"Don't Be Fooled By Your Emptiness, There's So Much More Room for Happiness"

" A light, airy, deliriousness, bright and uplifting energy. The amount we emit is the amount we absorb from the world."

"Feeling completely content and secure in yourself."

            "Happiness Is a Warm Gun."

"Not overlooking the simiplicities, appreciating the forgotten that makes life beautiful."

"Knowing I'm doing all that I can to be the best person I can be for myself and others."

"Being wrapped in the arms of someone close to you and feeling nothing but comfort."

"You get out of life what you put into it. If you're doing what makes you happy then your whole outlook on life changes. We're put here on earth for a reason. Feeling accomplished makes me happy. Feeling love back fulfills me."

"Different for everyone, no single definition."

"Obedience to God makes you 100% happy. Obedience is the key to everything, like an umbrella, if you obey, everything else is covered and taken care of."

"Being, giving, doing, all that you can with a purpose that ultimately betters either your own life or someonelse's."

"Giggling so hard you can't breath. Not thinking about anything but the present moment. All you need is good friends, good food and a fairly worry free life."
        
 "Knowing I'm loved."

"Giving to other people and doing all that I can to take care of my family."

                                                     "Spending time with my 21 month old daughter."

"Being surrounded by people you love and those who love you back."


"Accepting yourself for who you are, being able to do what you want withou the consequences. Achieved when you make the best of everything regardless of how negative it may seem. Happiness is living your life for on one but yourself."
                    "Being Content."

"Being in the beautiful sunshine with my girl."
"True happiness is not being rich or successful, it's being surrounded by the people you care about most. And frozen yogurt."

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A Reflection:

A common theme for all was LOVE. Humans by nature are social beings and our happiness depends on those around us, those who nurture us and fill our daily lives with laughter and comfort. Our focus is on those we care about and we in turn need to know strong feelings are reciprocated. Acceptance and support from a foundaton of family and friends flows from love we always know we can rely on.

 INDEPENDENCE.

Living life for no one but yourself,  being the best person for yourself and accepting yourself for who you are. Strength flows from confidence; once you're sure of yourself you can conquer anything. Not fearing other people's judgements and living life for you alone leads to satisfaction and freedom.

LAUGHTER.

Letting go, living in the moment and relishing in the delirious happiness that follows.

FAMILY.

A businesswoman on the streets of Tampa, hustling to work after a lunch break relunctantly stopped by a college student, shed a layer of  stoic composure when asked "what defines happiness?" Softening with a distant smile, she responsed, "spending time with my 21 month old daughter."

A middle aged mother of two: "giving to other people and doing all that I can to take care of my family."  She said she prayed for continuos good health so she could continue to take care of those she loves.

The older the person was, the more specific they were in their answers of love or nurture. Younger men and women answered with more broad, all encompassing responses. Older generations narrowed in on giving to those they love or focusing on one specific person in their life.

FAITH.

A bit suprising, this wasn't a  common theme however, a homeless man in the park with a paper bag lunch and capri sun ready to slurp, was quick to define happiness by the title of "Obedience to God."

He related life to an umbrella- all else falling into place and bein g100% happy, when you obey God.

STAYING POSITIVE.

And in the words of Bob Marley.....

"Don't worry about a thing, 'Cause every little thing gonna be all right. Rise up this mornin', Smiled with the risin' sun, Three little birds Pitch by my doorstep Singin' sweet songs Of melodies pure and true."

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Intro: Defining Happiness.

Inspired by my recent study of Tracey Emin as a person and artist , I gained inspiration through her style- a continuously unfilitered brazen portrayal of her life through all different mixes of media. However personal and outrageous her stories are, they connect with every person in a different way and evoke sensations that can't be ignored.

Now, I realized I wasn't quite ready to divulge everything about my life just yet, as Emin so fearlessy does, so I went searching and was intrigued by Aristotle. 'Nicomachean Ethics' is Aristotle's best known work on ethics and the theme of the work, previously explored by Plato, is How Men Should Live. Aristotle and Socrates turned philosophy to human questions and defined ethics as the best way to live. Aristotle's work on ethics is thorough but my focus derived from book I: defining happiness.
Honor, slavish pleasure, virtue, money and contemplation are associated with happiness and living well, however I believe Aristotle is missing some steps.

Intrigued by the subject of how we create a good life for ourselves, whether through learning, training or chance,  I set out to ask people to define their own versions of happiness. Two simple questions: what is it and what fulfills you?