The Pursuit of Happiness, Essay Example

Introduction

Happiness is a highly individualistic concept that is perceived by all persons differently and conveys the importance of identifying individuals, experiences, and actions that promote happiness and contentment within a person’s life. Happiness is a feeling, a concept, an opportunity, and a commitment to taking what life brings and making the most of it, in spite of the circumstances. This is a critical reminder of the challenges that individuals face and how they might be able to overcome adversity in their lives to achieve happier circumstances. This is a critical reminder to experience life to the best of one’s ability and to overcome the negative to achieve the positive as best as possible. This is a critical step towards the discovery of new ideas and approaches to manage circumstances effectively and to make sense of what is given to improve the life span. This is also an important reminder to embrace life as much as possible and to make the best of every situation.

Body

Happiness is a highly individualistic concept that means something different to every person, yet it often depends on the experiences of one’s life within the surrounding environment and the sense of community that is shared. This process supports the development of new ideas and perspectives to encourage the growth and development of happiness throughout the life span, even when life gets in the way. For each person, happiness conveys different life meanings and experiences that indicate how life experiences impact different people in different ways. Many people hold a strong belief that family is the most important component of their lives and that this is the critical factor to achieve happiness, including their ability to have families of their own and/or to enjoy the families that they grew up with to the best of their ability. This is a challenging situation because it requires significant effort, focus, and a critical balance in order to effectively contribute to the family unit and to achieve a greater sense of happiness in return. This is an important reminder of the ability of individuals to make sense of how their families operate and what might make these experiences a “happy place” throughout their lives.  Since happiness is highly individualistic, it represents an opportunity to make sense of what is given and to make the most of it at the same time (Solman, 2013).

Many people seek happiness through their own families and strive to be mothers and fathers to achieve a greater sense of self-worth and accomplishment. This is another avenue in which individuals seek happiness by bringing another person into a difficult world and to provide for them to the best of their ability. This process supports a greater understanding of the motivation behind families and how individuals want to be successful as the leaders of the family unit. Providing for others who are unable to provide for themselves is also a critical opportunity to achieve happiness in many situations, and it provides them with a greater sense of self and an understanding of how to care for other people, which contributes to a happier set of circumstances in many ways that are irreplaceable and cannot be overcome by any other experiences in their lives.

In other situations, many people who develop a strong focus on their careers may believe that this is their primary source of happiness and that they are able to contribute the most through the work that they perform on the job. For these persons, perhaps their families take a backseat to their careers, as this provides a more fulfilling opportunity to understand and convey their sense of value and worth. Their ability to express themselves and to perform well on the job is perhaps most critical to their personal development and growth as individuals; therefore, it requires a greater sense of understanding and accomplishment in order to achieve the intended results and to achieve personal accomplishments at the desired level. In addition, those who find happiness in their careers have a tendency to need approval, recognition, and notoriety for the work that they perform on the job and throughout their careers.

Finally, some individuals are the happiest when they give back to others, such as through charities and other circumstances where they are able to actively contribute to making the most of a situation that supports other people and also makes them happy in the process. For some people who dedicate their lives and their resources to giving back to others, they recognize that they are most happy when they are able to give to others and to put a smile on their faces. This is an important reminder of the value of giving back to others and in supporting those who are less fortunate and those who do not have the resources to achieve full happiness in their own right. Therefore, the support that they are given promotes happier circumstances and enables those who give to achieve greater happiness in their own right.

Conclusion

Happiness is a highly individualistic concept that requires each individual to look deeply within themselves and to make sense of what is given to them in order to accomplish the intended objectives in a successful manner. This process supports the continued growth and development of individuals throughout the life span and enables them to pursue their passions, whether it is through family and personal relationships, friendships, careers, or giving back to others through charities and other circumstances. Therefore, it is important for each person to explore his or her own “happy place” and to initiate a path to discovery that supports personal growth and development that will carry on throughout the different stages of life. This is an important yet meaningful approach to achieve greater expectations and growth and to achieve total happiness throughout the life span.

References

Solman, P. (2013). What makes us happy? Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/newshour/making-sense/what-makes-us-happy/