Misenheimer 1

Will Misenheimer
UWRT 1102-028
Deby Jizi
28 April 2016
What Happiness Means to Me
Happiness is a seemingly impossible concept to define. There are many difficult and selfanalytical questions that may be asked to develop a deeper understanding of happiness. Are you happy?
How did you become happy? How do you plan on maintaining your happiness in the future? Like a
switch, it sometimes seems that happiness may be turned off and on. I may be happy playing video games
for an hour, but that does not necessarily make me a happy human being. There is no prescriptive
definition or Get Rich Quick scheme to becoming happy, but there are many ideas and perspectives that
may contribute to a deeper understanding of what it means to truly be happy.
Happiness is the point where gratitude and self-fulfillment meet. Lifes heaviest burden is
having nothing to carry. While most would concur with the notion that a lazy day is welcome every once
in a while, the pride felt through productivity and applying oneself creates a certain sense of happiness
that can only be channeled through self-fulfillment. For example, when I go to bed at night, I feel much
better knowing that I have put forth a hard days work. It is the feeling of accomplishment and being
ahead that enables me to feel good. However, this happiness is left incomplete without the feelings of
gratitude. When I lay down at night, it is essential that I be grateful for the opportunity to attend a
university as well as the simple blessing of having a place to rest my head. If I am not completely grateful
for my blessings, I may possibly become greedy and difficult to please, a disease that never achieves
spiritual or sincere happiness, only the misconception that materialistic goods are the key to a successful
life.

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Happiness is greatly influenced by perspective. Benjamin Franklin once said, Happiness
depends more on the inward disposition of mind rather than on outward circumstances. Everyone has
heard the old, money doesnt buy happiness quote, but the infamously false notion that happiness can
only be achieved through the obtainment of materialistic goods is, sincerely, ridiculous. During the last
few days of the very well-known Steve Jobs, the Apple prodigy released a statement condemning his
notorious habits of placing his own career before his very family. Jobs, arguably the most financially
successful entrepreneur in America, admittedly regretted his actions and suggested that others appreciate
and cherish their family, for they will not have them forever. Thus, life cannot be operated on the basis
that the tangible goods are to take priority. While many interpret Franklins quote as pertaining to
obtaining happiness despite particular hardships, it may also be interpreted in other ways. For example,
being a retired millionaire may be classified as an outward circumstance, but that does not make one
happy. In fact, many well-known celebrities and cultural figures, such as Steve Jobs and Jim Carrey, have
spoken publicly about the misconceptions that the acquirement of money leads to happiness. While
having no money certainly wouldnt help your happiness, and being financially stable may aid in
comfortability, the hedonic treadmill of continually chasing money does not take one anywhere in relation
to his or her happiness. When I first came to UNC Charlotte, I had thought that I would get educated, and
somehow leave as a millionaire, or well-prepared to soon be one. But I have seen that if I have a healthy
level of happiness, then why add the extra pressure to make a few bucks? It would be nice to have that
much money, but I have dethroned the mission for money from the upper levels of my priority list, and
since have seen wonderful increases in my happiness. Why not make happiness my currency?
Finally, happiness is heavily dependent upon purpose. Everything happens for a reason, my
mother used to say. I am a proud and devout Christian, raised in a Christian family. I believe that
everything this world has to offer has been created and established through the will of God. My purpose
and own being has everything to do with the plan that God has for me. I find much comfort and
reassurance in the worshipping of Jesus Christ. Thus, my purpose is outlined by Jesus Christ, and the

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reassurance that I am given by him is the ultimate happiness. If there were no purpose to life, imagine the
hopelessness that would engulf our society. The lack of drive or purpose creates a feeling of despair and
isolation that causes loneliness and unhappiness. The belief that your life is lived due to a certain purpose
is a feeling of reassurance that may comfort you through the entire journey of life.
Just as a mathematical graph may change severely due to the alteration of the x-variable, the yvariable, happiness, depends drastically on the many x-variables, such as gratitude, self-fulfillment, and
purpose. Also, just as there are many different functions and equations in the mathematical world, each
individual attains a different level of happiness, and his or her own x-variables for attaining that
happiness. At this current moment in time, are you happy with what youve done, what you are doing, and
what your future plans hold?