No.

I wasn't happy yesterday, either.

But I have high hopes for tomorrow, as usual.

Yes, I am happy.

Although sometimes it seems like I really don't deserve to be. Like my happiness is somehow an accident...

Yes, I am happy because I have the ability to breathe in and out all day long.

After having severe depression you learn to appreciate the simple things. Sure, I have my off days but if I let myself feel blue (instead of fighting it) the feelings pass much quicker.

If you learn to love yourself, others will want to love you. It's infectious.

Mostly, I am. I go through times of feeling somewhat depressed, but overall I'm happy. I think there is a correlation between my happiness and how much I pay attention to the news. But I'm happiest when reading or listening to good classical music.

Well, if I have to go with a "yes" or "no," I'll say yes, though it's rarely that cut-and-dried. A lot of the frustrations of daily life tend to bring me down from the "happy" level to at least "content." I also cultivate a none-too-healthy level of outrage and righteous indignation, which aren't really "happy" qualities.

As for what makes me happy, I've got a few things that are a little tougher for others to just adopt -- the family, for instance (though even that's a mixed bag -- nothing's perfect). I try to keep challenging myself in what I do, and just taking time out to have fun. Given my commitments, that's a lot less "spending time with friends" than "sitting down to watch a movie," but at least it's something.

Well, and there's this whole blog-writing thing you started me off on...

Yes. For the most part, yes.

Actually, if you'll permit a bit of snarkiness, I think the act of asking yourself "Am I happy?" automatically makes you less happy. I don't think it's possible to be entirely 100% worry-free happy--you'd have to put too much of the world on "ignore" to do that. And that's no way to go through life. But once you ask "Am I happy?" you start taking special notice of all the things standing in the way of total happiness. I think that makes them get blown out of proportion. Now I'm not saying you shouldn't analyze yourself. I'm all about self-examination. I'm just pointing out this little phenomena that seems to happen when something like this is asked and that it might not be as big a deal as you think. Hence all of the qualifications to the "yes" answers.

Stuff that makes me happy...friends. I adore the people who I consider my friends (including you, Geoffrey). There is nothing I'd rather do than just spend quality conversation time with them. And given my general neurosis about my conversation skills, that's saying something. Baseball games--particularly those of my beloved Cubs. Although those often get in the way of happiness, too. But not enough to stop me from coming back to them. Fifteen minutes of killer material. Stan & Ollie. Bud & Lou. Steve Martin. Eddie Izzard. Laughing my ass off and not caring who's staring at me.

There are many more things but that's where happiness starts as far as I'm concerned.

Yesterday was a very happy day for me. I am happy, most of the time. I am not totally happy all the time, it's not possible. And if anyone says they are happy all the time, really needs a mental evaluation. It doesn't have to be a huge thing to make me happy, either. Stupid little things make me happy: having a good day at work, curling up with my kitty cat, spending time feeding the twins, waiting in anticipation for the new Harry Potter book.

Really, I don't know if I could ever be completely happy. Complete happiness would mean that I am satisfied, and as of yet I have not reached complete and total satisfaction with every aspect of my life.

Not to sound all depressing, but sometimes happiness is difficult. You have this great feeling, but at the same time you're wondering when the other shoe is going to drop.

To answer your question, I am sort of happy. Not sure what would make me happier, know of plenty of things to kill the happiness I have. Of course, I think that's my normal state of things.

Yes.

There's nothing specific that makes me particularly happy. I just am. Maybe it's the way I view the world and my role in it. Maybe it's the way I'm able to find family within my circle of friends. Or, maybe I'm just an oddball... But whatever it is, you can't define it.

Happy? First of all that question really needs clarification... I am happy yes... in general. But everyone has bad days, bad occurances, bad things. That's life, it happens, the measure of ones "happiness" is how you manage through the bad times... I think that a very important part of that question is to realize that being "happy" in life doesn't mean you are "happy" everyday... it's the hope, the idea that you will be happy again maybe very soon. If you only have sadness to look forward to, then you are not "happy."

Things that happen to you in daily life don't really have any effect on whether you are happy or not, it is more a state of mind than anything.

I am happy, I like my life, it has good, it has bad. But to have faith in whatever it is you believe in helps alot.

"You've got to acc-cen-tu-ate the positive..."

Anything can get you down if you let it. Even good things, when looked at from a different angle are bad.

Which angle do you want to look at it from?

No. In fact, me not being happy is kind of defining my personality at the moment. I'm in flux; I've got my life on hold, waiting to find out about major changes that are in other people's hands, and I hate that SO MUCH. Worse yet, I've been doing this for over a year now.

...And then, there's all the paperwork...

With everything in my life? No. In general? Yes. Why? Beats me.

I'm afraid I'm not frank enough to answer that!