Everyone seeks happiness, but few understand how it is reached.

Happiness does not

have a single definition. Happiness is not a destination but a journey that you take every day –
embracing both the terrible and positive aspects of life.

Who doesn't want to be happy? I mean, we all live life to seek happiness and seek
fulfillment, but only a few of us know the real meaning of life. Is seeking happiness the real
meaning of life? Or finding the purpose in life is real happiness? Before I explicitly explain my
takeaways from watching the two videos, I would like to thank our professor for initiating this
activity because as I am writing this essay, I have so many realizations about the way I live today
lot of questions being answered. Somehow it realigned my perspectives in life that shed a few
tears. Facing difficult times these days, this is what I need- the need to reassess myself and
reflect. Because I didn't realize until now how I should live my life, it scared me that after all these
years, I did things to feel what they call happiness, but I do not feel happy at all or all this time, I
never did know my meaning, my purpose in this world. That there is more to life than being happy.

Throughout my entire existence, my definition of happiness is to see my parents proud of

my school achievements, earn a lot of awards, maintain good grades, and participate in various
co-curricular activities. For me, happiness is making my parents proud and exceed their
expectations. And this continued for years, not until today. For years, I have been so focused or
more obsessed with making my parents proud because this is what I believe will make me happy.
I may make them happy, but am I pleased? As they say, pursuing things that will make you happy
doesn't guarantee you'll find happiness. But seeking life knowing its meaning is something
worthwhile doing.

While happiness can be explained scientifically as the chemicals released throughout our
bodies, this explanation does not fully explain why these chemicals are released or what they
imply regarding the overall human experience. As one of my favorite philosophers said,
"Happiness is the meaning and purpose of life." How different is being happy from finding the real
meaning of life?

Even in the face of adversity, meaning permits us to find a reason to keep going. And, as
Smith points out in her TED Talk, a loss of meaning and purpose leads to the rise in suicide,
sadness, and loneliness in our society. Happiness, on the other hand, is an emotion that comes
and goes. While it's always great to have, it's not what keeps us going in the long run. In the talk
by Emily Smith, she mentioned the four pillars of life- belonging, purpose, transcendence, and
storytelling.

Belonging. Belonging creates a connection to a larger group of individuals. You value your
life with others. We may boost our sense of connection by forming and maintaining contacts,
making our lives feel more meaningful. If this is your pillar of meaning, one of the essential sources
of purpose is your relationships with others. Because you see relationships with others, your
anchor yourself, I believe that the people who you are with also shape who you are and how you
see things in life. Being surrounded by the right people and building relationships with them also
creates a non-toxic environment for self-discovery and growth, which is essential for oneself. I am
lucky enough that I have always been surrounded by people who push me to be great, people
who have always been there for me through ups and downs, people who have inspired and
motivated me. Because of these people, I am this person today, and I owe it to them for always
being there for me and made me feel I belonged.

Next is purpose. Of course, we all live a life seeking our purpose. When attained and
achieved, the purpose gives us a sense of accomplishment, and we can all find it in the long term.
Purpose, for many, can be found in their children, their work, or a passionate hobby. Now, I have
realized that my goal is not to gain school achievements, to make my parents proud. If I see this
as my sole purpose in life, then I would not be happy. When I do not excel in school or receive
awards anymore, then who am I? Just this year, I tried joining a youth summit that trains the youth
to become solution leaders of today. Because of the event, I found another purpose in life, which
is to serve others. The pandemic didn't stop us from reaching out and lend a hand to others. We
conducted community pantries and had clean-up drives that are very fulfilling, and I hope I can
be of more service to others. Purpose provides us with something to strive for and accomplish.
If this is your pillar, then having a long-term goal for your life instills significance in it.

The next pillar is transcendence. It is the sense of belonging to something greater than
oneself. Transcendence can be associated with spirituality, nature, or history. Those who value
transcendence as a pillar of a meaningful life usually feel awakened by encounters that connect
them to something greater than themselves. As what Smith describes, it is as if " you're lifted
above the hustle and bustle of daily life, your sense of self fades away and you feel connected to
a higher reality." Many of us might have experienced this usually when we do things that we love.
I, for example, usually experience transcendence every time I write in my journal. It is as if
everything blurs, and it's only you and the thing you are doing. I also experience this in the middle
of doing outreach programs, seeing the kids smile. I feel that I am inside an untouchable bubble
with the kids- it is comforting, safe, and fulfilling.

Last but not least is storytelling. "The story we tell yourself about yourself." It is the story
we tell ourselves about ourselves that is significant and has the power to alter. Creating a story
for the events in your life clarifies everything. It enables you to comprehend how you came to be
who you are, according to Esfahani Smith. However, we are not always aware that we are the
authors of our tales and can alter the way we tell them. Your life is more than a series of events.
While the facts bind you, you can change, interpret, and reinterpret your story. We share stories
of how we have become who we are today to motivate and inspire ourselves and others. We can
get strength from our stories, we bring hope from our experiences, and we find fulfillment with
what we have accomplished.

To sum it all up, I have realized what the four pillars in my meaningful life are. First, I find
belongingness with my family and my organization that helped me shape who I am today. Second,
I have seen and discover my potential to be a youth advocate and a budding environmentalist.
With their utmost support and love, I see my purpose in life is to be of service to other people and
impact saving the planet. I see this as a fulfilling activity, and I hope to continue my legacy in the
long run. Next, seeing that my purpose is to help and lend a hand to others, I am awakened by
my experiences and encounters that made me connect to something bigger. Fourth, I have
transcended from my comfort zone and did things I could not imagine myself doing before. With
all these experiences, I tend to tell these to other people. I always love to share my story,
experiences, and life, and I always hope they might learn something from it or be inspired. Finally,
individuals who have meaningful lives tell themselves stories of redemption, growth, and love.

Through time, our pillars might change as we are constantly evolving as a person.
Nevertheless, we must always seek our purpose or meaning in life because it keeps us grounded
and gives us a reason to live life.