Our society has made Americans believe happiness can be bought from shelves at department stores or from the parking lots of dealerships. To achieve true bliss, people swallow this lie and work long, hard hours; many times away from families. They do this to feel content, yet it disappears sooner than one would realize and the process starts over again. It seems Americans’ definition of improving happiness is to chase a materialistic dream that is impossible to reach. Perhaps there is more to happiness than bells and whistles. The definition of happiness is not the same for all; it should be defined by each individual and once people figure out the material world is not the deciding factor of their enjoyment, they will discover they possessed the tools to improving their happiness the whole time. Gratefulness, optimistic ambition, and compassion are few of the tools to improve one’s happiness. …show more content…
One should be grateful for the food on the table and the clothes on his/her back; a stereotype to southern hospitality that has been ignored, or forgotten. Gratefulness has been taught in homes, schools, and churches across this beloved country – and though it has become a traditional lesson to pave the grounds for manners, it is backed by science that it improves one’s happiness. An article published by Harvard Health Publications stated, “In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.” (Harvey) Gratefulness is indeed a tool to improving happiness, William Arthur Ward was once quoting saying, “Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”