I agree that being in a profession that you love sure makes love much sweeter. You can enjoy everything more.

For me music does the trick. Wasn't brave enough to become a struggling musician to now I sell musical instruments for a living and will own a company someday. Still amazing being around music all day long and getting to talk to musicians.

You just have to find what makes you tick and roll with it.

BTW - Kool you can have a warm, fuzzy, sexy relationship and still be happy. Just because the past has harmed you doesn't mean the future will.

Thanks. I'm open to it-! Trying to push through and forget about past manipulative BS and let my heart out anyway.

Good for you koolman. I've found that the one time I was really truly single, and was focusing on me and my hobbies and my home renovation, was the happiest time of my entire life. I'm codependent, so when I get involved with a man, my life REVOLVES around them. It's hard for me not to become enmeshed with him and I am unable to think of anything else. This is what I'm working on now. Trying to keep a healthy balance. I'm trying to worry about me again and spend more time focusing on my house, my dog, my other hobbies, etc.

I can relate Koolman about finding your work passion - I think it's so important, considering the amount of time in our lives we spend working. And like you, I'm grateful to be able to do what I love.

However, I think it's important to nurture ourselves in a variety of ways, and not just depend on one area to feel fulfilled. I don't think one area can meet all of our needs.

I know it's hard to imagine a relationship being capable of making you happy when you've been hurt - I know it's hard to grasp that concept when it's only been recently that you've experienced frustration in the relationship department. But you've been happy before in relationships, and you can find that again.

Personally, I go by a grid - I try and have a balance of a variety of areas: friends, family, God, spirituality, contribution, work, and leisure/ hobbies. I try and nurture myself with all of these things in my life as much as I can, and if one area isn't going so well, I have other areas to fall back on.

If you only depend on one thing for happiness and fulfillment, what happens when that one thing isn't going well in your life? What then do you have to count on to feel happy and fulfilled...? It's the old, don't put all your eggs in one basket adage.

All the best.

I think balance is good. I like work and all, but I make sure I spend time out, enjoying myself and talking shit about life, lauging, having a good time.

High five to the topic and for making your life a passioante one, meaningful to you. hugs

Thanks, folks. Rose, I'd love to have some romance in there too (got family for laughter), but that dept. seems to be nonexistent now, so I'm not worrying about it, but am open to it-!

Trying to remain human is a full-time job in itself.

I don't put too much stake into a relationship for personal satisfaction and fulfillment. Maybe this is my flaw LOL, but,

"when I have done that, I've been disappointed. "

oh so true.
=[

sounds like you know what youre doing.
keep at it!

I'd love to be a Traffic Warden for a week !

I'd give tickets for the slightest misdemeanor as the car population is growing faster than the human population in this country and it's time someone paid - especially those drivers who park on the sidewalk and make it difficult for pedestrians to get past (let alone those in a wheelchair) !

:p