The American dream and our destiny, as stated in the Declaration of Independence, is "..that they[all people] are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Happiness is a mental state or an emotional state of well-being described as positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy.(Miriam-Webster) There are several different opinions about wealth and its place in our pursuit of happiness. The world tells us that the more money you have, the happier you are. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth...But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven....For where your treasure is, there will
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It is true that having a certain amount of money does help with happiness. Being able to take care of our families needs and help others can bring us contentment, this is more the functional essence of money, how we pursue it, and how we spend money to worthy ends. Many times the money brings its own problems and not happiness. In an article in the American Psychological Association, Amy Novotney talks about how many of the wealthy stated that the money was not always helpful, especially when it came to happiness; their families were treated differently, they felt isolated, their motivations were questioned, they were not given credit for their work or skill, and all because they had money.(Novotney) In The Great Gatsby, a novel about the corruption of the American dream, the unrestrained desire for money and pleasure surpasses Gatsby's more noble goals. All of Gatsby's money could not buy Daisy's love. When Gatsby dies only a few people come to his funeral, demonstrating that money cannot buy love or real friends.(Fitzgerald) In the story Acres of Diamonds a rich farmer, Ali Hafed, sells his farm and leaves his family to go search for diamonds. He believes that he is poor because he is not happy with what he has. He searches the world only to become truly poor, in rags and all alone. Ali then ends it all by throwing himself into the sea. Back on his farm a diamond mine is found in the …show more content…
It is often the joy of hopeful struggle, consecration of purpose and energy to some good end. Real happiness ever has its root in unselfishness—its blossom in love of some kind” Happiness is a state of mind, Joseph Smith understood this and chose to be happy by maintaining a cheerful disposition to the end of his life. People who are happy have several things in common; they choose to be happy, they love God and their family, marriage and family are priorities, they have trials with themselves and with their families and continue to love and labor, they are grateful for what they have, and they live the gospel. “It isn’t what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about.” (Dale Carnegie) We are the only ones that can make ourselves happy, not more money, not other people, it has to be found in our own minds. And as Franklin Roosevelt said, “Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative
It is true that having a certain amount of money does help with happiness. Being able to take care of our families needs and help others can bring us contentment, this is more the functional essence of money, how we pursue it, and how we spend money to worthy ends. Many times the money brings its own problems and not happiness. In an article in the American Psychological Association, Amy Novotney talks about how many of the wealthy stated that the money was not always helpful, especially when it came to happiness; their families were treated differently, they felt isolated, their motivations were questioned, they were not given credit for their work or skill, and all because they had money.(Novotney) In The Great Gatsby, a novel about the corruption of the American dream, the unrestrained desire for money and pleasure surpasses Gatsby's more noble goals. All of Gatsby's money could not buy Daisy's love. When Gatsby dies only a few people come to his funeral, demonstrating that money cannot buy love or real friends.(Fitzgerald) In the story Acres of Diamonds a rich farmer, Ali Hafed, sells his farm and leaves his family to go search for diamonds. He believes that he is poor because he is not happy with what he has. He searches the world only to become truly poor, in rags and all alone. Ali then ends it all by throwing himself into the sea. Back on his farm a diamond mine is found in the …show more content…
It is often the joy of hopeful struggle, consecration of purpose and energy to some good end. Real happiness ever has its root in unselfishness—its blossom in love of some kind” Happiness is a state of mind, Joseph Smith understood this and chose to be happy by maintaining a cheerful disposition to the end of his life. People who are happy have several things in common; they choose to be happy, they love God and their family, marriage and family are priorities, they have trials with themselves and with their families and continue to love and labor, they are grateful for what they have, and they live the gospel. “It isn’t what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about.” (Dale Carnegie) We are the only ones that can make ourselves happy, not more money, not other people, it has to be found in our own minds. And as Franklin Roosevelt said, “Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative