Reflection 1 My initial reaction to Mark Kingwells In pursuit of Happiness was that its insightful.

I agree with, that although many have tried, its extremely difficult and maybe even impossible to give a clear definition as to what happiness really is. In my attempt to define happiness, I expressed my feelings with the following statement: Happiness is a feeling or emotion that overtakes an individual. Many would associate this feeling with the phrase floating on cloud nine. That is what happiness is all about. It leaves an individual feeling as if theyre floating, unable to ground themselves. In this reading, he states that some scientists claim genetics to be the cause for happiness. I was surprised that someone could belief such an outrageous concept as this. It was shocking to me that someone could draw conclusions and place genetics as a determining factor for an individuals happiness. Happiness is a result of living a satisfying life, not genetics. David Lykken expressed his feeling toward happiness stating People who have to work in overalls on the bus and feel as happy as those who war suits and ties and drives a Mercedes (qtd in Kingwell). I couldnt agree more with Lykken statement. In my own personal experience, I know that it is not money or material possessions that make an individual happy. Spending times with my family, friends, sleeping, and experiencing life have proved to truly make me happy. Overall, I found this except to be enjoyable to read.

Reflection 2 I believe that a person in is intimately tied to their work. Enrico lived a very confined and mundane life. Enrico was a janitor, who lived in the suburbs near Boston. He acquired enough money over the years to become financially stable. His son, Rico, on the other hand, was not content with this dull lifestyle. He yearned for something more. Although he had to stick to the limits of his work, Enrico, was family oriented and received recognition from his old neighborhood and his new community. Rico fulfilled his fathers desire for upward mobility and he and his wife both became prosperous. Because of the instability of Ricos work, his friendships were fading and he was spending less time with his children. He has lost control over his life. Although I believe a persons identity is connected to his or her work, I dont think that your job changes the type of person you are. I believe it only changes what you are able to do. Because of Enricos job, he could not afford the luxuries that life has to offer. Rico could not afford to spend much time with his children and friends because of his work. You can either make the job or the job makes you. Richard Sennett stated that Ricos deepest worry is that his kids could not look to him as an example of how to conduct themselves ethically. He states, The qualities of god work are not the qualities of good character.

Reflection 4 Taste like chicken was a rumor spread against the KFC Company that states they used genetically engineered chickens. According to this rumor, KFCs chicken didnt have beaks, feathers, and feet. This forced the government to fore the company to no longer refer to these chickens used as chickens, which led to their name change from Kentucky Fried Chicken to KFC. Many people would be eager to believe and support his rumor. Many of us have grown to become concerned with animal right issues. So if a rumor such as this became public, it would spark interest and emotion among many people. There seems to be a sense of evidence that the government didnt allow the use of the word chicken. Even though this may not be true, it has a strong sense of evidence, so many people will regard it as the truth. People believed this story most likely because there was nothing to contradict it. As a people, we look for words such as study as evidence. This story claims as study from the University of New Hampshire discovered these unreal chickens. Sunstein states, Once we hear something that seems plausible, but alarming, those of us who lack information may believe what we hear if we dont have any factual evidence, we will still be eager to believe a rumor because it sparks emotion from us.

Describe your happiest moment My happiest moment was when my god daughter first learned how to walk. Immediately after I was dismissed from school, I offered to Mikayla and her sister to the park. Mikayla two short wobbling legs were on mission that day. I can recall being terrified as she was about to fall. My initial reaction was to help her, but even at such an early age, her determination was revealed. Mikayla rejected my offer to help and she went on her merry way. It wasnt long after she took few steps that her legs gave in and she fell. But nothing could have her prepared me for what was going to happen next. After Mikayla had fell, I immediately rushed in to save her, to brush the dirt from her knees and pick her up. To my surprise, she didnt cry or whine. She only began to cry once I rescued her from the horrors of walking. I have no words to describe what that moment felt like for me. I felt an unspeakable joy that day. The pride I felt for Mikayla was unlike any feeling I have felt before. She not only accomplished her first steps, but proved her determination and persistence to continue walking despite previous failed attempts and my efforts to save her. My eyes widen and my heart exploded with joy. I felt an enormous amount of pride and happiness that day.

If I could have any job I wanted, I would.. If I could have any job I wanted, I would be a high school English teacher/ teen center director. There is no doubt in my mind that teaching is what I was destined to do. When I was younger, I would set my stuffed animals in a classroom and pretend to teach them. Although my desire to play pretend with teddy bears and stuff animals has faded, my desire to teach has not. I no longer play pretend with stuffed animals, I do however watch movies centered around teaching and take notice about their teaching styles and how certain individuals prove to be effective teachers. My career goal is to be a founder of a non-profit organization that's dedicated to the youth in the community. My desire is to start my own teen center that will allow teens in the community to be creative, but at the same time educating them. Doing so, will allow them to use their talents to change the word and improve society. I would like to teach others to not only follow but live their dreams. I have come across so many teachers that only teach to make a few dollars. My goal is to make learning enjoyable for students. There is a strong need for passionate and educated teachers in my community. I have always enjoyed working with teens. In my city, I have helped run a teen mentoring program for the young women in my community. I believe this is a stepping stone and would help me to gain the skills needed to fulfill my career goals.