Over
the years of my working with students, one of the lifetime goals most mentioned
is "happiness." I'm not sure if we know what happiness is or when we
have accomplished this goal. I just read a book on the topic, Authentic Happiness, by Martin Seligman.
He is a psychologist who actually teaches college courses on this topic. The
following are some excerpts from his text. Please read these excerpts, think
about them and add your comments.
Excerpts from Authentic Happiness by Martin Seligman:
Real happiness comes from identifying, cultivating and using your personal strengths in work, love, play and parenting. Seligman contrasts happiness with hedonism. He says that a hedonist "wants as many good moments and as few bad moments as possible in life." He states that hedonism is a shortcut to happiness that leaves us feeling empty. For example, we often assume that more material possessions will make us happy. However, the more material possessions we have, the greater the expectations and we no longer appreciate what we have.
Seligman suggests some ideas to increase happiness. 1. Realize that the past does not determine your future. The future is open to possibilities. 2. Be grateful for the good events of the past and place less emphasis on the bad events. 3. Build positive emotions through forgiving and forgetting. 4. Work on increasing optimism and hope for the future. 5. Find out what activities make you happy and engage in them. Spread these activities out over time so that you will not get tired of them. 6. Take the time to savor the happy times. 7. Take time to enjoy the present moment. 8. Build more flow into your life. Flow is the state of gratification we feel when totally absorbed in an activity that matches our strengths.
Write your comments on these ideas. What does happiness mean to you?
Share some of your intention statements for the future. You can make two posts of 100 words each or one post of 200 words.
Your postings have been inspiring and awesome. Best wishes for the future!
Excerpts from Authentic Happiness by Martin Seligman:
Real happiness comes from identifying, cultivating and using your personal strengths in work, love, play and parenting. Seligman contrasts happiness with hedonism. He says that a hedonist "wants as many good moments and as few bad moments as possible in life." He states that hedonism is a shortcut to happiness that leaves us feeling empty. For example, we often assume that more material possessions will make us happy. However, the more material possessions we have, the greater the expectations and we no longer appreciate what we have.
Seligman suggests some ideas to increase happiness. 1. Realize that the past does not determine your future. The future is open to possibilities. 2. Be grateful for the good events of the past and place less emphasis on the bad events. 3. Build positive emotions through forgiving and forgetting. 4. Work on increasing optimism and hope for the future. 5. Find out what activities make you happy and engage in them. Spread these activities out over time so that you will not get tired of them. 6. Take the time to savor the happy times. 7. Take time to enjoy the present moment. 8. Build more flow into your life. Flow is the state of gratification we feel when totally absorbed in an activity that matches our strengths.
Write your comments on these ideas. What does happiness mean to you?
Share some of your intention statements for the future. You can make two posts of 100 words each or one post of 200 words.
Your postings have been inspiring and awesome. Best wishes for the future!
The happiness is to come to place where I realize life isn't perfect, but to look at the cup half full and be grateful for all that I have, rather than worrying about all my problems.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the happiness to me it means the gift to laugh for a good reason. The ability to cry for those in pain.
The experience of both in my varied life leads me to know what happiness is and it serves me well. Because of this, I know what true happiness is and I have the ability to laugh for a good reason and forget all the bad things that make me sad. I've shed enough tears to understand joy. Also, the love and support of my family and friends,
financial and emotional security it is the biggest happiness in the earth.
Seeing the good in the not so good happenings. Looking forward to the next day, and thanking God for everything.
Having a reason to get up in the morning.
Liking myself, and the skin I am in.
laughing and smiling a lot.
Helping others out, and thanking God for what I have because there are many who suffer from illness and they never seen the happiness.
We can build the happiness if we want it. It take small things to do in our lives to gain the happiness. Saying hi to our neighbors, friends, teachers, strangers, it bring us the happiness because the next time we see them, they say hi and they can make our lives more enjoyable. Believing in ourselves, our families, our children can make us happy and more comfortable. There is no reason not to be happy. We can control our lives. So, say HI to everyone, gain respect from others, watch some comedy shows for minutes I know you busy but its only 5 minutes. Call you mother, father, friends, and say hi. All of these can bring us the best happiness.
Thank God I am happy, Are you?
Very Respectfully,
Aladdin
Aladin, this is a powerful message and we are all inspired by it. Best wishes and stay safe.
DeleteCan I share your post with some of my colleagues?
DeleteOf course you welcome to share it my dear professor
DeleteOf course you welcome to share it my dear professor
DeleteWhat does happiness mean to you?
ReplyDeleteWhat a question!! I am thinking about this question for more than one hour, I have never ever been asked this question before. What happiness means to me? Actually, after one hour thinking, I ended up with endless answers that give the meaning for happiness. Happiness means family, my husband to be, my very close friends, my high grades in school, health, whole family gathering, Christmas lights, the rain in summer, talking to someone I love and understands me without saying much words, seeing someone I miss the most accidently, feeling the happiness on my parents’ faces just because I am happy, succeed, good career, peace, the warm of the bed in winter’s nights, eating much food without gaining weight, shopping until dropping, dancing in sister’s wedding, tears of laugh, being able to see the world, being able to write and read while there are millions of ignorant people around the world, and having something to eat and a house to sleep while there are millions of people are starving and homeless, happiness is everything we cannot buy with money. Happiness is priceless, happiness is the best feeling we can ever feel. Happiness is what makes us feel that life is worth living it. Appreciating what we have is the best way that people can reach their happiness. We should never think about what we lost, in order to not lose what we have in our hands or we would lose the happiness with it.
I enjoyed reading your post and could tell that you put a lot of thought into it. Best wishes for your future success.
DeleteWhat does happiness mean to you?
ReplyDeleteHappiness means so much to me and sometimes I lose the happiness that I have in me because of my negative thinking. Happiness means my family is safe and healthy. I am so afraid that something might happen to one of my family or people I love. I tend to think about that and I know it is a negative thinking and might cause me to lose my happiness. Happiness means that I get enough rest and sleep well. Sometimes having bad dreams results in losing my happiness and affects my sleep. Happiness means attending school and getting good grades and doing all my homework’s and turning them in on time. Having a good job and thinking positive about the future means happiness. When I got a good job by trying and not giving up on myself it meant happiness for me and result my life to turn out to be so positive. Every morning I wake up I smile and thank god for everything that I have in my life. When I think positive about life, happiness appears to happen in my life first thing early in the morning. I always think about having kids and racing them right and making sure that I give them everything they need is happiness.
It is difficult to stop the negative thinking, but it is important to put it into perspective and think positively about life. You are doing a good job on this. Best wishes!
DeleteHappiness means everything to me, when I say happiness, I mean my family, my best friends, my co-workers, myself and my life. Happiness means the water that I drink and can't live without, happiness means the air that I breathe if I stop breathing, I would absolutely die.
ReplyDeleteWhen I wake up in the morning, feeling healthy, ready to go to work, I feel happy. When I help needy people, I feel happy, When I make my friends smile, I feel happy.
Happiness means the world around me, happiness means trusting myself and life today as there is no tomorrow. Every day we live is an extra life for us, extra happiness, extra hope. If we avoid and skip every single sad and bad day, we will enjoy our lifee, we will have and be more confident than we are. Happiness is something that we cant even describe. When you open your eyes on your family, when you see the your loved people around you, when you have something to eat and drink on your table, these all belong to happiness. When you love, forgive who did something bad to you, you live the happiness, when you give your hand to the people indeed, you feel the happiness, when you see a smile on the faces you met, you know that you made that smile, could you imagine how nice is it to smile?
This is the goal of happiness.
Hi Dina,
DeleteHappiness does mean a lot. If we are not happy, it not only brings us down but the ones around us can be uncomfortable with it. Being happy gives us so much joy and laughter in us, it's hard not to be happy when good things are around us as well as people. I like how you mentioned that family brings in a lot of happy times, and it is very true. They have a huge impact on us.
Great thoughts on happiness. Enjoy a happy life!
DeleteWhat does Happiness mean to you?
ReplyDeleteFor me, it is extremely hard to describe happiness. I think it is because it can be viewed from many different ways. Happiness is not always guaranteed all throughout life either. Some people feel as if throughout their lifetime they never felt happy. However, that is not the case for me. I feel the happiest when I am surrounded by my loved ones (friends and family), doing activities I love and that are healthy for me, as well as looking back on past memories, and while at work.
I am aware that most people do not love their jobs and are probably questioning why I find happiness in mine. Well, I currently have the opportunity to work with kids that are ages 4-12. What I love most about my job is that there is constant smiling and laughter. At this age, children are so innocent. They hardly think negative or worry about issues; but if they do, it is easily forgotten and they move on with life because they are too busy enjoying the present time. It is a fresh reminder to myself; life is too short not to spend each day without a smile of laugh. And let me tell you, it is quiet impossible not too with kids.
Kids help us to remind ourselves of happiness and what is important in life. Good job!
DeleteWhat does happiness mean to me?
ReplyDeleteWhat does happiness to me mean… well, happiness to me means a lot more then you think. It is the ability to laugh and smile for only good reasons. Happiness is knowing who and what you are, knowing your good and bad point, and having made the most of the positive and the least of the negative in your life. In learning to enjoy the small pleasures you are granted as when they come to you. It also means that you will never settle for anything less then what you want and deserve. Happiness is something that everyone should have because it makes up who the person is. Happiness is everything to me because I live, breath, and talk about happiness. It is something that brings joy to the world. Happiness is also something that everyone needs to cherish and smile about. It brings joy to everyone’s face when one person is happy. Less negativity, you have in your life you will live longer as well. The more you live, laugh, and smile you will last a long time. Having to set goals and being able to accomplish them with a smile brings such happiness. It boost the self-esteem up and makes people feel like they are special and wanted in this world. Happiness is the joy to my heart.
Good thoughts on happiness. We have to know what it is to make it come true.
DeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteThe second post really got my attention. I feel like many of us people are so caught up with the past and everything negative about the past that we can not enjoy the current life we live now. Also, the people surround us make a huge difference in our lives, because those who surround us and make us motivated to reach our goals make a huge difference. It is always good to be surrounded with people who support you in every step of the way. Another reason I think that defines happiness is setting a goal for the future that i would be willing to reach and work very hard to reach it. Engaging in activities and being thankful for everything we have right now is great and a blessing in some way. Being successful in school and maintaining such good grades also defines happiness because I see school very important to me and it is what defines me as a person. Being well educated gets you to be respected and known by others, which leads us to be better people and have better lives. Having good family that surrounds us and takes care of us is also one of the most important things for being happy as well.
Thanks for bringing up the idea that education can increase happiness. Good job!
DeleteHappy thanksgiving to all of you. Thank you professor for making this class so wonderful. Without you, I would not be what I got so far. You made everything easy and interesting. Your feedback were amazing they helped me going and thinking positive. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteAlso, i would like to thank all the ones who wrote me nice feedback, it was pleasure to meet all of you.
Good luck,
Aladdin
Aladdin,
DeleteIt was a pleasure having you in class and reading all your messages. Best wishes for the future.
What does happiness mean to you?
ReplyDeleteIt is really hard to define what exactly happiness means to us because there is a lot of factors in this term.
For me, happiness means pretty much everything. living with my lovely lady and my family, having people around me that care about all of us and want our happiness. happiness to me means living a heathy live, being heathy and live long. Having a good income to be able to support my family and insure a happy life for us. happiness to me means to be able to help the poor and the people who are in need to to show them respect because we are all the same from the inside. Happiness to me means living a safe live and not to worry about people killing each other and putting everyone in danger, happiness to is seeing my family from iraq safe and happy and to be able to reunite with them one day and live the "happy" life that I always wished for...
Hi Robert,
DeleteYour right about your way of happiness. When your family is happy your going to be happy. Being able to put food on the table for your family will make you happy. Being able to provide for your family will make you happy. Theres a saying a happy wife means a happy life. Having a family in general should make anyone happy. Its a blessing to have a family. Happiness can change the way people think of life. Happiness is to me honestly the best feeling in the world. Just seeing other people being happy makes me happy. Theirs always someone in a more worse situation then what you are in. Keep smiling.
You help to remind us of all the danger in Iraq and the need to feel that our families are safe. Best wishes!
DeleteI have come across this question a few times in life. One thing I can say is happiness is one of the most important things we can count on in life. Without it, where would we be? To me, happiness is being positive, being exactly where you want to be in life, having a good healthy environment and a roof above my head. Not everyone can say they have somewhere to sleep at night, I am thankful for coming home everyday from school and work and being able to eat and sleep. It's the small things in life that count the most that we tend to forget that we have and are lucky enough to have those things with us. Another good trait that leads into happiness is being confident and helping others around me when in need. I see this as if you give, you get. I am more than happy in my life, I have an amazing supportive family in everything I do, they have done so much for me and the least I can do right now is be unhappy. I am grateful for the things that I have in life.
ReplyDeleteToo often we take for granted all the simple things in life that are so important such as a roof over your head and food to eat. It is a good reminder that we need to be thankful for what we have.
DeleteSome of Seligman’s ideas are very motivational when it comes to maintaining happiness. I love the first idea stating the past does not determine your future. Everyone has a story, good or bad. No matter where someone comes from, it does not control an individual’s future. It is up to him or her to create their own destiny, not events from the past or a higher power. I really want to emphasize on how people forget to show gratitude for the blessings in their lives, no matter how big or small. You can go anywhere and you will overhear someone complaining about an ex-partner or their work environment. Instead of focusing on the bad, these individuals could be grateful for their health, their living situation, or the fact that they even have a job. I believe that everyone has the potential to be happy and it is up to a person to decide what actions will lead to their ideal life. Happiness is dependent on how you decide to approach the curve balls life decides to throw your way. As long as you maintain a positive outlook on all aspects of your life, satisfy your need to be introduced into new activities, and remember what you have instead of wanting everything you do not have, you should be able to lead a pretty happy and healthy life.
ReplyDeleteI love your statement about how happiness is dependent on how you approach the curve balls in life. Good job!
DeleteSeligman’s suggestions on increasing happiness are great tips for success. For example, when he states that the past does not determine your future, he is spot on. If something happens in your past, you should not let it reflect on your future, because that is how you will bring yourself down. Instead of constantly thinking about that mistake or failure, it is better for yourself to forget about the past and to plan ahead for a successful future. When a failure occurs in your life, it is important to remember that things happen for a reason and there are all types of openings for success in the near future. As long as you are able to stand tall after a minor setback, you will be bound to live a happy life. Happiness to me means that you have been able to gain enough intelligence throughout your life in order to set up not only yourself but your family to live a happy life that you were able to contribute to.
ReplyDeleteI like your comments about failure and planning for a better future. Good job!
DeleteSeligman's has a lot of great suggestions on how happiness brings great success to your life. For example when he says "The past Does not determine your future". I think that is a 100 percent true because there has been a lot of people in the world and loved ones that are really close to me who have messed up in their life but they stay positive and ending up fixing their life and end up really happy in the end. Other great one Seligman says is "Be grateful for the good events of the past and place less emphasis on the bad events". I think people should always be grateful for what they have in life even if they don't have a lot. I think if you be grateful for what you have in life you will always be a happy person. Also I like the one he says about Find out what activities make you happy and engage in them. I think having a hobby in your life that you really like will make you happy all the time because you will always be doing it.
ReplyDeleteLawrence Kasshamoun
I think it is especially important during the holiday season to be thankful for the good things we have in life. Good job!
Deletewhat does happiness mean to you?
ReplyDeletein my opinion, everything we do in life is about happiness, even though we might do things sometimes that we dont really wanna do, but we still do it because we know it's the right thing to do which will makes us feel good about our selves.
to me, happiness is reaching your goal and accomplishing your dreams. it's all about feeling satisfied with your selves. some people will be happy when have money, others will be happy when they have love. some will want it all, which is a good thing as well, to have big dreams and keep in chasing them, but in the same time, we should always stop for a minute and appreciate what we already have and thank god for it. in my opinion, happiness comes from satisfaction, as long as you're doing what makes you happy, it doesnt matter what people think. when martin seligman said " find out what activities makes you happy and engage in them" thats a very good saying because that is exactly what happiness means, doing the things you love.
Hope this course has helped you to discover some things that you love. Best wishes!
DeleteWhat does happiness mean to you?
ReplyDeleteIn my perspective we all live for happiness. Everything we do is based for happiness. Think of it this way... Why do we go to school? Why do we work? Why do we buy ourselves things? Why do we get into relationships? Everything we do is because we want to be happy in that moment or in the future. If we do not go to school then we won't have a good career and we won't be happy because we'll be struggling. What happiness really is, it's life in general. From family, to friends, to school, to work and all types of activities that come along with that. Happiness however, comes within ourselves first. Having negative attitude will get in the way of our happiness because our actions will not be the same as if we had a positive attitude. Doing what we like, benefits us, or satisfies our needs is also happiness. We won't be happy if we don't have the classes that we need. We won't be happy if we don't have a job we enjoy. We won't be happy if we don't feel secure about ourselves and have a really low self-esteem. Having a positive attitude at all times and not looking back at mistakes is what will help us fulfill our dreams which will make us happy.
I enjoyed your comment that happiness comes from within. Too many people look for happiness outside themselves and this does not work. Good job!
DeleteWrite your comments on these ideas. What does happiness mean to you?
ReplyDeleteI used to think that for me to be a happy person I had to actually feel joy at all times. I realize now that being a happy person does not mean that you feel no sadness, it means that you do not let the sadness rule your life and make you forget about the good aspects of your life. I was am a perfectionist (not in every aspect, I can't spell to save my life...yet), and always felt my life was lacking because it was not perfect. Every little thing I did wrong or that went wrong, made me feel like a failure and meant my life was a failure.
Then I had children. And I started to see my 3 year old crumble if she made a mistake. Her fumbling 3 year old fingers couldn't accomplish what her precocious brain had planned and it destroyed her on a daily basis. My little girl who was so brave and would try anything was starting to avoid doing things because she couldn't handle her failure. So I had to teach her that it's not failing if you tried your hardest. I had to teach her that by repeatedly trying, you accomplish your goals. I was the blind leading the blind, but while I couldn't find the strength to try things for myself, I was found in abundance to help my child. I realized that to truly teach her, I had to lead by example. So even though I was terrified to try all those things I thought I could do but didn't actually try because I was afraid I would fail, I started trying them. And I did fail sometimes, and it was horrible, but surprise! it didn't actually kill me. So even if I didn't want to, I tried again and again because that's what I told my kids you do. What was even more pleasantly surprising is that I started accomplishing so many things, things I always felt I couldn't do. That led to me trying more and more things which lead to more and more confidence.
My whole life, I never wanted to be anyone else, but I didn't really want to be myself either. Now, I think I am awesome, I still need work, but my confidence is real and with confidence, came the elusive happiness I always chased. It is not a constant companion, but now it is real, and even when it's not overwhelming me, it leaves lingering traces that get me through till the next time, and with that I am finally satisfied.
These are awesome ideas. Copy this post and place it somewhere you can see it often. I have grand children and have observed the same thing when they face failure. I was just teaching one to ride a bike and she was having difficulty. I told her that failure was a way to learn. Kids are wonderful because they help us to take a new look at our own lives. Good job!
DeleteI think Seligman makes some great points about how to be happy and live positively. I think that happiness is when you are surrounded by loved ones and have no worries. Some people may think that money buys happiness but I believe that happiness can not be bought. Happiness is something you have to allow yourself to feel. Seligman mentioned forgiving others and letting go of things that hurt and I agree because those things can only hold you back. Anyone can achieve happiness even if it may not feel like it at the time you have to allow yourself to see opportunities in the future!
ReplyDeleteYes, the key to happiness is seeing the opportunities in the future. Good job!
DeleteSeligman suggestions are values. These points I believe most of people have that make them not happy with what they have or what they been done. If the people keep thinking about the past they only determine the bad things that happens so they are not reaching the happiness and feeling the moment that they are in. in other hand being un thankful of what you have make you feel that you always don’t have enough and everyone else does, so we always need to make sure to be grateful for everything we have.
ReplyDeleteLife is not easy it has a lot of obstacles that make it hard, but the human are the alien who can beer everything. I believe we as a people will not live to the end we are not immortal; we have to determine that, so we need to live every moment being happy and working to make the others around us happy because you can’t make a happy life by yourself we need other people to share our happiness and feeling with them. I have read the book the Art of happiness by The Dalai Lama and it is a really nice book. The Dalai Lama believe that everyone born to seek happiness from the beginning no matter what they believe in and also I agree with him that the truth of happiness is by being compassion with others and helping other people that what really make us lough when we see someone happy of what we done for him. I think that helping others and understanding their feeling as a result being compassion really make us happy.
Good comments on happiness and thanks for sharing the comments from the Dalai Lama. He has a lot of respect worldwide for his thought on compassion and helping others.
DeleteSeligman does make interesting points, especially the first one, "Realize that the past does not determine your future. The future is open to possibilities". This is a huge relief if you think that you have failed a lot in the past in order to have a successful future. There nothing stopping you from reaching your goal, except yourself. That is why positive emotions and good self talk is important to reach true happiness! You need to convince yourself that success is the only option, do not let negative feelings affect you from reaching your goal. Happiness can be achieved if you surround yourself with positivity. Seligman mentions forgiving and forgetting, this is important because you do not want to allow any type of negative thoughts into your life. The key to success and happiness has many roadblocks, just know that you will overcome them.
ReplyDeleteWonderful positive thoughts! Best wishes on your future success.
DeleteShare some of your intention statements for the future. You can make two posts of 100 words each or one post of 200 words.
ReplyDeleteFor the future I see myself becoming more social, more outgoing, staying in school and earning my degree and getting a job. Ten years from now that’s where I see myself. Maybe having a family or even attending my high school reunion looking good…haha! But I really do see myself successful. Also, not having to depend on my parents and have a house of my own. Some intentions from here on is to study more frequently. And most importantly bring momma home the good grades. I will be more responsible of my actions and really try to improve my procrastination. I will also try to pay more attention because I always catch myself wondering in class. I need to focus more no matter how boring the class is. I will also intent to stick with my fitness routine and eat healthier. Because sometimes I get discouraged and I tend to give up. I also would like to try at least and go a year without eating meat and eventually become vegetarian. That’s my 2016 goal. So far I did one year without drinking soda and its actually great! Proud of myself.
Awesome future intentions. One year without soda is great! It shows you can make other positive changes. Best wishes for the future.
DeleteI like the ideas Seligman suggests to increase happiness and I plan to implement them in my life. I tend to allow myself to be discouraged by past failures and I need to learn to let go and not let my past dictate my future. I am always grateful for good events and put them in the forefront of my mind. I often have to remind myself to forgive and forget and not hold onto grudges. I need to make an effort to be more optimistic so I’m able to achieve my goals. I need to invest time in learning more about myself and the activities that make me happy. I hope to live in the moment so that I can savor the good memories while they are happening. I need to find things that allow me to go with the flow and set aside time to do these things. Happiness to me is feeling a positive sense of self. It is the feeling that I have accomplished the goals I have set for myself and motivates me to keep setting higher goals. I am happiest when I am able to spend time with my family and friends and build long lasting, deeply rooted connections with people.
ReplyDeleteGood comments on happiness and good plans for the future. Best wishes on your future success.
DeleteWhat does happiness mean to you??
ReplyDeleteI think it means that you've found something, something that overtime has stuck with you and would be something/someone that without will only bring sadness and although happiness may not always be there, that in the span of time you can find happiness where you haven't expected it before, for example I found no joy in running, it hurt, it was tiring, I saw no fun in doing it, now I smile to go out and run on my own, theres a lot of struggles in life and things find themselves usually more difficult than easy. it's almost as if the things you'd least expect are the things that bring you some true happiness even for just a moment, it's a feeling worth fighting for.
We often find happiness in accomplishing difficult tasks because it gives a feeling of satisfaction. Make a goal to graduate from college in the same way as you started running. Best wishes on your future success.
DeleteHello class,
ReplyDeleteHappiness to be means that you are grateful for what you have. Having a smile on your face when your down. Always thinking positively in any situation. Loving your family. It can also mean that you have accomplished something that you have worked for. Being with the ones you love the most, friends family and having fun and hanging out. Enjoying your time. Having nothing to worry about. Being healthy. Seeing other people being happy without judging them and being happy for them. Thats what happiness means to me. Smile more often. Laugh. Be happy for what you have.
Being grateful for what you have is so important and a good thought for the holiday season. Good job!
DeleteSeligman’s statement where he mentions that the past does not determine your future is extremely accurate in my opinion. Everyone makes mistakes and the only task one can do now is to simply learn from them. I think that past mistakes are extremely important and can really be there to help someone grow and to learn from those mistakes so that they can be avoided in the future. Past mistakes certainly do not determine one’s future, which is the reason they are called “past” mistakes because they happened a while ago and should not affect one’s future. I believe that it is crucial that one never dwells on their past and to move on to bigger and brighter things. One can only grow and become a successful person if they have made mistakes at some point in their lifetime. If everyone were perfect we would never know how to cope with a mistake we would not know how to improve ourselves. When one falls down they need to learn to get them selves right back up and get on with their lives because the world has so much to offer! Being able to forget about past mistakes and move on to bigger and better things is one of the many keys to happiness!
ReplyDeleteI like your comments on dealing with failure and moving past mistakes. Good job!
DeleteWhat does happiness mean to you?
ReplyDeleteI believe that without happiness, nothing matters. If you have accomplished a great deal in this world, yet lack happiness, there is something missing in your life. Consistently having positive thoughts and believing that great success will come my way is very important. If I didn’t genuinely believe that my goals weren't going to satisfy me in the future, then I would change them. I believe that you should never stick to something that you don’t enjoy doing. A person’s happiness controls most of their life. Surrounding myself with the right people, treating others respectfully and kindly, and truly believing that everything happens for a reason, can lead me to a bright and happy future. Being content with myself and the direction my life is heading towards is something I value deeply. Happiness is the key to success. We do things that we might not really like to do or might not really enjoy for our future happiness. Going to school and getting an education will lead society to a better future, and with that better future, our satisfaction is achieved. People go through great lengths in order to achieve their happiness, its what we work for our entire lives.
I enjoyed your thoughts on happiness. Having these insights at a young age will definitely help in achieving future happiness. Best wishes on your future success in college.
DeleteWhat does happiness mean to you?
ReplyDeleteThis question is very important as well as very meaningful word to me. It is a hard one to answer for I have thought about it many times on many different occasions. I believe that there are people who have nothing and are unhappy. They wish for everything and once they have everything they are still unhappy. Happiness cannot occur from materialistic goods as well as waiting for a certain event to happen. It occurs from nothing except from within and when one has mentally realized that what they have is enough. It occurs when one expresses gratitude, does not dwell on the past, and is genuinely appreciative for what they have and for what is to come. Positivity and being surrounded by delightful people who bring you up for the better is how you will be led into a brighter future, away from negativity. Savoring every moment that you encounter is a key to living happy. Avoid overthinking and pondering about mistakes from the past for that is over with and to dwell leads to nothing but negativity. It is better to live in the moment and take time to enjoy every moment. There are so many factors that can help one be happy, and all measures should be taken to capture that happiness because once it is secured, a glorious sense of living comes along with it.
I enjoyed reading all your comments on happiness. Stop and savor the happy moments during this holiday season.
DeleteI definitely agree with Seligman. Happiness does not come from owning materials. I use to believe that if I got certain clothes or shoes, that I would be happier, or if I bought a makeup then I would feel prettier. I do feel prettier but I am still not happy. Owning things will not make you feel better. No materialistic product is going to fix your problem. You have to learn to accept your faults and problems. Whether you think you're ugly or overweight, you have to learn to accept it and feel better. Or you can go out and improve how you're feeling. If you decide to mope around and do nothing about your problems, then that's on you. I have had a lot of difficulty in the last year or two, and I am still learning how to love myself. Possessions won't help me. Only I can help myself.
ReplyDeletewhat does happiness mean to you?
ReplyDeleteHappiness to me means being happy in your own skin and being happy with everything you have accomplished. Being happy with the people you have in your life. It is not having any regrets and knowing you have tried your hardest in everything you have done to get you to where you are at. happiness is being grateful for everything you have and not sweating the small stuff and not letting it bother you. I believe it is seeing the positive side of everything. i believe happiness is when you can stop and be grateful for everything ven the negative that has been in your lie because without the negative in your life you would not have learned some important lessons, you wouldn't realize who your true friends are and who is actually there for you, you would not be the strong person you are today. Happiness is realizing everything happens for a reason. A big one for me is realizing after all the hard work you have put into your goals and all the bad you have pushed through that success will be at the other end of all of this and your hard work will pay off. Happiness is being rewarded for all your hard work and having your drive and dedication pay off at the end.
Happiness can be so many things. There are different kinds of happiness and different kinds of ways people can achieve happiness. Happiness to me means to have the people around me be happy. Being grateful for things is definitely one of the things to be happy about. I get happy about little things and that is all i need to be honest. Then theres the happiness that if you work hard and achieve a goal, it pays off in the end. All the hard work and dedication has payed off and the self reward is the best feeling in the world.
ReplyDeleteI think that Martin Seligman has very good ideas to increase happiness. My three favorites are: work on increasing optimize and hope for the future, find out what activities make you happy and engage in them, and take time to enjoy the present moment. I think that it is quite easy to get caught up in our own heads. Too often do people start thinking negatively and forgetting what is possible and what is important. I think that when we focus on how we are thinking and tell ourselves to stop thinking badly, that we can start leading happier and more enjoyable lives. To me, happiness is extremely important. When it all boils down to it, I think everyone is ultimately trying to find their own happiness; not everyones happiness is the same, but I do think it all comes down to that. My happiness would be to make memorable moments for my family, graduate from college, be able to provide a house for family, and live comfortably. I mean, it would make me really happy to provide a house for my family but as long as they're taken care of that's all that really matters to me first and foremost.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Martin Seligman makes very good points on how to achieve happiness. If you have a good outlook on life and focus on positive thoughts then you will be happier. People tend to focus more on negative thoughts and let them bring them down. One thing I do to stay happy is practice positive acts of kindness, especially in the morning. Sometimes, just saying, "Hey how are you?" will help someone's day be better. When I am upset about something I look towards God. Money, food, etc... all these things are what people rely on for happiness and people always want more. One thing is never good enough. Being happy is a mental thought. If you practice always being happy, you will live a happier life and have a better day. Another thing that makes me happier is eating healthy and exercising. If I eat too much II feel fat and lazy which makes me unhappy. When I go for a run everyday, I feel better about myself and it reduces stress. Being stressed out is a main cause of being unhappy. Also, being overwhelmed and too busy. Don't let little things bring you down. Everything happens for a reason. Happiness is just a mental thought and you control it.
ReplyDeleteI like how Seligman portrayed the different aspects of being happy. My favorites were to realize that the past doesn't determine your future, To emphasize the good events in the past and not focus on the bad ones, and to build positive attitudes toward forgiving and forgetting. Realizing the past doesn't determine your future is something that I had a hard time with. Mainly because my past had determined my future thus far, however, I didn't know that I was the reason that it was panning out the way it did. Changing the way I saw the past helped me see a clearer future that I wanted. This helps with not focusing on the bad events in the past. Through changing my perspective on the world, I was able to forgive and forget many bad events in my life. My happiness would consist of being with my friends and my family and i connected better.
ReplyDeleteI like how Seligman portrayed the different aspects of being happy. My favorites were to realize that the past doesn't determine your future, To emphasize the good events in the past and not focus on the bad ones, and to build positive attitudes toward forgiving and forgetting. Realizing the past doesn't determine your future is something that I had a hard time with. Mainly because my past had determined my future thus far, however, I didn't know that I was the reason that it was panning out the way it did. Changing the way I saw the past helped me see a clearer future that I wanted. This helps with not focusing on the bad events in the past. Through changing my perspective on the world, I was able to forgive and forget many bad events in my life. My happiness would consist of being with my friends and my family and i connected better.
ReplyDelete