What makes it all worthwhile?

Love,baby,Yeah! ;)

The pursuit of happiness. I mean, I found it i’ve always “caught” it. I just like chasing things :¬)

The resolution of “stress” drives many human actions—and much of what I do is simply a rinse and repeat from the day before. Sometimes that’s good, sometimes that’s bad.

On the whole, I find the world an amazing place; I enjoy many people with whom I intereact; I love a few people; I am loved by a few people; and I find pleasure in most things everyday.

Not a bad gig if you can get it.

These are the normal challenges of life. We manage it by recognizing the truth of that fact.
It is the truly weird stuff like getting shot at and shooting back etc. that requires a little tooth gritting and an occasional sanity check.
Plus, like everybody above says, there is all sorts of really cool stuff to balance out the challenge of maintaining your existence. I’ll take it.

I’ll use the same quote from the film MANHATTAN that I’ve used each of the three times I’ve previously replied to this same question, because it perfectly captures my sentiment:

Isaac Davis (Woody Allen): Why is life worth living? It’s a very good question. Um… Well, There are certain things I guess that make it worthwhile. uh… Like what… okay… um… For me, uh… ooh… I would say… what, Groucho Marx, to name one thing… uh… um… and Wilie Mays… and um… the 2nd movement of the Jupiter Symphony… and um… Louis Armstrong, recording of Potato Head Blues… um… Swedish movies, naturally… Sentimental Education by Flaubert… uh… Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra… um… those incredible Apples and Pears by Cezanne… uh… the crabs at Sam Wo’s… uh… Tracy’s face…

Yes

It could happen any time, tornado,
earthquake, Armageddon. It could happen.
Or sunshine, love, salvation.

It could, you know. That’s why we wake
and look out—no guarantees
in this life.

But some bonuses, like morning,
like right now, like noon,
like evening.

By William Stafford

This is the poem that the question brought to mind.

@Austinlad : I swear I used the search to find out if this question had been asked recently, and it came up with nothing.

I don’t own a alarm clock. I pretty much just fuck around all day working on projects or reading. The last time I had something I needed to do was over a week ago.

The idea of getting more of the stuff I’ve determined has been worth being alive for.

I honestly don’t know why I do anything. Nor do I know what my drive is for wanting to do it. Currently, I’d say I am merely existing.

That this life is a very small step in our adventure of life.

I like living and my life.

Knowing that at the end of the day im going to be laying wrapped tightly in the arms of the man I love and that loves me. That with all the stress my niece and nephew give me, in return for “being their 18 hr-7 day nanny for free” ill get a hour or two alone with my sister once in a while, just me and her….

Its those little things in my life that mean so much to me that it makes everything else worth dealing with.

What makes it all worthwhile? When my beloved wife, for no apparent reason, runs her fingers through my hair and kisses me lightly on the cheek and tells me she loves me. When my children call me for no other reason than to hear my voice, and to tell me they love me. WHen my oldest grandaughter in her third year of college calls me and says that she just wanted to let me know that she loves me. When any of my 10 grandchildren hug me tight and tell me they love me.

The love of my family is the only reason that drives me to do what I do and makes it all happen. It is freaking insane most days but to see their happy smiles make it all worth it!

Since i am retired, here is what drove me in my working days: my family. to feed, house and educate my children and to keep my better half happy.

It’s the driving force for the love of our family that keeps us going.

Scotch!

But seriously, watching the kids grow up is pretty darned cool.

Avoid worrying. Then life just goes by. And all is ok.

Look at the alternative. ‘Nuff said.

The instinct to live and survive. And all the joys life has to offer.

Preperation for the future, and a little bit of fear of what will happen if I don’t try, that’s what’s driving me.

What makes it all worthwhile. Jake , those annoyances you mentioned are nothing to fret over. My friends and I all feel that the negatives increase exponentially over the decades. So enjoy that scenery and your avocados!

Knowing I have a nuclear shelter beneath my house and food and water for 18 months.

LOLCats. Because somewhere very deep down, we can all agree that we can all be as stupid as one another. ~

And pancakes.

I second @ChazMaz on dropping the anchor on worry. Useless mind stories are a waste of being here now.

What makes it ‘worthwhile’ changes, sometimes many times in this life, and in the end, it all comes down to appriciating the simple fact that you are here, now, part of the infinite manifestation of life forms.

One of my favporite sayings is ” You don’t HAVE a life, you ARE life!’

From this perspective, regardless of the ups& downs, there is joy.

Why isn’t just being alive enough, because it IS enough if you really think about it. :-)

As I have said many times on similar questions, I do not get up every day and ask myself to evaluate this day and the past 24,730 days. I just ask myself how I can make this day the happiest day of all.

The prospect of being able to change lives when I am eventually equipped to do so.

What if the person you had to kill was your daughter?

@wundayatta : I’m not sure I follow you.

Maybe a mis-print meant for another question, I think I know which one. lol

@hawaii_jake Oops! Wrong question. I have to stop having fluther open in two windows at once.