The Journey Begins…Continues…but Never Ends

What is happiness well according to the dictionary.com happiness is the quality or state of being happy. I think that happiness is so much more than a definition because a lot of things can make us happy and makes us sad and pushing through those that bring us down and still be truly happy is a strong thing. Happiness comes in a lot of different forms for me I know a lot of people who lost their lives at a young age so when I wake up I’m thankful for just being able to wake up. Being happy is something I try to be more and more every day.
In the past happiness was something that I struggled with in the past it was in a dark place.  I just wasn’t happy and I needed help at that time but I didn’t ask for it and I ok now but I think I would have felt better if I would have asked for help. Asking for help is an important thing and if you feel that you are down asking for help can never hurt because there are people who are there to help. Happiness can be brought from a lot of things like music, video games, favorite people, etc some of those things make me feel happy and some of those helped me. Everyone should enjoy being happy and help those in need.
My happiest moment was winning a scholarship in the eighth grade because it was something that I worked on all year and something that I really wanted and I got it. When I got it felt like true joy because I had the freedom to go to any school that I wanted to and I chose to go to and I now go to a school that I really enjoy. I surprised myself by doing that because I didn’t expect to win that myself and it taught me that I can achieve anything that I work hard enough at. I was the Happiest I was at any moment in my life and that goal that everyone wants to reach true happiness. Happiness is something we should all go for and We need it to be better people and happy people.

Jahir A

True happiness is a momentary emotion, it isn’t an overall mood but is instead a feeling that you experience in one brief unforgettable moment. We can be happy as an overall mood and this can be long-lasting, but happiness is special. These moments of pure happiness are moments that are truly hard to forget and often stay with us for life. We recall the moments fondly and can often times remember our exact reaction. This is because of the raw uncensored emotion that happiness is.

In the film we see Will Smith being hit by life like a truck over and over again with little small victories over time. During these breaks, he doesn’t describe his experience as happiness and there is a reason for that. For example, when he lands the internship he doesn’t talk about how happy he felt but rather got straight to work so that he could beat out all the rest of the competition. But, when he is called into the office and told he got the job, he can’t contain himself and looks like an entirely different person. This is because in this rare moment after all of the suffering and sadness that he had experienced, he felt happiness.

This idea of true happiness being a rare and unforgettable moment is something that I can relate to personally. I find that when I look back over my life there are specific moments spread out over the course of my life that brought me happiness. These moments are similar in some ways to the one in the movie. For example, when I was younger and I would walk downstairs and open presents on Christmas was one of these moments. Opening up the wrapped gifts and seeing the one thing that I really wanted envoke this feeling of happiness.

Michael W.

To me, happiness is the feeling of being full and complete. I feel I am most complete just being surrounded by my family and friends. Of course, I like having “things” like television but, I don’t think that is what makes me happy. I could have the most money in the world and still not be happy if I do not have the ones I love most with me. Although money is good and it can prevent many things, I don’t believe it can make you feel complete. Being with my family and friends, allows me to not be alone. I think being alone is what can make people the saddest. To me having those trusting and loving people makes me feel full. As long as I am doing what I want to do in life with my loved ones at my side, I am happy.

I believe we do make our own happiness. In a way, I think our happiness and our fate go together. I have realized that I am not going to find happiness if I do not make what I want in life. If I do not do what I truly want to do with my life, then I do not think I will be happy. I also think making the effort to keep my family in my life is something that will make me happy.

In a way, I think happiness can define something. Happiness is the quality of someone that shows who they are and how grateful they are for the kind of life they are given. When someone isn’t given a lot in life and they still find a way to be happy, you can see that they are a genuine person, who finds doesn’t find their happiness through materials. This kind of person recognizes the truly important things.

-Emma S

Happiness is everything one could ask for. Happiness can come from many different things. Everyone has something or someone that makes them the happy everyday. It’s really the little things in life that can make one happy. Even small gestures can brighten up someones day. Happiness is like a gift, you never expect it, Once you are delighted with that happiness, your day can turn from a bad day to a good day.

Happiness can define who we are. Happiness can show whether or not we are more happy with materials, or if we are more happy with our friends and family. Depending on what brings you happiness, can say a lot about yourself. I personally think that if happiness comes from materials then you are not truly happy, but you are more happy with what it is that you bought. I think that everyones happiness should come from being with their friends and family.

I could care less about things because it isn’t things that make me happy it is my family and friends. The one thing that makes me the happiest is getting to spend time with the people I love. My favorite person I get to spend time with is my boyfriend. He always makes sure I’m happy and even when I am upset. He will always find a way to cheer me up, even when I’m down.

Katelyn C.

Happiness can not truly be defined for all people; every individual defines happiness in their own way. I think people can find happiness anywhere they find fun, entertainment, and comfort. People often view happiness as an end goal to strive for, but I think that line of thinking causes them to overlook the things in their lives that make them happy already. Fame, wealth, and success are in no way indicators of happiness. Many people who have had great achievements in their lives, such as NBA star Demar Derozan, still struggle with their mental health. I think happiness involves putting yourself in an environment where you can have more fun and enjoyment than stress and annoyance.

I think that we can definitely make our own happiness. We all have goals we try to reach, but I think that working toward those goals brings more happiness along the way than at the end. I look at the late Kobe Bryant and see how happy he was after his retirement from the NBA. He seemed to enjoy every moment he got to just be a fan of the game, where he did not have the stress of being under the spotlight but could still enjoy the sport regardless, and be a good father. In my life, I know can never overlook what I already have just because I have goals I want to accomplish. A person can get everything they ever wanted and never be happy, and another person could have to live with nothing but be as happy as possible. Everyday, I try to get the most out of all my experiences and enjoy the time I spend with everything and everyone already in my life. I know that I do not need to be rich and famous to be happy.

I do not really know if happiness can truly define a person, but I do know that happiness can show the type of person someone is. If someone can not be happy in the space they are in, that may indicate that they are greedy or ungrateful. In my life, I always try to show gratitude for everything I am given. Personally, I do not think happiness can fully define anyone because happiness is not a measure of one’s success or a characteristic of their personality. A happy person probably sees themselves as more successful, but that may not be the case from another person’s viewpoint. No matter how you view happiness, it should always be something to strive for everyday.

Steven B.

Happiness is wonderful feeling, yet for some people it is elusive. Chasing after things that we want is part of what makes us human but sometimes when we finally obtain it we realize that it doesn’t make us feel as good as we thought it would. Something that makes you truly happy will always make us happy no matter what you might have to go through to get it. Everyone enjoys their own thing and nothing can take away the joy that comes with getting whatever that may be. To many people the only thing that can bring happiness is material things, but to those that have lived a good life it is a special activity with people they care for.

Finding happiness seems like a hard and brutal journey that you can’t even think about completing. Other times people just come across it as if they just found a dollar on the ground. But we can also make happiness for ourselves with simple everyday actions like a random act of kindness or eating your favorite snack. Whatever it may be for you make sure you savor and enjoy it. Often times people think that we should sacrifice sacrifice our own happiness for that of other, but unless it is an equal sacrificing of happiness there is no point.

Our own happiness is often thought of as the first priority in regards of our happiness or that of others.  There are people that think otherwise and there is nothing wrong with that. Our happiness needs to be found or made for ourselves. While other people can and probably will help you find it only you will know what you want. Whatever it takes to achieve this happiness should be done and you should take whatever help is offered to get it

Joshua K.

Happiness is defined as “the state of being happy” on Google.  What does that really mean, the state of being happy?  There are two forms of happiness: immediate gratification and delayed gratification.  Immediate gratification is the desire to experience pleasure or fulfillment without delay or deferment.  Delayed gratification is the ability to put off something mildly fun or pleasurable now, in order to gain something that is more fun, pleasurable, or rewarding later.  Basically to sum it up, long-term happiness which is what you think everyone would strive for.

However, most people strive for immediate gratification, which believe it or not is actually killing your road to happiness.  Immediate gratification may feel good in the moment, but will it last later on?  In all cases, no, because that source of immediate gratification doesn’t bring you actual happiness.  It’s understandable why we chase after immediate gratification more than delayed.  We all have moments where we act on impulse and simply want to experience that feeling of happiness, whether it’s freedom or something cheerful.  But we fail to realize that those emotions are only temporary and we strive to keep that happiness.

I encourage you all to chase after delayed gratification.  Happiness starts with yourself because you can’t truly ever be happy about anything if you haven’t worked on yourself.  There’s a reason why there’s a famous quote that says “Nothing in life comes easy”.  We are always going to be uncomfortable in our lives, regardless whether we receive immediate or delayed gratification.  But you have two choices of which type you want to choose.  You can either choose to be uncomfortable in the beginning and in the end achieve something extraordinary or choose the easy route and be extremely uncomfortable later on.

Victoria A.

Happiness is defined in the dictionary as the state of being happy. Truly everyone’s personal definition of is to be happy is all very different. Some may believe that to be happy involves the people you have in your life, while others might believe it’s about the materialistic things that make them happy. Partially for my definition of happiness includes material things. Things such as money, Netflix, youtube, and food make me honestly really happy. The other side of what makes me happy involves the people around me, such as my family and friends.

Happiness, I believe, is the result of a process in which your decisions lead down a specific path. The choices we make have a significant effect on our feelings. In my life, this has been prominent was when I went to a summer camp at Temple University that I didn’t want to go to and ended up having a great time meeting new friends. That decision, although a small one, affected my happiness.

I believe that we are in charge of our own happiness because we are the only ones who know what makes us happy. To accomplish being happy is simply doing what you love. For example, in my life, I know that I love to chill and watch tv, that’s what makes me happy. If I do something that I don’t love, it’s not how I’m going to find happiness in my life. Lastly, I do believe that happiness defines who you are because when your happy, you tend to act completely different compared to when your not. “The most important thing is to enjoy your life – to be happy. It’s all that matters.” ~ Audrey Hepburn

Kayla T.

Happiness seems like it is hard to attain, but when you think about it, happiness is all around us. For some reason, when I think of happiness I look to the future. I think about the things that I want in life. The more I think about this, I realize that I can’t control how my life fans out. I can’t rely on future happiness, rather I need to focus on the present and the things in my life that make me happy today.

When I think of happiness, the first thing that comes to mind is my family. I find I am happiest when I am with my family, whether it be my immediate family or extended family. Don’t get me wrong, I find happiness in other things as well, but my family is the most valuable thing I have. When finances or illnesses occur, we have to rely on family for love and support. My mom wants me and my siblings to be successful in life, but all she really wants is for us to stay close and have each other’s backs.

Some people try their hardest to be happy, but find that their mental health controls them. You never know what someone else is going through, just because someone seem happy on the outside does not mean they are truly happy. I feel like I take happiness for granted. When we are happy, we are on a high, but when we are upset, we look at everything negatively. Happiness does not define us, but it does impact how we are feeling.

Maria M.

Happiness can be defined in many different ways. Everyone has their own definition of happiness and has something particular to them that brings them joy. What a lot of people get caught up in is fake happiness. This comes when you seem to have everything in life besides the things that truly matter. The things that matter in life and that bring our happiness shouldn’t just be material things. Instead, it should be things like spending time with family and friends. We can have every material thing in the world but still be without happiness.

I believe the type of happiness you experience is all determined on the path you take yourself down. The truth is though is that there is happiness everywhere around us no matter what. No matter what position you find yourself in there is always going to be something that could bring your pure happiness. It is easy for us to dwell on all of the bad things that we forget to appreciate what we have. You can be rich and have no true happiness and you can also be rich and have true happiness. It all depends on how you live your life and what you do to let the true happiness in.

No one can bring you your true happiness besides yourself. Likewise, no one can destroy your true happiness besides yourself too. It is easy for us to say so and so did this to make me angry but you are the one who lets yourself get angry or upset. Being at peace with yourself and understanding that no one’s opinions matters about you besides your own is the key to sustaining true happiness. Knowing yourself and what you are doing to be kind will bring out your true happiness and will end your pursuit.

Holly F.