Hi Ronald, and thank you for the response.
The quote from Readers' Digest was done ad verbatum - I think it actually
read comething like: "Success is getting what you want, while Happiness is
liking what you get."
Be that as it may, I agree with your additional view.
Man tends to strive for success to such an extent that enjoying life takes a
second seat.
I always find it strange when a well known person dies, and is referred to
as having been very successful, with a lot of money in the bank. The fact
that he went through four divorces & five marriages in the process does not
make him less successful in the eyes of the world.
His brother, who had been married for 40 years to the same wife, who had put
his kids through university, paid his bond off early, but worked in a back
office all his life and is now retired, living on his pension accruals, is
not recognised by anybody as being particularly successful.
Chances are though that the latter has lived a happy life. Was he not then
perhaps more successful than his business-man brother?
At the risk of sounding very religious I must say that I have wondered if
this was not a reason for me to get Parkinsons, and if not, if I should not
see the advantages (glass half full again) for me as a living soul to have
been brought back - through Parkinsons - to enjoying life to the fullest
again.
My wife and I celebrated our 22nd wedding anniversary on 22nd January and I
cannot say that I have ever been happier. Relationships with people around
me, and life in general, has become very important. I listen better, talk
less (still types a lot, as you can see). Financially life is a strain, but
that is now less important.
I love talking to - change this to read communicating with - my children and
their friends. I enjoy my music and my photography - although the latter
has become rather frustrating - and there is a lot to laugh about ( I was
chatting to a fellow PWP recently and when we parted we decided that we will
just hold hands, the shaking thereof will see to itself)
I feel fortunate to be able to use technology to be a member of you lot -
what did the P'sWP do earlier without this enrichment?
I am therefore enslaved to strive for more happiness. My success will be
measured by this and by my family, and this makes me happy.
Another quote, this time from Bonnie Rowley - from our Parkinsn list. On 23
Dec 98 Bonnie forwarded a message titled "Something to think about".
One paragraph said: "I asked God for happiness. He said: No - I give you
blessings, happiness is up to you."
I have decided to be more happy.
.
Gerrit Kleynscheldt
Tel: 021 947 8918 (International +27 21 947 8918)
Fax: 021 947 1521 (International +27 21 947 1521)
Please note the following:
Because e-mail can be altered electronically,
the integrity of this communication cannot be guaranteed.
-----Original Message-----
From: Ronald F. Vetter [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Monday, January 25, 1999 7:58 PM
To: Kleynscheldt, Gerrit
Cc: Multiple recipients of list PARKINSN
Subject: Re: sharing and privacy
Gerrit Kleynscheldt alledgedly wrote:
PS: I want to share what I found in a recent Readers Digest: "The
difference between success and happiness is that success is having
what
you
want, while happiness is liking what you have"
i agree with this
it also seems that success can be having enough
deciding what is enough might be beneficial ... therefore
happiness might come from having what you need
and, that may be a challenge
to overcome a lot of bad luck
that comes labeled xxxxx disease
--
Ron Vetter 1936, '84 PD dz
[log in to unmask]
http://www.ridgecrest.ca.us/~rfvetter
