We are not robots, although sometimes the dullness of life can make us feel that way.  At various stages of our lives, we are overwhelmed by the boredom of daily living.  I guess that is what winter vacations are for. 

There are many diversions built into our lives to relieve boredom.  There is the latest movie or album to entertain us for a brief period, there are events and activities of all kinds to break up our days, too many to mention.  Each one offers an invitation to participate. 

Back to the scribbled note, it names a major reason for living is to have a little joy.  What dismal persons are those who have no joy. 

Joy might be discussed as internal happiness.  We all know people who run the range from being nonstop happy (sometimes very annoying) to nonstop unhappy.  We should focus on the middle ground. 

Let’s look at it from the backside. We know a lot of things that will make us unhappy (supply your own list here) and by eliminating them from our lives (where possible) our happiness index will naturally rise. 

If our lives are weighed down by responsibilities, see them through and don’t renew. 

Once we have a written list of what makes us unhappy, we can also make a list of what would make us happy, and try them out, one at a time.  Then we know if it stays or goes from the list.  We should be creative and not hold back.  We may not ever have the opportunity to “run away with the circus,” but on that list will be a lot of dreams that could become reality if we follow that path.  

Now that’s a reason for living.

We should be careful what we wish for.  Winning the lottery, as an example, should make us happy, but many people who have won wind up unhappy, plagued by relentless appeals for money. 

A major item that makes people unhappy is lack of control over their life activities.  The punishment of imprisonment is more than the lack of freedom; it is the lack of control over the person’s life.  They can make almost no choices of their own. 

Many of us are caught in a web of our own making.  As we mature, obligations seem magically to accumulate and we are driven by them.  We feel we are losing control over large portions of our lives.  We are not happy, and can’t pin the reason why. 

Feeling helpless and loss of control makes us unhappy. 

We must be careful to combat those feelings early.  Left to themselves they will get worse and may cause depression.  People give up living when they lose all control. 

We should go back to that list or make a new list of things that obligate us and things that draw us to them.  Rate them on some scale, positive for the things we want to do and would make us happy, negative for the things that make us unhappy. 

Keep in mind that an obligation like college tuition for a child will result in the happiness of seeing that person graduate with a career.   

If there are relationship issues, there are thousands of articles and mentors that can help us deal with and improve them.

Make it a hobby to work on the list, taking steps forward to raise the negative ratings and gain free time to pursue the positive items that will bring us joy. 

Now that’s another reason for living. 

Finally, feeling useless makes us unhappy. 

We are social animals, and it is built into our genes to help others.  We can volunteer for something that helps another person.  It is one thing to send money, but physically working to help others face to face makes us feel useful and gives us deeper satisfaction. 

Can we make someone’s life better by helping them in some way that would only get done with our efforts?  Try it.  You’ll feel great.  

And that’s another reason for living. 

Don’t give up living and don’t “run away with the circus.” 

Be useful; be happy. 

Live a vital life.

I try to avoid eating any bananas during the week, because I know my wife will want to have a selection.

But by most Thursday nights, the bananas have darkened.  They have these ugly brown blotches on them.  Needless to say, my wife no longer finds them attractive enough to display on her desk as lunch approaches.

The remaining bananas are, needless to say, mine for the taking.

Long ago, I learned that the color of skin has little to do with the quality of what is inside. 

In the case of bananas, of course, the banana is delivered to the store all golden and fresh.  As the week progresses, with exposure to room temperature air and moisture, the bananas begin to change on the outside.  They develop “age spots” which grow with the length of exposure.

By the end of the week, they are certainly less beautiful than when we bought them.  But I like bananas for the taste.  At the point they become “Friday’s Bananas” the inside is still firm and tasty.  My gain. 

Several days later, the skin deteriorates to the point that I know they are all mushy inside, and even I won’t eat them. 

The point of this seemingly inane discussion is that our lives are filled with people and items that remain productive long after their expiration dates. 

Foodstuffs especially are dated early, both to avoid lawsuit and to sell more product.  There are some who religiously honor the date, and even improve on it.  I know a person who practically throws out the milk on the way home from the store. 

Many people are victims of automatic expiration fear.  Once they reach a certain age, they are set aside as no longer useful.  That may be true of an ageing body, but a person’s mind goes on long after their body loses shape. 

Don’t be afraid to eat Friday’s bananas.  Consider usefulness to you as an evaluation of expiration rather than a date someone else has put there.  Make your own decisions.