Monday, September 14, 2015

Personal Philosophy: The Pursuit of Happiness

I am, and always have been, a believer in the the idea that although our lives do not hold any one true meaning, they have the ability to be fulfilled through a lifestyle full of love and positivity. It may sound cliché and overly-optimistic, but I truly don't see a point in living a life of dull routine that lacks the stimulation we need to be truly content with ourselves and our surroundings. Our purpose as human-beings is not simply to survive, but to also flourish. Happiness, quite literally, translates in Greek to "human flourishing."'
It is not only our personal happiness that brings meaning to our lives, but also the happiness we emit to those around us. I, personally, feel satisfaction whenever I do something kind, even if it is simply smiling at a stranger on the street. I want to do that throughout my life, find ways to spread love to others, because what is happiness if there's no one with whom you can share it with? What is living if there's no one with whom you can share it with?
So, simply, I want to be fulfilled and satisfied on my death bed. I don't want to look back and remember all the risks I did not take or all the people I didn't reach out to. I want to fill my life with excitement and positivity and surround myself with wonderful people. I want to embrace the downs as much as I embrace the ups. Because honestly, all that matters in the end is the memory. Life simply becomes a thing to look back on, and I want to be content when I do that.

1 comment:

  1. My favorite part of Out of the Silent Planet is that whole discussion on memory. I really do think we forget how important that part of our experience is -- there are so many things I know are 'over' but man, reliving them in my mind still makes them so vividly worth-while. Thanks for posting this :D keep that beautiful smile!

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