Can the Perfect Dream Life be boring?
By Carl Halling
@CarlHalling (3617)
United Kingdom
November 1, 2007 1:24pm CST
I ask this because recently I've heard of people who although apparently living a dream life in the sun or in the country, maybe running a lovely little business, or working in a glamorous easy job, start to dream of something more adventurous. Why? And then there are those famous or powerful people, who work so hard long, long hours year after year to achieve the perfect life of leisure with the big house and the yacht and so on...only to find that this leaves them feeling cut off from the big time. They then long to get back to work, with all the stress and competition and exhaustion this entails. Why? What of those who work all their lives in order to retire early and live a life of luxury in the sun...only to be so desperate to go back to work that they make up their own work, or work for nothing! Why? Why is all this? Is happiness elusive? Do dream lives satisfy? Or are we happiest when we're working to achieve the dream life? What are your ideas and opinions on this theory of the Perfect Dream Life?
2 people like this
6 responses
@maximax8 (31042)
• United Kingdom
1 Nov 07
Imagine a person that is quite poor but goes into town once a week to buy the lottery. One day they win millions of dollars. At first they feel very happy buying a huge house, sports car, large yacht and a holiday villa. The day they won the money they gave up their part time job at a children's nursery. Their partner starts to live the high life as well. Two years later their relationship is going badly, they miss their old friends, they feel bored without meaningful work to do and birthdays are really boring. This is because they already have everything they want and nothing is special anymore. So perhaps the dream life does not stay this for very long. I think the best things to have in life are happiness, good health and good luck.
1 person likes this
@CarlHalling (3617)
• United Kingdom
1 Nov 07
I think you're right. It strikes me that contrast is what makes life exciting. This may well be why folks go on holiday...for the holiday of course, but also as a means of appreciating home. As the song goes:
"It's very nice to go travelling, but it's so much nicer, yes it's so much nicer to come home..."
Thanks for responding...
@maximax8 (31042)
• United Kingdom
1 Nov 07
If people save up for a holiday they really appreciate it. But if the people are so rich they can afford the most luxurious holiday in the world they are unlikely to appreciate it.
Yes, I think coming home from a holiday my bed feels so comfortable, my sofa feels very nice to sit on and the food tastes wonderful. I adore traveling but coming home makes me appreciate what I have got. I have two loving and adorable dogs that I miss when I go off traveling.
1 person likes this
@CarlHalling (3617)
• United Kingdom
2 Nov 07
I always remember coming back from holiday how much I loved seeing the grey skies of home in early autumn, the very grey skies that normally make me shudder, and the ritual of putting on extra clothes. No matter where I've travelled, I've never found anywhere I like as much as home.
@Debs_place (10520)
• United States
2 Nov 07
Well you know the expression the grass is always greener on the other side of the road.
To put this in perspective or in the eyes of a child...
a friend of mine had 2 kids, they absolutely loved going to Florida for 2 weeks every summer on vacation.
Well, as life would have it, one day her boss said, you have to move, your job is going to FLORIDA. She was ecstatic. She rushed home, all excited about the news to tell her kids.
Of all a sudden, they started crying..she was totally confused. She asked what was wrong. Their response: "If we go to Florida, then where will we go for vacation?"I guess if we reached the promised land..then there is no where else to go.
1 person likes this
@CarlHalling (3617)
• United Kingdom
2 Nov 07
Absolutely. What a cute, and timeless story, and an example of the natural wisdom of kids: they summed it up. If our dreams come true, what do we have to look forward to?
@ElusiveButterfly (45941)
• United States
2 Nov 07
My husband often dreams the life of grandeur. My dreams are more simplistic. I don't think I will ever fully retire. Work brings me pleasure. But, it would be a pleasure not to have to work so much and have the time to enjoy other things that I like to do.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169530)
• United States
2 Nov 07
I do not think you ever truly arrive at the dream life, for just the reason you state. Part of the dream is the striving to achieve it. It is conquest, it is believing in yourself. I do not think I will ever have a chance to prove this theory, but I am enjoying the journey.
1 person likes this
@CarlHalling (3617)
• United Kingdom
6 Nov 07
I know what you are saying. Challenges are fun. Few of us achieve what we really want in this life. But...there are fleeting moments of pure happiness. For me, they come when I least expect them, and are often triggered by contemplation of my natural surroundings. I'm in suburbia, and while the bright lights are only a few miles away, here there are trees, flowers, greens, and strolling around here is a real joy...for a time...
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
2 Nov 07
Like everything else, it is all up to the person. There are workaholics that would never think of retiring ever.And then there are people that work and work to get that " perfect dream" and they are happy.The hard part is to know which person you are. I know that I would like to take a great vacation, but I would like to continue to work.If I were rich, then I would volunteer.I hate being bored and I love being busy.
1 person likes this
@CarlHalling (3617)
• United Kingdom
6 Nov 07
I know what you mean. I like to keep busy too. I have never been one of those souls who will hit the armcchair and remain there for hours in front of the TV. I'll only watch TV in small increments. Sometimes I'll be working on something even when the telly is on! I am a compulsively creative soul, with an inner need to show something for my day.
1 person likes this
@cherryblossm90 (180)
• Philippines
2 Nov 07
It depends on your contentment. Rich or poor, if you're not contented on what you have then you'll never be happy with your life. I have met different kinds of people who were always whining and depressed because of the life that they had. I'm not saying that you should not reach for your dreams. Dreams are great motivators for you to go on with your life however, just as the saying goes, too much of everything is bad for you. In my opinion, perfect life is not just about money but also the relationship that you have with your family, friends and relatives. Giving and receiving love is also a part of that perfect life that I always imagined.
