Aha! I now have a foothold in the blog-o-sphere. Lookout Wonkette! Washington politicians and commentators ain't nut'in compared to a man in a recliner watching TV (or even HBO).

First, let's get the philosophy out of the way.

You are, and are as happy as, what you hold close.

In life -

You experience many good things you earned - so does everyone else.
You get many good things you did not deserve - so does everyone else.
You experience many pains and hardships of your own making - so does everyone else.
You get troubles and suffering piled on you that you did not deserve - so does everyone else.

So as you look around at others - some happy, some sad, some just trying to get by - are the happy ones more entitled to their happiness than you? Are the sad and despondent more deserving of their fate?

Not really. In fact there is little to no correlation between their happiness and their experiences, save what they choose to hold close to their hearts and what they choose to let go or learn from. Indeed some who suffer the worst undeserved tragedies are often those who cherish the subtlest happinesses.

What each of us chooses to hold onto defines our happiness. What each of us holds close becomes our definitions of ourselves.

...and all other things being equal, I would rather be happy.

Thus stated - my philosophy of life.