Happiness and People Essay Example for Free

Happiness and People Essay What does happiness mean to you? According to the dictionary happiness means â€Å"a pleasurable or satisfying experience†. Most people believe that happiness is simply a state of well-being; to me, happiness is more complex. True happiness is anything that brings feelings of true joy to an individual’s life. For example, Barry Schwartz a psychologist who spoke in the Ted Talk lecture scenes said the secret to true happiness is having low expectations or being able to make good choices. I agree with him because happiness comes from how you perceive things that makes you happy. Everyone finds or gains happiness in different ways. One can gain happiness through relationships and themselves or their loved ones, while others gain happiness through buying material goodies like things that makes them happy. I remember a time when I was shopping at Macys I came upon the purse section of the store and I saw the purse that I have been wanting for a long time. At the time I didn’t buy the purse because it was too expensive, but now it was marked down at thirty percent, which is a good deal. I was so happy when I bought it because I liked the color and the purse was big enough for me to fit my iPad. In addition, when it comes to relationships I think anyone would be happy because you actually feel like you’re protected and loved. This feeling makes you happy that you have someone who cares about you and remembers your birthday or anniversary. My boyfriend whom I have dated for a long time bought me an anniversary gift; I can’t believe he remembered because I forgot about it. I have been so busy with school that I lost track of important dates, I even forgot my father birthday. So the moment I received the gift I cried because I couldnt believe that he remembered it, which was shocking to me. I think that anytime you buy something you are interested in or you receive something from a best friend you will always appreciate it and feel happy because you get what you wanted and someone cares about you. When you buy more expensive merchandise vs. inexpensive merchandise does it really make you happy? A great example that I thought was Benjamin Wallace speech on the Ted Talk lecture on the â€Å"Price of Happiness†. He conducted a wine tasting experiment to see if some people could determine the difference between the most expensive wine bottles and the cheapest wine bottles. It was determined that the majority of the people who bought the most expensive wine assumed that its a better quality but it is just as good as the cheap bottle of wine. I think that anytime you buy a expensive bottle of wine it makes you feel happy and hoping that maybe it will taste good but inexpensive wine is just as good. Another significant aspect Wallace said was that with happiness is having strong relationships. Whether it’s with your family, friends, co-workers, teachers and team mates, having a strong relationship with the people you are close to brings happiness. I agree with Wallace because my family is important to me, without my family I wouldn’t know where I would be, they have supported me through college and have been giving me good advice on how to be successful in life and schools. Also, my best friends have been there for me too, they have goals and I have goals too. Neil Pasricha, author of The Book of Awesome, and came up with the three A’s said, when it comes to happiness it is consist of the three As which are Attitude, Awareness and Authenticity. He believes that no matters how difficult a situation is always move forward and take baby steps in to the future and embracing your inner self and the people around you in additions to following your heart when you put yourself in places and situation and conversation that you love and enjoy. Even though relationships can ruin some people’s lives and their self-esteem, you can still mend that relationship by bonding to make a new strong relationship. I believe that having a strong relationship with the people you love and the people who you work with is important because not only does it bring happiness from within you, it is also important because it helps you improve your connection on working with the other people. It can also help when you’re going through a hard time; the people you have a strong relationship with can help you along the way. Others said it’s not just seeing that relationship becoming strong it’s seeing it improves along the way. Being happy with yourself is another way people finds happiness. As the great Aristotle said, â€Å"Happiness depends upon us. † Some people measure their happiness on how successful they are, or how much they have accomplished. Others become happy with themselves by just helping others and giving back. Helping people in need, or giving food to the poor can make a person feel better about themselves which then makes them happier with themselves. In order to make other people happy, you have to make yourself happy first. You cannot be happy for others if you are not happy. In the past when I was a high school student I have volunteer at the Salvation Army and the Neighbor’s Place. I was helping family in need. There were times when my family would donate food to the Neighbor’s place for people who come once a month for food like a special holiday. I also did the bell ringing for the Salvation Army to raise money for Christmas gifts for the children. At my church, I have volunteered to join a Christian group to raise money for the children in Laos. Our mission was to build a school for the children and provide the necessary tools for the instructor and the student. We have been on this mission for many years and were able to accomplish it now, which was great. In addition, we have also raised money to help provide clean water to villages in Laos, there were pictures taken and of both the water system and the school that was built. I was so happy when we have raised enough money for the children and the people of Laos. I am happy when I have done good things for the people. I wanted to help them as much as I can but it can be hard sometimes but you just have to be strong and have as much confidence in yourself as possible. In conclusion, happiness is a given, anyone can be happy. You can be happy when you are with your family or your friends, even your boyfriend. Sometimes buying the things you want or watching a movie, reading a book or playing music, eating food, winning a prize and having a certificate of achievement. All this makes you happy, but what important is that you are happy with yourself and you are proud of yourself. In the past I have done many successful things and I hope to continue those things because it makes me who I am. There had also been times when I won competitions and won an award for it. I like to say that happiness is a decision you make, and sometimes there will be hard times but that doesn’t change who you are as long as you feel happy about yourself and meeting you long or short term goals.