Definition Essay: My Pursuit Of Happiness

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Everyone has experienced happiness at some point in their lives, but how many know exactly why a particular thing makes them happy? It may come as a surprise to learn that 50% of our happiness level is determined by our genes, only 10% comes from external sources like money and status, and 40% comes from what people choose to do to make themselves happier (Happy). In America, a society driven by capitalism, it is learned at an early age that success means having a prominent job that brings in a notable amount of money and the status that comes along with that. Contrary to this ideology, research shows this isn’t what contributes to truly lasting happiness.
Most people have heard the proverb, there are some things money can’t buy, “once you have basic needs met, more money doesn’t seem to buy more happiness” (Happy). New things make our brains happy; however, depending on the context, this happiness can be short lived. Personally, like other addicts, I struggle with the constant desire for new stimulation. For some …show more content…
I am still constantly reevaluating what is in my life to see if it works for me. One of the only things that has remained a constant through this whole process has been my love of creating art. Flow, as defined by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, is “an almost effortless yet highly focused state of consciousness” (9). Creating art is so therapeutic and so many aspects of it feed into creating a real sense of happiness. The act of creating itself brings me into a state of flow. No matter how hard you try, when you create art, each piece will invariably turn out different. This fulfills that desire for constant newness, and being mindful of new things contributes to a feeling of happiness (Langer). I’ve discovered mixing your own paint colors is one of the most satisfying experiences. There are endless amounts of shades you can mix, and they are always different in subtle

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Comparing King's Gettysburg Address And I Have A Dream

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Virgin Atlantic And Ryanair Case Study

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F. Scott Fitzgerald and Great Gatsby Essay

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Final Exam Notes Essay examples

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