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Brandi Fleshman Ms. Sanders ENGL 1113: Definitive Essay Draft 2 April 2013 Happiness: What it Means to Be Happy In a country where western culture reigns supreme, where the Golden Arches reside on nearly every block, where depression can kill a person, and where obesity, debt, and murder are common headlines, it may be difficult to understand the true meaning of happiness. Happiness can be defined differently with every person on earth. Reverend Roy Fleshman, a pastor of the Morrison Christian Church in Oklahoma suggests that happiness can be a tangible object. He says that for him "happiness is playing music." Reverend Fleshman plays multiple instruments anytime he has downtime, with a band, and behind the pulpit. His point is that happiness may come with a better understanding of oneself. He explained that when talents are found, truly appreciated, and used to benefit others, a person gains happiness. True happiness is more than just a feeling of joy; it's an overall feeling of fulfillment or contentment in life. Happiness is not wanting anything more or anything less (Fleshman). Scientists measure happiness by the amounts of dopamine released in the brain (Happy), but true happiness can't be measured. Americans live in a culture that relies on instant gratification but the key to being happy is understanding oneself, being grateful for what is provided, and giving to others. Abraham Maslow developed a system that helps explain human emotions, and he dubbed it the "hierarchy of needs" shown most often in a pyramid. The bottom-most tier of the pyramid symbolizes the biological and physiological needs of human beings, being water, food, clothing, and sex. The second tier to the bottom is the safety needs which include protection, stability, and

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order. The third tier stands for social needs like affection, love, acceptance, and belonging. The fourth tier of the pyramid symbolizes esteem needs: self-respect, self-esteem, and respect of others. The final tier on the top of the pyramid Maslow called self-actualization, meaning the achievement of full potential and fulfillment (McLeod). While it may be possible to be content and happy within any of the tiers of Maslow's hierarchy of needs pyramid, self-actualization seems to be a lot like true happiness. Does this mean that a person is only truly happy when they've accomplished their biggest goals? People do get happier with age (Lyubomirsky). Thich Nhat Hanh introduces a different way of thinking about subjects such as 'need' and 'want' in his book, The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation. Hanh takes an interesting stance being mindful, a practice believed to bring serenity, peacefulness, and overall happiness. One of the points that Hanh makes is that slowing down and "washing the dishes to wash the dishes" (or doing things simply, and thinking about them as they are done) can remind a person to be mindful of the present, and this type of thinking may lead to self-actualization and happiness. In today's rushed, stressful, and consumeristic society, finding happiness is harder and harder. It's difficult to remember to stop and smell the roses, when the thought of roses takes the avid shopper to the dress with bright rose print in the window of Bloomingdales. It's hard to live simply when mass media would have consumers buy more and throw away more constantly, never seeming to have enough or be enough. It is difficult to be happy with what is already had when something newer and better is out there waiting to be bought or won whether or not that thing to be acquired is material or conceptual. "Happy," a documentary on happiness, shows that fifty percent of happiness is genetic, ten percent circumstantial, and forty percent is left up to the individual to determine. Sonja Lyubomirsky re-affirms this idea and adds that happy people "do not just sit around being

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contented. They make things happen." She believes that happy people are happy because they make themselves happy. They are outgoing and pursue new and different activities consistently. Depression, stress, anxiety, and sadness are all opposing factors of happiness, but people that are happy in life learn how to deal with these feelings in a healthy, conscious way. Lyubomirsky seems to believe that the best way to learn to be happy is to watch and imitate those who are already happy. Dopamine is released by neurotransmitters in the brain, causing the feeling of happiness or joy to occur within a human being. This dopamine can be the result of several exterior things. Exercise is a major producer of dopamine. People that exercise regularly, do not smoke, and get plenty of sleep are known to be happier overall as well as live longer. Longevity of life is another way happiness can be measured. The happiest people on earth tend to live longest (Happy). Dopamine is also commonly released when people do things for others. Giving to others makes people happy. Being grateful, and appreciating the life of others is a concept that can bring great joy. Is it odd that the simplest and most seemingly obvious things give people the most happiness? While simple may be best, those are the things that are most often the hardest. If happiness is the result of living a simple, controlled, healthy, grateful and giving lifestyle, then most of America is on the wrong path. There is hope still for those who open their minds. Some can find happiness in watching the wind move through trees, making the multicolored leaves dance. Others find pleasure in walking their dogs or playing with their kids at local fairs. Whatever activities people can find passion in doing can lead them to happiness, whether they are active hobbies or mindful practices. Giving seems to be the greatest of them all because it's the most humble. As Reverend Roy Fleshman plays music, he understands himself and his talents, is grateful for them, and shares them with people, who, in turn, bring him great

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happiness. It is because of the music he gives that he finds happiness. Nothing material given to him could replace that kind of feeling. Happiness comes from within; it is not something that can be acquired after all.

Works Cited

Fleshman, Roy. Personal Interview. 09 04 2013. Happy. Dir. Roko Belic. Wadi Rum Films, 2010. Film. 4 Apr 2013. <www.netflix.com>.

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Lyubomirsky, Sonja. "The Promise of Intentional Activity ." The How of Happiness A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want. Penguin Press, 2013. Web. 9 Apr 2013. <thehowofhappiness.com>. McLeod, Saul. "Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs." Simply Psychology. N.p., 2012. Web. 9 Apr 2013. <www.simplypsychology.org>.