to be content - I can't be unless he is.

Everything else pretty much swings on those.

 

[djd]

Yup. Tough times ahead still. Not to be constantly worried about money would be nice. I don't mean rich- I just mean not worrying about the grocery bills and the heating costs....

Pretty much like you. If my partner and son could be happy then I'd be ok

 

[subject101]

Choose Life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a big television, choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol, and dental insurance. Choose fixed interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisurewear and matching luggage. Choose a three-piece suit on hire purchase in a range of fabrics. Choose DIY and wondering who the you are on Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing, spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, spending your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish brats you spawned to replace yourselves. Choose your future. Choose life...

 

[SGT Rocket]

What do I want out of life? Let me tell you...

What a great idea for a thread!

Wow, I have been consciously worried about money for quite some time. I only work two days a week at drill weekends. Other than that I've been one of those million workers in the U.S. that is discouraged and has quit filing for unemployment. It just isn't morally right for me because my wife is still working and there are probably people out there that need the money more than me.

I'm going back to school in the fall for nursing (RN), because I feel one of my "missions" in life is to help people. I seem to get a lot of personal satisfaction out of that.

Last Monday, all my worries that I had been suppressing really came to a head. So I talked to my brother about it (who is living with me while he recovers from his house fire-- 20% burns on his body that needed skin grafting); and talked to my wife about it.

Usually my wife does all the bills and that stuff because it stresses me out too much. So we came up with a plan that we put into practice immediately to cut some costs and make me feel like I am helping out the family more (in a way that is not financial).

So, what is my American Dream?
1). To keep my house, which I believe I can do now. I feel very bad about people who can't keep their house and I pray for them almost every day.
2). To be healthy!
3). Number three but the most important: To be a good, if not perfect, dad.
4). Second most important, but only by a little, to be the best husband I can be, if not perfect.
5). I'm throwing in number five just for good measure, to excel in nursing school and get a job ASAP after I graduate.

I hope this wasn't too personal for the board. I sort of a open type of guy.

thanks!

 

[Yeps]

At the moment I am rather short sighted in my goals. 1) to be able to support myself after graduation, preferably by singing. B: to meet a nice girl at some point.

 

[Subvet642]

Liberty; without it, everything else is meaningless.

 

[Spitfire]

To be content

To feel like I've made a difference to the world by the time I'm ready to leave it

To feel like I've done more good than bad on balance

To have a few people remember me fondly

Exactly how I feel too!

 

[hatophile]

Best of luck to you SGT Rocket in your quest for your RN degree, it seems you have your priorities in order. You should certainly have no problem finding a job!

I feel mostly content; nice wife, home, animals around me, stable rewarding work. I do wish I had more time for friends and leisure activites, but I am certainly not bored.

Several have mentioned health as a priority, and being in the medical field, I can attest to the fact that without good health, everything else becomes more difficult, and our other goals may lose their meaning.

 

[AmateisGal]

To be content - in my marriage, in my role as a mother, in my daily job. I have the first two - it's just the job right now that is leaving me a bit stressed. Toxic work environments are not fun. Still, I am incredibly thankful to have a job in this economy.

To look at the small things in life and appreciate them. Every day.

To have enough money to be content - like others have said, I don't need to be rich - just enough in the bank not to worry about paying my bills and also, to have the ability to travel once a year.

To have good health. Oh boy. To have one day where I felt good all day long...that would be a blessing.

 

[rue]

I've been extremely lucky to have the "house in the suburbs with a white picket fence, a spouse, two and a half kids, a dog, a two car garage and neighbors who maintain their yard - all afforded on a single white collar income" type of life since I was in my 20s and although the husband has changed (I'm divorced and remarried) and one of the kids turned 20 and moved out, that's been my world. Given that, I can't and I would never complain about it, even with all the emotional ups and downs I've had over the years, so I guess there are only two things that I really want out of life now:

One is to finally be settled. Before I was ever married to someone in the military, I have moved, for different reasons, every 2-5 years (that makes 7 different houses in 5 different towns and in 3 different states) and I'm really tired of it even though I'm only forty-one. I thought this was the last house I would live in, but I found out about a month ago that it's not

The second and most important, is that I want to know that I've done a good job raising my kids so they will be happy, healthy upstanding citizens. All I ever wanted to be was a mom and I was lucky enough to have two great kids and although I know that no one is a perfect parent, I certainly strive for it.