Beautiful Question
By Megan Cullen
What makes people
happy?
Why this?
• Happiness seems to be something that is on
most peoples minds a lot of the day weahther
they are feeling happy, wishing they were
happy, trying to get happy, or remembering
happy times.
• Being happy is a goal most people seem to
have so…what is it that makes them happy?
My sources
• The documentary, “Happy”
• The documentary, “The Secret”
• Friends
• Family
Happy
• “Happy is a 2011 feature documentary
that takes us on an incredible journey
around the world, exploring the power and
mystery of human happiness.”
• http://www.thehappymovie.com/
(Belik, 2011)
The movie begins with a quote“The constitution only guarantees
the American people the right to
pursue happiness. You have to
catch it yourself.”
-Benjamin Franklin
Happiness around the
world…
some of the happy people
• Manoj Singh, India- rickshaw driver, lives in makeshift
house with only 3 sides. Seeing his child’s face
makes him happy, staying together with the
neighbors makes them all happy
• Roy Blanchard Sr., Louissianna- nature makes him
happy, watching the birds and listening to the
stillness
(Belik, 2011)
Happiness around the
world continued
• Okinawa Island, Japan- more 100 year olds than any
other place in the world per capita, farm, eat
dinner, talk with grandkids, family traditions make
them healthy and happy. “having a lot of friends
is happiness”
• Namibia, Africa-
most closely related to ancestors,
hunters and gatherers, “just being together
makes us happy”, “to laugh is very important”
(Belik, 2011)
Wise words
• Ronaldo Fadul, Brazil- “it doesn’t make sense to make
money for yourself”, “each person has to be what
they want to be”, “work to live your life in
tranquility”
• Melissa Moody, Texas- beautiful mother run over by a
truck by her sister and law, husband divorced her,
totally disabled for 9 ½ years, 30 surgeries on her
face, “accepting my life is part of healing”, now
more happy, more grounded, more centered,
more grateful
(Belik, 2011)
The movie concludes…
• Dopamine (neurotransmitter responsible for
happiness)- “use it or lose it”
• People who focus on the internal goals of personal
growth, relationships, and community feeling are
happier than people who focus on the external goals
of wealth, image, and popularity
• Count your blessings on a regular basis
• Do acts of kindness on a regular basis
(Belik, 2011)
Last conclusion from
Happy
• Happiness is 50 % genetic and 40 % intentional
behavior
• Intentional behavior= things we can do on an
everyday basis to make ourselves happy,
everyone has different things that they are
happy about
(Belik, 2011)
The Secret
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=san61qTwWsU
• Basis of the documentary- The law of attraction
• If you hold onto the thoughts that you want, you
become and attract what you think about most
• “Thoughts become things”
• When you give thoughts intention, the law of
attraction works every time
(Byrne & Heriot, 2006)
The Secret
• If you think of negative things, more negative
thins will happen to you because that is the
energy you are putting out into the universe
• If you think about things you want and have
positive intentions, good things will happen to you
• We chose exactly what we want in our life
(Byrne & Heriot, 2006)
Conclusion from
The Secret
•Think happy and you will be
happy by using the law of
attraction to attract it.
Personal Research
• I posted a paper titled “What I am happy for”
in my house here at school and encouraged
friends who visited to write on it
• Next, I asked my family what it was that made
them happy and recorded those things
separately
• Now, lets see what my friends think…warning:
uncensored
My personal favorites
• Megan Cullen ;)
• Existence
• Good people
• My health
• Wine
• Food
• Animals
Things my family is happy
for…
• Nice weather
• Riding my bike
• Sunny days
• My dog
• Fresh air
• Winning a poker game
• My grandchildren
• My daughter
• Beach
• Accomplishing goals
• Music
• Having mental snap shots
of moments that have
touched me
• Food
A quote my cousin shared
with me“Happiness is different for everyone.
Happiness is what you define it”
~Different things make different people
happy~
Some more quotes…
“People are just as happy as they make up
their minds to be”- Abraham Lincoln
“Happiness depends upon ourselves”Aristotle
“The greater part of our happiness or misery depends
upon our dispositions, and not upon our
circumstances”- Martha Washington
•
(Chandler, 2013)
A lot of stuff to be happy
about!
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR3rK0kZ
Fkg
“Whoever is happy will make others happy”Anne Frank
(aren’t you happy now?)
My conclusions
• There is not one set definition of happiness or
one set way in which to be happy
• Some tips for happiness• Make the best of every situation
• Find good in the bad
• Recognize and reflect on things you are grateful
for often
Its not about what you
have, its about what you
make of what you have.
It is what you make it! If
you want to be happy…be
happy!
Sources
• Belik, R. (Director) (2011). Happy.
• Byrne, R. (Producer), & Heriot, D. (Director)
(2006). The secret.
• Chandler, O. (2013). Goodreads. Retrieved from
http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/happine
ss?page=4
• Youtube.com