Happiness

To complete any Journey one must take risks and overcome obstacles. Inner or physiological Journeys are Journeys of the mind which when traveled can increase one’s knowledge and sense of fulfillment. This type of Journey is explored in both Robert Frost’s “The Road not Taken” and Gabriele Musician’s film “The Pursuit of Happiness. ” In Frost’s poem the idea of decision-making is explored through the use of the extended metaphor of the two roads, “Two roads diverge in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both.

Frost uses this extended metaphor to illustrate that Journeys involves choices we have to make and like the split path in the woods the choice we do end up making will shape the next part of our lives. The two road are also contrasted, one said to be “having better claim” and “wanting wear. “Frost indicates here that taking the path less traveled or the riskier path has “made all the difference” and therefore delineates the fact that although we face obstacles such as these difficult decisions in our own Journeys, when we overcome them we increase our knowledge and our self-worth.

Another technique used by Frost is that of first person, which enables the audience to be included in the decisions Just as he, himself was, “Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I took the one less traveled by. ” Here Frost shows his inner Journey Through his thoughts and thinks, at the caesura, about the path he has taken. Although Frost is happy with the path he took there is still a bit of regret as he will never know what would have happened if he took the other path. Musician’s film “The Pursuit of Happiness” portrays the concept of an inner Journey through its protagonist Chris Gardener.

A defining moment in Chrism’s Journey is when he passes by a stock broking firm and learns of an internship which he’d like. In this scene Nuncio uses calm uplifting music to symbolism the opportunity which has arrived Chrism’s Journey. A viceroy accompanies this scene where Chris says, “They all looked so damn happy, why couldn’t I look like that. ” Although over 500 applicants plied for the internship and only 20 get in Chris decides to take a risk by applying and in doing so misses the opportunity to sell his bone density scanner which would have been used to pay the rent.

When Chris takes the risk of becoming an intern and later becomes a stockbroker he had to overcome many problems such as homelessness, unemployment and being a single parent but in overcoming these obstacles, he gained a sense of identity and became fulfilled. Nuncio also uses the cinematic technique of close ups to show the difficulty of risks. When Chris finds out that his internship is unpaid the camera closes in straight onto Chrism’s face and all music suddenly stops.

This is very effective in showing an obstacle in Chrism’s Journey. Again, like Frost’s poem, this adds to the idea of decision making and risk taking and thereby enhances the audience’s perception of the characters’ Journey. Both of these texts are affective in their uses of techniques to express the concept of effective technique as it allowed the audience to see how difficult decisions in a Rooney are made and gives an insight to what and how the character feels about this decision.

Frost’s poem, I believe, is open to so many different readings that may add to a responder’s confusion. In studying the concepts of Journeys through my two chosen texts I have extended my knowledge and found out that Journeys involve risks and obstacles, however, if you overcome these aspects you become a better person. As David Viscose said, “If your life is ever going to get better, you’ll have to take risks. There is simply no way you can grow without taking chances. “

Undoubtedly, changes in the economy affect the society, however we should think whether the economic growth brings benefit in terms of wealth and well-being. Economy is an integral part of society, because it defines actions that give rise to the production, distribution, exchange and consumption of goods and services. I would like to focus on the national economy in terms of economy in the I-J. Economists to measure economy growth and well-being individual members are looking at the level of GAP per head, which is a measure of national income per person in a particular country.

The I-J is housed in first thirty most economically developed countries of the world, which is high level of income on a global scale, a large proportion is engaged in the creation and sale of services, than in the production of goods or agricultural production. Also we can characterize the I-J as an open economy, because there exists a trade in goods and services with the other countries, which helps in bringing goods from abroad, for which there is no possibility of manufacturing in I-J because of climatic conditions or is it technically impossible.

In addition to description of economic growth is worth considering of libations, a process leading to greater integration of countries creating so-called ‘one world’. In the context of globalization can be seen that I-J is open to increasing economic activity across international borders which describes a little ‘protection’ of domestic industry, such as taxes against foreign goods and services or openness to foreign immigrant workers. (Brimley, Clarke, Wind-chill, Taylor, 2009). Economic growth affects the production and consumption, in both instances tends to increase the amount of pollution.

I would like to highlight the trade-off between environmental protection and economic growth. High economic growth leads to the degradation of land and unsustainable depletion of renewable and non renewable resources. But on the other hand economic growth goes on evenly with technological change, which can facilitate energy efficiency and introduce innovation, which can help to reduce an environmental damages,what is called a ‘green economy’. Green economy includes green energy generation based on renewable energy to substitute for fossil fuels and energy conservation for efficient energy use.

To consider an economic indicators or analysis, we should pay attention on a efferent way to measurement of human well-being or happiness. As known GAP is a measurement of the size of a country’s economy and sometimes is used to track the standard of living. However, everything which has a positive effect on GAP and may contribute to the economic growth, on the other hand it negatively affects on the environment,such as environmental catastrophes, the ravages of war, and medical procedures. Another deficiency of using a GAP as a measurement of national advancement has a narrow focus.

For example the unpaid work of child rearing and housekeeping have no value also non-monetary transactions such as bartering for odds and services. In short the human existence can not be reflected using the GAP. In terms of this fact, there is determinate another measurement of economic growth – the Gross National Happiness, or NH. Happiness & Economic Growth By battened National Product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education, or the Joy of their play.

It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages, the intelligence of our public, debate or the integrity of our public officials. It measures neither our wit nor our courage, neither our wisdom nor our learning, neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country; it measures everything, in short, except that which makes life worthwhile. ‘(Robert F. Kennedy, 1968) This brings us to the concern, that developed country focus on the all aspects of human being, such as economy, society, education, health, and so on.

GAP is unable to measure happiness of society and well-being in wider focus, that is why government needs to use other indicators as NH or HID. At the core of NH is collective happiness of society, which has several concerns. First of all is that in many countries, there has been greater wealth but there is not ore happiness. The improvement can be made to what and how we measure the relationship between wealth and happiness.

In this instance I would like to focus on the tiny nation of Bhutan, located between its gigantic neighbors, China and India which balance economic progress with the well-being of society, NH stands for the holistic needs of the human individual – both physical and mental well-being and offers the best possibility for the sustained happiness of the individual. Bhutan has been creating a more humane economy in terms of the four pillars: economic self- alliance, environmental preservation, cultural promotion and good governance.

The paradox is that the Bhutan came fifth from bottom in the Table of IN per head but comes top with survey if people are satisfied with their long-life and little damage to the environment. This brings to the second concern, which is difficulty, of market-led happiness. As we know, the market has been driver of efficiency and productivity but the same values threaten the factors that lead to the happiness. Mobility and Job-changes, which are necessary for productivity, is difficult to make sustained community life, hat means, that social and communal bases of emotional well-being are diminished by market economics.

Related to mobility and location changes we can notice third concern: people are living ever more apart despite getting ever more connected. The high rates of divorce or single parenting show us that there is an aspect of modern life, where people in pursuit of career often choose single life, without large families and do not have time to look after the elderly. The fourth concern we should focus on, is the rise of mental illness, drug and alcohol addictions, violence, suicides. Community live is worse in countries developed economy. People in pursuit of alleged happiness do not trust each other.

They attach greater importance of money and position, there are raised many differences and inequalities between rich and poverty, which causes violence, crime and physical and mental problems. (exploring social lives’, Audio Cad’s, 2009). To summarize, we can highlight a suggestion that, not only does wealth not make you happier, but it correlates with ‘UN-happiness’ in the form of raised anxiety and a far greater tendency to live in a mid-term projected ‘future’, eschewing today’ and its sessions, so it seems natural to view happiness in the same way – as something to be acquired, possessed.

Understanding ‘happiness’ as a state of being, to be developed ‘internally’, spiritually, in relation to others, does not come naturally to most of us in the affluent world. Evidently, there is growing interest in how to be a happy, as opposed to how to make money. Pounds and pence are not the bottom line in life. It is our hope that as more thought is given to this common quest in life, there will be more ideas and reasons why NH should guide human development to further human civilization.

This movie is about two old men whom are medically ill and are given a few months to live. This movie can make you cry a little laugh a lot and realize tons of things. In the beginning of this movie, Edward, portrayed by jack Nicholson, is just a rich guy whom just feel happiness just thru money, he believed that having so much money can make you happy, he is just a happy go lucky man even thou he know he was sick, until he met Carter, portrayed by Morgan Freeman. in a cancer ward owned by him.

Days have gone by and both of them go thru medical practices and then they both received the news that they are given a few months to live. Carter is a very intelligent man, whom once dreamed big but gave up his dreams because of financial problems, but as he grew old, he worked hard so that his kids won’t suffer what he went through and succeeded in it because he was able to make his children professionals. Edward and Carter stayed in the same room in the cancer ward, they soon became friends, and after receiving the bad news, Edward started to make a bucket list.

A bucket list is a list of activities that you would want to fulfil before you die, those activities are set to make you happy and contented with your life, and so they broke out of the hospital and performed the activities in the bucket list. At first carter is not sure about doing it but then Edward pushed him into it. They had so much fun, added new activities and removed some in the process. Until one day Edward told carter the story of him and his daughter. Carter felt the urge to help his friend.

Once when they were in Egypt carter asked Edward, have you found joy in your life and have you given joy to others life, and then Edward gave a vague answer. That was then carter realized that Edward wasn’t really happy with his life. When they went home to America, carter told Thomas, thou his real name was matthew Edward wants to call him that way, that he wants to bring Edward and his daughter together because carter believes that his friend will only find his true happiness when his daughter accepted him as her father.

And so Edward got mad at carter for batting in with his life. Soon after carter got ill and was sent to the hospital, Edward heard the news and spring towards the whereabouts of carter, when Edward reached the hospital carter’s wife gave him a letter. The letter said that he was sorry for batting in Edwards life, and that carter already accepted that he is going to die. He also said in the letter that instead of crying, he wants Edward to go to his daughter and make up to his bad decisions that led them into those situations, and so he did.

Soon after Edward realized that carter was right. No one can truly be happy when he or she is alone, you can only feel true happiness when you feel you are loved specially by your loved ones. In the end it turns out that carter saved edward’s life. He saved him in the arms of dying in vain and in sadness. Soon after Edward died too, but he did not die in vain he died happy because in his final months in this world he was able to get his happiness and was able to bring joy to others. And with that the movie ended.

Soon after I asked myself the same 2 questions carter asked Edward. Have I found joy in life? And have I given joy to others life? That is when I started to realize that I should get started pursuing my happiness and that I should pursue mine first before giving happiness to others. I used the word pursue because as I’ve seen in the movie, happiness is something that you work for, it is not given to you in a silver platter but you have to work for it in order to enjoy it. And after watching that movie I can say that I have learned a lot in it.

If we look to the laws, they afford equal justice to all in their private differences… if a man is able to serve the state, he is not hindered by the obscurity of his condition. The freedom we enjoy in our government extends also to our ordinary life. There, far from exercising a jealous surveillance over each other, we do not feel called upon to be angry with our neighbour for doing what he likes… “[13] These lines form the roots of the famous phrase “equal justice under law. The liberality of which Pericles spoke also extended to Athens’ foreign policy: “We throw open our city to the world, and never by alien acts exclude foreigners from any opportunity of learning or observing, although the eyes of an enemy may occasionally profit by our liberality… “[14] Yet Athens’ values of equality and openness do not, according to Pericles, hinder Athens’ greatness, indeed, they enhance it, “… advancement in public life falls to reputations for capacity, class considerations not being allowed to interfere with merit… ur ordinary citizens, though occupied with the pursuits of industry, are still fair judges of public matters… at Athens we live exactly as we please, and yet are just as ready to encounter every legitimate danger. “[15] In the climax of his praise of Athens, Pericles declares: “In short, I say that as a city we are the school of Hellas; while I doubt if the world can produce a man, who where he has only himself to depend upon, is equal to so many emergencies, and graced by so happy a versatility as the Athenian. [16] Finally, Pericles links his praise of the city to the dead Athenians for whom he is speaking, “… for the Athens that I have celebrated is only what the heroism of these and their like have made her… none of these men allowed either wealth with its prospect of future enjoyment to unnerve his spirit, or poverty with its hope of a day of freedom and riches to tempt him to shrink from danger.

No, holding that vengeance upon their enemies was more to be desired than any personal blessings, and reckoning this to be the most glorious of hazards, they joyfully determined to accept the risk… Thus, choosing to die resisting, rather than to live submitting, they fled only from dishonour… “[17] The conclusion seems inevitable: “Therefore, having judged that to be happy means to be free, and to be free means to be brave, do not shy away from the risks of war”. With the linkage of Athens’ greatness complete, Pericles moves to addressing his audience.

“People are just as happy as they make up their minds to be. ” (F) What is happiness and how is it achieved? Simple questions, with different complex answers, none of which can be proved to be right or wrong. Happiness is an individual state of being of each person, acquired by one’s perception in that special moment in time. It simply depends on the individual and how they try to obtain it. Thousands of people try different paths in order to successfully achieve happiness; some of them finding it, some of them never reaching the goal. There are thousands of different answers and meanings for happiness.

In this paper, I will argue that the most necessary virtue an individual needs to be have to be happy, is the virtue of mind. Aristotle, one of the most important Greek philosophers in history, defined happiness as the activity of the mind in accordance with virtue. He did not think of happiness as just a state of being; he thought of happiness to be the highest form of good. Everything people do has a specific purpose in life; it aims at something, at a final good. Happiness is an end sufficient in itself, is the end at which all our actions aim.

In order to reach this perfect state, he thought the individual should possess; external, mind and bodily virtues and living and acting in accordance to them. By doing so, achieving total happiness. Virtue is what aids proper functioning, since when possessed makes the possessor good. Virtue is a matter of having an apt attitude towards pleasure and pain; therefore it lies in a mean between two extremes. Aristotle implied the mean or balance to be between two vices, the excess which is the one that exceeds and defect the one that falls short, of what is right in our desires and actions.

Whereas virtue, finds and chooses what is intermediate. The idea of the virtue then, is for the desires to set the situation and for the individual to be able to choose the intermediate and act like a virtuous person. External pleasures; such as honor, wealth and power. Physical pleasures such as beauty, health, and fertility. And mental pleasures such as; patience, intelligence and honesty, are the virtues he believed lead to a good life. In order to achieve happiness, is necessary to be a virtuous person. If the individual does not have virtues, then it does not have anything to guide heir lives by. That being said, the most important virtue to possess is the virtue of the mind, which refers to peace of mind. After being able to attain peace of mind, accomplishing the other virtues and making good use of them is much easier, since mental pleasure is the basis of every other virtue. Positive thoughts, security, believing and accepting oneself, high self-esteem and more, is what makes one happy and leads the individual in the pursuit of more positive actions, therefore making the individual more likely to obtain the other virtues.

The way one thinks of themselves and the attitude that one has about life tells a lot about a person. People who have virtue of the mind are going to be happy no matter what, because they know how to react towards life, even in the moments of misfortune or disgrace. For example, people who are going through hard times know how to handle the situation better because they have a positive outlook on life and are able to cope with those situations better. People who have virtue of the mind also know their various challenges and obstacles and are still able to overcome them.

Having peace of mind, and knowing how to make good use of one’s internal virtues, is an effortless way to live one’s life and have a better future. By accepting oneself intellectually, physically and interiorly, as well as accepting the environment in which one lives, including the people, the traditions and society, to the point where one respects the other people, including their acts, their way of thinking and their way of living. Peace of mind is not worrying about the future or for the things that happened in the past.

But to live the present in an authentic and exceptional manner, to not worry some day about the things you should have done before but to be satisfied and happy of how has lived their lives. Virtue of the mind also means to love oneself more than anything and anyone, since to love and care for someone one must first learn how to know, care and love themselves. Someone might object that the virtue of the mind is not the most important virtue to have since nowadays to have positive thoughts and a peaceful mind it’s not enough to make someone happy, but wealth and influence.

Being beautiful, honest, intelligent, and healthy is nothing if one does not have money. Most people are always in the persistent struggle to be prosperous, given that the people who do not have money are miserable because they do not have “anything. ” Poor people for example, are not happy, even though they possess physical and mind virtues; they lack external ones, such as money and are unfortunate because without wealth you are nothing. In the society of nowadays, being wealthy is not an option, but a must to be happy. One might object to it, but how can one explain that some wealthy and influence people are unhappy.

Wealth and influence does not give people happiness. Just a positive attitude towards life would give someone the final good. There are some famous people that despite great wealth seem miserable. Some of them don’t even have a stable partner, usually get in trouble with the law all the time, fall in the live drugs, and some of them even commit suicide. Heath Ledger, for example, known as one of the best actors in history for the leading role of the joker in “The Dark Night”, recognized as one of the best-selling movies of all time.

Famous, with family, wealthy and in the media everywhere, but despite all that “happiness” he had, he still committed suicide, possibly caused by a depression of not fulfilling the expectations of the fans or even not knowing how to cope with the pressure of the role. For some people money can bring a lot of happiness in the sense of stability, freedom and independence. However, money with lack of peace of mind is nothing and would get the individual nowhere.

A survey titled “Joys and Dilemma of Wealth” by Boston College revealed that the wealthiest people are unhappy because they are worried about seeming ungrateful, rearing spoiled children and failing to meet expectations. These people are in the mouth of everyone; their names appear in the media with false gossip, and their privacy is always intruded. This a mistake where the individuals centered their lives on the external, and are concerned too much about what other people think without believing in themselves, leading them not only to auto destructive acts but violent actions for them and their families.

For some, money and wealth gives happiness, but definitely not the truly one. Only mental pleasure; believing in oneself, having a positive attitude, having high self-esteem and loving oneself like no other, would lead one to complete happiness. Material or external possessions are not essential, if the individual knows and recognizes what their goals in live are. To corroborate the importance of the virtues of mind to reach happiness, first of all the individual needs to realize and be aware that happiness is an internal state of being of each person.

There are numerous amounts of people in the world who could serve as examples to support the importance of the virtue of mind in the path of achieving happiness. Nelson Mandela, for example, one of the most recognized, respected and admired political leaders of our time. In spite of the extremely poor conditions he had to live in during his early life and nearly three decades of imprisonment, he still struggle and did everything he could to fight for his believes against racial oppression.

His heroic acts made him win the Nobel Peace Prize and the presidency of his country. By this and many other important things that he has done, is when he saw his ideals and purpose in life, coming true. Most likely, giving him the complete happiness he has always fought for. Nick Vujicic is an admirable person, and another great example of the importance of just having a positive attitude towards life to be happy. Nick was born with no limbs, he is practically just torso, and has a small foot on his left hip which helps him with balance.

Nick’s father taught him to swim at 18 months, to type with his little toe at just 6 years of age, and his mom invented a special plastic device for him to hold a pen or pencil with his mouth to be able to write. He plays golf, swims and surfs. Even though it was really difficult for him to adapt to his difference when little, he overcame every issue he had and nowadays is an admirable person, who has traveled to 24 countries of the world sharing how this problem has become a blessing for him, and how just by changing your attitude towards life makes a great difference in every individual.

Just like these examples, there are many more cases of people that just by having a positive attitude towards life have been able to succeed or overcome obstacles even though they have had a hard life. Supporting that if an individual has virtue of the mind, and has always a positive view, fights for their ideals and know what they want for their life they will achieve happiness. DO NOT USE “YOU”

Works Cited

1. Little, Lyneka. Miseries of the Rich and Famous: The Concerns of the Super Rich: Wealth Does Not Bring Happiness-ABC.
2. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Calibre Wealth Management, Boston College. 21 March. 2011. Web October 14.
3. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aristotle/
4. http://answers. yahoo. com/question/index? qid=20080716235657AAyU5iY
5. http://www. britannica. com/EBchecked/topic/34560/Aristotle/254722/Happiness#ref923103
6. http://abcnews. go. com/Business/concerns-super-rich-wealth-bring-happiness/story? id=13167578#. UHsgpMVYuSo

Topic: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Specific Purpose: The purpose is to allow the audience to understand how true happiness, or self-actualization, can be achieved. Introduction Attention Materials: Many times I have wondered what is true happiness. Is there such thing as true happiness? Can it even be attained if there is such a thing? Is it more of fulfilling desires, or satisfying psychological needs? Every person attempts to realize happiness in its fullest essence. It seems like today people are too busy trying to get rich. Nowadays it is believed that happiness lies in that new mansion, or a nice Ferrari.

People are mistakingly assuming that wealth will bring to them a personal significance in which they will achieve happiness. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs actually limits the relationship between happiness and material possessions. Abraham Harold Maslow is a humanist psychologist who taught at Brandeis University, Brooklyn College, New School for Social Research and Columbia University. He stressed the importance of focusing on the positive qualities in people, as opposed to treating them as a “bag of symptoms. ” It is believed that happiness, or self-actualization as Abraham Maslow calls it, is more of a mental and psychological thing.

If you’re a psychology major you probably heard the term a couple of times, but I’d like to expand a little more about it. Thesis Statement: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs explains that happiness is achieved through a series of steps. Preview: We will look through the steps suggested by Abraham Maslow in order to achieve true happiness. (First, lets talk about the first step of the hierarchy, the most basic of human needs. ) Body I. Maslow’s Hierarchy consists of five levels. A. Physiological needs, which are basic human needs such as hunger, thirst, and avoidance of pain. . For the most part, physiological needs are obvious – they are the literal requirements for human survival. If these requirements are not met, the human body simply cannot continue to function. 2. Physiological needs are the most prepotent of all the other needs. Therefore, the human that lacks food, love, esteem, or safety would consider the food the most important. B. Safety needs, such as the need for secure housing and protection from weather. 1. With their physical needs relatively satisfied, the individual’s safety needs take precedence and dominate behavior. 2.

In the absence of physical safety – due to war, natural disaster, or, in cases of family violence, childhood abuse, etc. – people experience post-traumatic stress disorder. 3. This level is more likely to be found in children because they have a greater need to feel safe. C. Love and Belongingness, such as emotional intimacy, friendships, and social connections. 1. After physiological and safety needs are fulfilled, the third layer of human needs are interpersonal and involve feelings of belongingness. 2. People have an emotional need that they need to fulfill, and without this there will be a gap in the persons psychological wellbeing.

D. Esteem Needs, such as the need for the respect of one’s peers, status, or approval. 1. All humans have a need to be respected and to have self-esteem and self-respect. 2. People need to engage themselves to gain recognition and have an activity or activities that give the person a sense of contribution, to feel self-valued, be it in a profession or hobby. E. Last, but not least, Self-Actualization, which is the fulfillment of ones individual potential. 1. Since no two people are exactly alike, the drive for self-actualization leads people in different directions. . For some, self-actualization may mean creating works of art; for others, striving on the playing field, in the classroom, or in the corporate setting. 3. Not all of us climb to the top of the hierarchy; we don’t all achieve self-actualization. II. However, our needs may not be ordered in a fixed manner, as Maslow would suggest. A. An artist might go for days with little if any nourishment in order to complete a new work. B. People may limit constrain their social life to focus their energies on seeking status or prestige in their careers. C.

Maslow might counter that eventually the emptiness of their emotional lives would motivate them to fill the gap. D. Despite its limitations, Maslow’s model leads us to recognize that human behavior is motivated by higher pursuits as well as satisfaction of basic needs. (Transition: Now what does this all mean? ) III. This means that in order to actually attain happiness, a person must achieve psychological, as well as physical needs to the fullest extent of their capabilities. A. Most of us college students are in the Esteem level. 1. We all have our group of friends that we meet up with after class, or on the weekends. . And we are working on this college degree, which would one day hopefully lead us to a satisfying career. 3. What are we here for? We are here to gain prestige and achieve as much as we can to prove to others and ourselves that we are fulfilling our potential. B. When we get that position we are looking for or have a job that brings status as well as stability to our lives, then we can move on to achieving the highest level of happiness. 1. After you start a family and have a stable career to support your family with, you can begin to look for the next level of the hierarchy. 2.

That next level of hierarchy is actually realizing that you are at that level. 3. Looking back at your life realizing that you have all the other levels satisfied brings peace to your mind. 4. Bringing yourself to the highest level you can as a human being, or fulfilling your potential is what brings you that ultimate happiness. 5. Knowing that you did the most you can, as a human being will allow you relax and achieve that happiness. 6. After all, all this work and efforts your putting into school is really just in order to reach a point in life where you are satisfied with what you have done.

Caitlyn Parker February 21, 2013 American Literature Essay #1 Pursuit of Happiness Comes in Many Ways In ’s “The Ordinary Son. ” Reed discovers that what he might want in life is different than how his family lives. Reed’s family isn’t your typical scenario. His family is a “famous family,” a group of geniuses not known by their family’s last name but by each individual. The children even called their parents by their first names. They all had their own names, they were known by who they are not by the traditional way of saying, “Oh they are the Landers family. Geniuses lived not in a typical way of life. They were so focused on making the next big thing, that they never even spent family time together. Their house wasn’t full of fancy decorations, but actually quiet empty. They didn’t even have a dinner table. Geniuses weren’t social lights either, they never had people come over; they didn’t keep up with all the tech savvy stuff either. They had no television or telephone. It was a genius household and it wasn’t to be diminished by electronic gismos. Reed accepted the way of life as a genius family.

He realized that living without a telephone or refrigerator was natural for him. Didn’t even have a car. He was used to not living like society. He accepted this way of life, so simplistic and empty. He noticed that how they lived was very different than other people’s lives. He learned that society mostly was settled around two things: television and soft foods with tons of sugar. Living this way meant you didn’t sweat the small stuff, but to live for the work they do, not for things. They don’t need anything in life, just their brains full of ideas.

Being in a household of geniuses is hard for Reed because he wasn’t like the rest of his family; he’s the odd one out. He didn’t spend his life trying to show off his talents or be an overachiever like his siblings. He would congratulate them and their successes but lived his life in the shadows, behind the fame. At the age of seventeen Reed discovered that the genius gene had skipped him and that at least he was smart but not going to be a genius. He was free. He felt more alive than ever. He figured that now he could do whatever he wanted, he had no obligations.

These were the days for big change, to start his life the way he wanted too. He started by getting a job doing landscaping and general cleanup maintenance at a motel. He even bought a car. He began to alienate they ways of how he was raised. Reed began to live like society. He felt he was indifferent and wanted to learn from his peers. He had a friend, named Jeff who educated him on the larger things in life, like the sex department. He finally felt something to live for. He wanted to experience something so foreign to him and understand it. Reed was satisfied working a job and not taking the high road in life.

He worked hard and was making money. He didn’t weigh the little things; he just went with the flow. He didn’t need to live in the fast lane he was happy with a sweaty back and a pocketful of cash. He felt as if he was a genius in his own way. Working at the motel allowed him to start having a little life. He learned new skills and liked being able to stand up on his two feet without his family’s lights shining down on him. Reed was immersing himself in the real world. In Lorrie Moore’s “Community Life. ” Olena wanted to be an English teacher and teach literature but she failed to graduate the study of it.

She then transferred to library school where she was taught how to take care of books. She learned to read at a young age and loved to read. Olena learned to speak English and was taught to blend into the community at a young age. Every Saturday she would go to the library to read. She loved to go to the library, she felt as if she could do whatever she wanted. She became very fond of the librarian. Olena valued her mother and thanked her for teaching her English. Her parent’s wanted to give her an American life but Olena was left all alone due to a car accident when her parents died.

Olena wished to start over, to be someone living in the world, hiding behind books and carefully learning voice. She missed her mother the most. The only thing to cope her pain was to work in a library surrounded by books, she loved to read and being around something you love helps her stay sane. Olena struggles with being social and brave. She likes to hide and not associate herself to the outside world. She likes libraries because there’s no who’s or whys just where is it. It’s an easy solution to escape the world around her. Olena seems very to herself, and doesn’t want to live her life like an American.

She’s very stubborn when it comes to going out and living her life, she rather stay home and be isolated from the world. This makes her relationship suffer. Her partner, Nick tries to push her to connect to the community and go to events but she just argues and thinks these people are too glad-handing people who never really spoke to you but at you about their life stories. She could care less and didn’t want to associate with them. Olena lived differently than the society she began to be afraid of going out. She knew that she was a foreigner and a fool and she didn’t want to be part of it.

Everything about the community was her enemy. She had become a rapist and strived to think something was wrong with her. This was a huge obstacle for her to overcome. She went through hysteria and spent her life in crisis. She hated America and tried to find herself throughout the entire process. “She was alone as a book, alone as a desk, alone as a library, alone as a pencil, alone as a catalog, alone as a number, alone as a notepad. ” She had to lift herself from her loneliness to find her happiness. To be one with her parents again, searching to find herself.

What is your definition of happiness? That is a good question, happiness comes in so many ways from small little gestures or an old friend saying, “You’re beautiful today. ” Happiness is a word that associates with your surroundings. You would probably be happier if you just bought at new car rather than being hit by one. Your emotions play a lot into how you are feeling. You can feel happier when you see someone else smile because it makes you smile. For me, my happiness comes mostly from my family. With out my family I wouldn’t be who I am today.

I’ve been through a lot of struggles while growing up and having to face problems at a young age made me become more independent on my own and stronger to face life’s hardships. When I was ten I had to live without a mother, this was very hard since she was my rock and I leaned upon her for my every need. It was an adjustment to have to move on with my life and stay close to my older sister for guidance. Without my sister I don’t know how I would have been able to cope and succeed in my journey into adulthood. Ever since I was three years old I have loved to ice skate, skating is my escape from society it lets me free my mind.

Whenever I’m down, I just think of skating and it makes me feel better. I love to skate and how it makes me feel free from anything, like I can do anything. Free as a bird. I value the little things in life, even though I never came from a rich family I have always never been forgotten. It’s great to have a few people love you tremendously rather than having no one there to support you. My dad has been a huge influence in my life because he has always been there for me, he would do anything for me and it’s great to know you have someone to count on.

He has taught me so much and gave me his artist talents as well. Since I was little I have loved to draw, being creative is my section nature. I can do it in my sleep. I’m very passionate about being artistic; through generations my whole family has some kind of artistic ability. My grandfather was a painter, photographer, my grandmother knitted and sewed like a seamstress, my dad was an illustrator, drawer, my mom was a watercolor artist, and my aunt was a graphic designer, printmaker. It’s in my blood to be talented in the arts.

I have always been passionate when it comes to making something beautiful and done from the hand. Life seems so much easier when you can make something from your heart. You can never buy something so eternally special. Being surrounded by loving people is a huge inspiration because they are your support group and when you feel down you just look to these people and they will always motivate you and push you in the direction you want to go in. In the future I hope to see myself becoming a designer.

I love the thought of me opening up my own brand and starting a clothing line. I have always thought of myself becoming famous someday. My goals for myself is to finish school with honors and graduating with a degree in Graphic Design then continuing to complete my associates in Interior Design. Then after college start to work for a magazine or firm to get some experience and do logos, websites, etc. I think to maintain my happiness I just need to keep skating and don’t settle for a day job.

I want to schedule my own hours and do work that will be something I enjoy rather than sitting at a desk all day being miserable. I also have always wanted to travel the world to get inspiration and if I follow my dreams, happiness will stay with me till I past. My purpose of life is to have fun and fulfill my wishes, if I don’t I will regret my life choices and be miserable for the rest of my life. If I keep up the hard work, my life will be complete and I will feel satisfied. Happiness is the way of life if your not happy then your not making your life have a purpose.

Being able to use my imagination helps me cope with society, now a days everything is digitalized and electronic that my mind wants to explode. For me, I always have to step away from the computer and relax my mind. I love to do yoga and mediate it helps me become one with my body and it’s a reliever of stress. I also keep a journal to jot down notes or ideas that I might come across at random times. It helps me stay true to myself and when I’m having a bad day I just look in it and re-read silly things I wrote and it makes me feel better. I always feel happy when I’m being silly and just being myself.