A Life Of Pleasure Options

I was wondering if there were OR are any people in the world who have lived a life full of pleasure. Someone whose life went how they imagined it or hoped for. It could be anyone. For example, maybe Hugh Hefner has lived an entire life where the pro's dramatically outway the con's.
I just feel for me that if things are going well in life, either someone is suffering for it or suffering will come upon me to balance out the good. I like to think I'm wrong with my outlook and hope that someone out the has lived a CAREFREE lifestyle without any complications or negative disturbances. Heck I won't beat about the bush, I want to live a life that is good and pleasing to me without feeling guilty.
Does anybody feel me? Am I entitled to live how I want or do I have to "earn" my happiness through arduous and tedious toil?
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Am I entitled to live how I want or do I have to "earn" my happiness through arduous and tedious toil?

as for having it all without work or toil, well this world is based on greed, and that means haves and have-nots, and to be one of the haves you have to take it from others

The true essence of Man is serene. Therefore in truth everyone can find pleasure within themselves, that source of joy.
And to toil for it is nothing other than chasing shadows. Man, I have discovered, distant from the divine looks upon things with ungodly perception, this I believe to be the true meaning of the evil eye. When you take off the masks and look at life in its true essence you will be one with that true essence which is like a serenity incomprehensible while living through the masks but when you strip yourself naked will be completely intelligible.

Yep. Epicurus is my favorite philosopher and possibly all-round favorite person-that-I-haven't-met. The Stoic philosophy also appeals to me.
They are both valid paths to true happiness, I believe. And happiness, I believe, is the only thing worth anything!
One of my favorite quotes by Epicurus is: "Death, therefore, the most awful of evils, is nothing to us; seeing that, when we are, death is not come, and, when death is come, we are not." I could fill pages up with Epicurus quotes, so for your sake I'll stop there. :-P

Yeh he was a very wise and influential man, I would have loved to join him in his Garden. I came across stoicism also while looking into Epicurus(Epi Cure Us! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif) ) but found an affinity towards Epicureanism.
One of my favourite quotes of his is: "It is impossible for someone to dispel his fears about the most important matters if he doesn't know the nature of the universe but still gives some credence to myths. So without the study of nature there is no enjoyment of pure pleasure."
Peace!

This post has been edited by al_zaine: Apr 20 2009, 05:42 PM