“People are as happy as they make up their minds to be.” -Abraham Lincoln Happiness drives every action a person makes. It is the goal everyone seeks some secret key to, expecting an external force to magically unlock eternal joy. However, no secret key to joy exists. While material things provide temporary pleasure or sorrow, nothing in the world can ‘grant’ continual elation. Instead happiness comes from a positive mentality, where a person appreciates their blessings and strives to overcome their challenges. The true thinkers, like Lincoln, realize that only they hold the power over their happiness. These wise few, who internally accept their life and decide to be content with their situation, will remain merry despite poverty, familial strife, or any other obstacle. In contrast, those who rely on things to bring them pleasure will be dissatisfied, no matter how fortunate they may appear. …show more content…
On one occasion, her mother, Rose Mary, and father, Rex, fought so viciously that Rose Mary fell out of their window. When Rose Mary claimed that Rex “tried to kill” her, Rex vehemently protested that “she jumped.” Their fight still rattled Jeannette and her siblings. However, when the fight ended, Jeannette refused to let her parents arguments weigh on her. She swore that “everything’s okay now” (72) and forgave her parents for their selfish rage. Forgiveness, in this case, meant that she chose to be happy because anger at her parents hatred would have extinguished her own