Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Happiness

Please answer the following questions. You must answer on your own and also write a comment to another person's response in your own response. Please write well keeping fluency and conventions in mind.

What values are most important in your life? What is true happiness? What do you need to be happy? Is there a correlation between success, money and happiness? (What defines success?) Please end by answering the following prompts: Ten years from now I will consider myself happy if.... AND True living is...

24 comments:

Gracie G said...

The things I value most in my life are my friends and family. They mean the world to me and I don't know what I would do with out them. They see me at my highest and lowest points of my life and still love me unconditionally, and that's all I could ask for. True happiness is a state of mind in which one is completely content with life and everything in it. I think true happiness comes with loving yourself, and being surrounded by people that make you feel good about yourself. I think that success can bring happiness because it makes you feel good about yourself to know you accomplished a goal. Money is only a temporary feeling of happiness, no matter how much you have or how much you buy with it, it will NEVER be enough.

LauraM said...

The values that are the most important to me in life are unconditional love, happiness, and the relationships that I have with my friends and family. True happiness is life where you are just at peace. It’s where you don’t have any of the earthly items that muddle and confuse your views of happiness invading your life. To be truly happy centers around your relationships with others. It is where you could be stranded in the middle of the most awful desert on earth with absolutely NOTHING, but you are at ease and happy; you are at inner peace because of who you are there with. I think that if you succeed at something that you love than it can correlate to being happy, but just because you are successful at something you love doesn’t mean you have any money. You can be doing what you love everyday and be the happiest person on earth and still live in a cardboard box. Money does not create happiness. Money is something that people created to trade material possessions. People may think that they are happy if they can buy stuff; but what I think they are really feeling is an elevated sense of excitement because they have something new. After the thing gets old it doesn’t still make you happy you toss it out and go get a new thing that makes you “happy.” In the end stuff is just stuff. You don’t need it to be happy and you don’t need money to be happy. I agree with Grace in that “money is only a temporary feeling of happiness, no matter how much you have or how much you buy with it, it will NEVER be enough.” Ten years from now I will consider myself happy if.... I am following my dreams and doing what I want to do, and my relationships with the people I love are strong. AND True living is... living without regret, and living everyday like it was your last chance to do what you love.

Kelsey W said...

What I value most is my friends, family, love and communication. With out them I feel lost and like I am worthless. One of my REALLY close friends and I are in a fight right now. We have only been in one fight before and it is about the same thing. So we obliviously have a problem we need to fix. We both just need to talk to each other and fix our mistakes, we both are making them. We need to understand the other person's view as best we can. This may be hard, but it is necessary. When we fight I feel like half of my world, life and heart have vanished to leave the other half standing alone feeling regret and as through they don't mean anything. I don't think I could live with out her. Best Friends are the people who make you laugh a little louder, smile a little brighter and live a whole lot better!
True happiness does not mean having all the material things, having money and being spoiled, like Laura said, "True happiness is life where you are just at peace." Although, all those things may make you feel popular, rich glamorous, or like you are on the top of the world, whatever it may be, that is not what life is all about. Happiness is feeling like life is going great, you are enjoying what you are doing and having fun. This does not mean that if something does not go your way you no longer have happiness. It may not be the happiest time of your life, but good will always come. Things happen for a reason and you can always get that happiness back.
Success, money and happiness, all of which are what people want. Having success usually brings money and happiness. Money supposedly brings success and happiness. Happiness is thought to be from having money and success. It depends how you look at it, but they can lead to one another. I don't believe all of these. Success usually brings a really good feeling as if you have climbed the tallest mountain, which makes you happy. If you are trying to succeed in a job then money is what you receive with your hard work as well. Money can bring you happiness, but it will not stay forever. There are times when money can bring you happiness. When you buy a pet, like a puppy for instance, you will always have the good memories which will bring you happiness. I one herd a saying "Money can't by happiness, but it can by marshmallows, which are kinda the same thing." I think this is true, not literally, but money never hurts to have, if you spend it on things that will truly bring you happiness. Like a puppy! Happiness is hard to find, but when you find it treasure it. No matter how you find it, cherish it like it will only stay for a short time. Ten years from now I will consider myself happy if I have a husband who loves me, great, wonderful, happy children and I am doing something that I love, and have friends that I have friendships that will last forever.

Unknown said...

In my life, I consider it very important to be a good person. Everyday, I try to improve something about my self, be a good friend, or avoid saying or doing something to hurt someone else. I think that above money and success, how you live your life and whether or not you’re a good person are what are most important. Also, I think it is important to be close to you family. I think that many times people take families for granted. Families have a unique bond that you can’t have with anyone else. They are the people you have grown up with and that know a lot more about your life than others. They can’t relate with you on different levels than friends. Family will always be there, whether or not you choose to associate with them, so that’s why it is so important to take advantage of what they have to offer.
True happiness is something that is different for everybody. Everybody has trials and hard times. Some people experience loss more than others, but hopefully they can all have happy experiences in their life to overpower the loss. Depending of what people have experienced in their life, they can get happiness from different things. For example, if someone grew up without a mother around often and had always longed for one, they may feel true happiness and content when they find a mother figure in their life. But, another person could have grown up with both parent always around and happiness would mean something completely different to them. Happiness to me is having peace with all that I love. I could never survive without my best friends and family. I think that temporary happiness can come from things like money and success, but it can only last for so long. Success by the world’s standards means making lots of money, or being in a high position at work. I think that success can be viewed in different ways, and based on this, it will contribute to one’s happiness differently.
Ten years from now I will consider myself happy if I have good relationships with those around me. I will be happy if have not done anything in my life that I regret to greatly. If I am a good person, but have still had fun and good experiences, I will be happy.
True living is enjoying life and achieving things but the raising of yourself, rather than the putting down of others. It is balancing work and play. It is having close friends, taking risks, and improving the world in someway, no matter how small.

kaylab said...

The things that i value the most in my life are my family and friends. I would feel so lost without them and they are always there for me through the good and the bad times. I also value trust and communication very much because I think they are how strong relationships form. I think that true happiness is when you have all the people you love with you and when you feel that everything is going smoothly in your life. When you have achieved all of your goals and helped your loved ones achieve theirs too I think is when you can say that you are truly happy. The things that I need to be happy are my friends and family backing me up with my decisions and giving me encouragement to be the best person I can possibly be. I also need people who make me laugh and who just always want to have fun. I do think that there is a correlation between success, money, and happiness but you are never guaranteed any of them. Success is when you reach your life goals and are doing well in your life. I do think that most of the time money does come along with success but that doesn't mean that you will be happy in the end. Ten years from now I will consider myself happy if I am working at a job that I love, I have a husband and children that makes my life worth living, and I have friends who are always there for me. True living is where you live a natural life and you aren't constantly consumed with technology. It is where you put the people you love before anything else and have people love you in return.

Tyler M said...

The things that I value most in my life are my family. They mean the world to me,they see my highest and lowest points,even though we sometimes argue about each other, I know that they will always be there for me whenever I need them and that they will always love me unconditionally, and if anything ever happened I don't know what I would do. True happiness to me is the realization that was, and is, exactly the way life should be. All I need to become happy is my family and friends to support me when ever I need them, and to follow my dreams and do what I want to do. I think that success can bring happiness because it makes you feel good inside, like you've actually made a difference in your life. Money in the end is just a happiness for spoiled kids who need whorthless crap, I agree with what Grace said "Money is a temporary happiness no matter how much you have or how much you buy with it, it will NEVER be enough". Ten years from now I will consider myself happy if.... my relationship with my family and friends stays strong. And true living is... living without regret, live every day like its your last chance to do what you love to do.

Lauren L said...

The things I value in my life the most are my friends and my family. Those people are the single most important thing in my life and always will be. No material goods or anything could ever replace them in any way. True happiness does not have to do with money like some people think it does. True happiness to me comes from being truly happy with my life and loving the people around me and just living everyday to its fullest and not letting the small stuff get to you. If I let small stuff bother me I would not be as happy. I agree when Laura said “True happiness is life where you are just at peace.” I think this is a good way to look at it. When life is good and everything is at peace you are truly happy. I don’t need much to be happy. I don’t need money, I don’t need material goods, all I need is love, friendship, and just people who are important to me in general. Some people think money buys happiness but it really doesn’t because in the long run is a new TV or something going to make you truly happy? I don’t think so at all. It might buy people good materials in their lives but some of the richest people are probably some of the most unhappy people at the same time. Happiness varies from person to person so it is very hard to define what “true happiness” really is. Ten years from now I will consider myself happy if I have my friends around me supporting me in decisions I will be making in my life, if my family is still there for me and just if I have good people around me making my life full of fun and adventure. True living is living everyday to its full potential, not having regrets, and loving the people around.

David H. said...

What I value most are obviously my friends/family but also my personal interests. I think in order to be happy, you have to be yourself and shoot for goals that are challenging. If you try to be someone your not, your living two different lives and that only brings loneliness and confusion. I believe that happiness does not have to involve money but it does success. You don't have to be number one in everything you do to be happy but to do everything will full effort, you get the feeling of accomplishment. I think that money cannot bring happiness. It can bring joy and pleasure when you have it but when its all gone, your still back where you were in the first place. Ten years from now I will consider myself happy if I love and am loved. True living is having a positive attitude about every occasion. If something bad happens, what good is going to come out of complaining about it. You might even worsen your situation.

AndrewA said...

The most important things in my life are friends, freedom, honesty, equality, authenticity, success, and acceptance. I agree with Grace that true hapiness is a state of mind in which one is completely content with life and everything in it. Being truely happy is having everything you feel you truly need to have, because anything else is just a bonus in life. In order to be happy, I need to feel like I'm doing everything in my power to make the world a better place. I get most of my satisfaction from spreading my righteoussness and kindness. Being successful is being someone that can support your lifestyle and live a comfortable life. Society has made it so that we need money in order to get some basic accomodations, but other than that, I see no correlation between money and happiness. Ten years from now I will consider myself happy if I achieve all of my aspirations and utilize my abilities to their fullest. In ten years I won't need anything except my own self-approval to be happy. True living is living based on impulsees. The feelings that we get about certain things are created by our own experiences, so whatever we feel is appropriate most likely is. If we all just did what we needed to keep ourselves safe, we wouldn't have to worry about anyone else. There is a time and place for everything, but living free of worry and sorrow is truely living.

HannaR said...

The thing is, I connot speak for anyone else. What truely makes ME happy are feelings. The fact that I can feel so many different things makes me excited. This might sound weird, but for some reason it is all I think about most of the time. Jeliousy, marnfulness, love, excitement, happiness... I could go on and on. I love it. I try to feel something different every day. It is an interesting hobby type thing I find to be fun and extremely soul appealing. I do have to say I agree with Grace and everyone else about friends and family. Of course I could not function withdrawing either. And I believe every person longs for a different something. Little things make people happy. Money is just something people find comfort in. Whatever floats your boat.

Tiffany F. said...

The values that are most important in my life are: my parents, family, friends, and God. Well because they will always be there for me in good and bad times, they love are care me so much about me I know they would do anything to help me as I would do the same in return. True happiness is different for everyone but for me it is the state in life my I enjoy to be in and love living my life knowing I have my family on my side to turn to and having friends to laugh and cry with. The correlation between success, money, and happiness can be having the job of a doctor with a good paycheck and who worked their but off to get there but they might appear to be happy but deep down they too have life problems we are all people. I know there can be a correlation but I don’t believe it in because money doesn’t buy happiness, family and friends do. Success is once again different for everyone based on your end goal. For me success is reaching your dreams in life for example becoming a dentist, going to a out of state college, making Choralettes, making cheers, getting married, having kids, being a mom and a wife, and doing well in school at AHS. Laura M sated that “you don’t need it to be happy and you don’t need money to be happy” that is so true because when we die one day it is not like we take money and possessions to heaven, it is our actions and being a good person that matters. Some of the happiest people can be living on the streets because of how thankful they are to be alive and they want to become something greater. Ten years from now in 2018 I will consider myself happy if I am a dentist and have been practicing for two years for a company or my own after eight years of college, have a boyfriend, and along with good health. True living is being a person who doesn’t lie to get ahead, and not looking back to say I should have done this, this way. You have to live life in the now because you never know what the next day holds for any of us!

AmyW said...

There are a few key value i personally fine really important, i think having the ability to respect others and their beliefs is huge because its because of that lack of understanding a mutual respect for different views and ways of life we have a lot of the conflict we do today and also i think holding true to ones self is very very important because if you live your life just watching and letting things happen or being just like everyone else its like not living at all. Its important to know what you will and won't stand for. I'm not really sure anyone can fully answer that because none of us know what thats really like but to me i think the way to true happiness is being at peace with who you are as a person and with what your able to achieve not always wanting more, i think true happiness comes from a understanding of life being able to get the most out of it. I dont think money bring happiness i think a lot of people get the fact that yes money does make things in todays world a lot easier and at times a lot more fun with the feeling of being truly happy. On the other hand i think happiness comes from success striving for what you want out of life no matter what that is and accomplishing something great for yourself and other will inevitably make you happy because you take charge of life and live it the way you wish and you were lucky enough to succeed and have that passion.
Ten years from now i will consider myself happy if i find myself doing something i love with people i love and having no regrets on what i didn't do in life.
True living is going out and experiencing life for what it is and taking a certain amount of risk so that you can learn more and striving to be who you want to be and loving with your whole heart and putting yourself out there. :)

AmyW said...

"some people live one hundred years without really living" - i dont know

Tabitha M said...

I'm not sure what the most important values in my life are at this point. But I know when I get older they will become very clear to me. However I know I value my family more then anything and I value the effects of hardwork. True happiness doesn't come from money or popularity. True happiness is when you believe in yourself and embrace who you are without having other people bring you down. Success with yourself creates happiness, because at the end of the day our own happiness gets us through the days. Success can be anything, but we are living for ourselves and we can't make other people happy without creating happiness within us first. I agree with Grace when she says that our families(maybe not friends) will stick by our sides in any tough situtation.

Anonymous said...

The most important values in my life are to surround myself with family, adventure and just plain happiness. But family to me is something you make; it’s not always who you’re born with (but not excluding). True happiness is when you’re living each moment completely satisfied. You’re not worrying about the future or replaying the past, it’s just you totally enjoying the present. I need love to have true happiness. I can be anywhere in the world, doing anything but if I have good company it doesn’t matter. I believe you can always have a good time; it’s about being positive and just making the most of it. Maybe I’ll be dirt poor when I am older but if have someone I love sitting right next to me, things would be okay. I think that there is a correlation between success, money and happiness. The world we live in is built on money, I think its more about the things you buy that make you happy not money itself. Like buying a horse, or going to a hotel, or shopping. Yes, these things are materialistic but if it makes you smile then why not? Money also comes with a sense of security. Success means something different to everyone; it could be a family or a great job, maybe its achieving your goals. I think success can make you happy, and money can buy you things that make you happy. But I think it is you that makes yourself happy.
Ten years from now I will consider myself happy if I have a career that I love doing and in constant good company. True living is something I’d like.
I really appriciate how Verretta talks about being a good person above all. I think we need a lot more people like her. My response was all about me, but her's was how she hates hurting others- I like that.

Trent W. said...

Things i value most are of course God, my family and my friends. Also doing what is right, even though i am not perfect. But all are so valuable to how to grow and mature through life not just from the derogatory term teen to adult. True happiness is when your veins are filled with joy, going around with the mentality that you can't fail; If God be for me than who can be against me. There are so many people who realize that even though they have money and their dream in reach, their attitude is what doesn't make them happy.
Success i think can be simply defined as you learn from mistakes and at least made this world a someone better place. Success i believe doesn't involve money (though it can) but you go through life realizing, Oh well i won't do that again I've become wiser than that, yet still having a humble and grateful mentality.
Ten years from now i will consider myself happy, i don't keep pondering the don't of my life and realize that i am blessed my seasons will come will God allows them to make me better.
True living is similar to the previous blog, these two are intertwined. Take risks, not stupid ones, and keep a grateful and leave a heavy heart behind while doing that.

Maria A. said...

The few values most important to my life is love, friends and family. True happiness to me is a happiness that comes from your heart and not for being happy for something you bought. True happiness is a blessing, and I feel that everyone should have some true happiness in them, weather its from your family, friends or your "other half". To be happy, all you really need is to feel loved by someone, and know that that person loves you. Love is something very strong and hard to give away. There is a couple different definitions of love and correlating happiness with money and success is another kind of happiness. This happiness would be a kind that would be a happiness for yourself in knowing that you can be successful on your own, and yes making or receiving lots of money is a given and makes most people happy, but no one should think money is the only happiness. Defining success would be, being independent and making it on your own with a roof over your head, a job or career and food on the table. Anything more than that is success also!

I agree with Andrew on his values. The three I think are very important from his list are freedom, honesty and acceptance. Honesty is a big one for me. I truly think being honest brings a better path in life for you in the future. Acceptance is always a thing to value in life. Being accepted feels great, and helps you later on as well. Knowing you have freedom, just makes things so much better, making you feel like you can have your own say in life and do something for yourself.

Ten years from now I will consider myself happy if I meet true love, and become successful in something I love to do. True living is living your life the way it should be lived with mistakes to learn from, happiness, giving and receiving love, fear, tears, anger and smiles.

rachel b said...

The things I value in my life are all the awesome people, my friends and family. They are the people who are consistantly there for me no matter what. I also value what happens to me. I want to put my best effort forward so that I will have a good life ahead of me. To me, true happiness isn't something with a price tag or any kind of number. It depends on the person but i think that if you are truely happy, you could sit on your death bed completely content. Instead of regreting the things you did wrong or never got to do, a person who achieved true happiness would look back on their life feel complete fufilment.
Some people will define happiness as success equaling money, which equals happiness. I think that can be the case for some, but there are many rich and successful people who are not truely happy. Success and money can be a part of happiness but that should, by no means, be the defination. What about family and relationships? There is no price on that, does that mean it can't make you happy?
Ten years from now I will consider myself happy if I have people who love me, faithful friends, a career that I am passionate about, and more goals for the rest of my life.
True living is never holding back and living life without any regrets.

Gereon H. said...

I already had to answer this question once in Germany and we found several different kinds of values but mostly everybody had the social value first. My family and my friends are very important to me but I am also very important to me and mostly you have to balance it. A little bit behind those values material values gain importance. Money and other goods which are mostly caused by success. Success is a good way for getting happy but not the best one. Social connections can also make you happy. Mostly it is even more fun to share things and enjoy it/them together.
I believe that you just can live when your life is happy. After you died you must be able to say that you have had a life and happiness. You don't have to be happy all the time, there are also sad points in your life, but in general the happiness should be overwhelming. I don't know how my life will be in ten years but I hope it will be good and I try everything to get to this point.

Joyce B. said...

I think love is the most important value in my life. Love is tremendously powerful, if everyone on earth valued love above all then I imagine war would cease to exist. True happiness is finding the joy in every moment and being there for those who are not capable of that. I think all anyone needs to be truly happy is love and the ability to be grateful for what you have. Success means different things to different people, but most people would think of success as having a good education and a good job. In most cases the more successful someone is the more money they will have. Though most people would say you need money to be happy I disagree, some of the happiest most grateful people are dirt poor because then everything is more valuable to you. In ten years I will consider myself truly happy if I am married or in a relationship with a great guy. I will be truly happy if I am surrounded by people and animals that I love and that love me in return. True living is taking life to the extreme, always trying new things. Truly living is getting out there to see the earth for what it is not what we have made it in to.

Strahan K said...

What I value most in life is having fun. I try to have fun as much as I can because life only happens once and I want to enjoy it while I can. Having fun is really all I need in life to be happy. True happiness is something different to every person because everyone has different things that they like. True happiness can only be defined by the individual, some people will say that money is what makes them truly happy and others will say that having good friends is what makes them happy so its going to be different depending on who the question is asked to. I do believe that money has some influence on happyness though because with money you can get stuff you like and that make you happy. Ten years from now I will consider myself happy if I am starting a family and have a steady income that provides me enough money to support a family and to enjoy doing things that make me happy. True living is doing what you as an individual enjoy. Its going to be different for every person but if you are doing what makes you happy and provides you with what you want in life.

Roy C said...

Who I truly am and the people close to me. True happiness is whatever a person is happy with. To live life my way will make me happy. It depends there are those who go that way and there are those who are content and don't need to be successful or have money to be happy. To be successful could be happy with what a person is doing, not really connected with money. I'll consider myself happy if I can live life my way. True is doining what makes a person happy, or what they want to do.

Nick Z said...

I would definitely have to say that my family and friends are what make me happy. I couldn't imagine life being alone. Happiness is just a feeling and a state of mind. You could have absolutely nothing but still be content with yourself and say "at least I have my health." Success and money can make you somewhat happy, but what good is having anything you want if there is no one to share it with.

casey o said...

Values are very important in every persons life, but also different in every persons life. They are values by which we basically run our lives. My biggest value is not letting anything or anyone bother me to much. I see people who hate their lives, doing boring things and always worrying and this is not how I want my life. Life is a blessing of joy and everyone needs to appreciate what life has brought us. All I need is a roof over my head and some food to eat to be happy. I do believe that people can be happy and also have money. People say that money ruins lives and happiness but I truly think you can have both, it just depends on the person. Success in my eyes is just living and not living on the street, stealing things. If you have a job, you are successful, if you are happy, you are successful. In ten years from now I will consider myself happy if I am living in a different country and taking life to the extreme. True living is doing something that makes you feel good inside, makes you feel accomplished.