There is a movie that my dad and I sat down to watch almost a year ago that has had a really important effect on me. The movie is called "Hector and the Search for Happiness." It stars Simon Pegg and is about one psychiatrist's journey around the world to try and find the secret to a happy life. These last few weeks, it's been harder and harder to find some happy news I can write about so I decided to go on my own search for happiness.
Because I don't have a whole lot of money, my trip around the world really consisted to just my county. However, I did have one of the best resources at my fingertips - the Internet. So here it is. My search for happiness - or - Mackenzie's Meandering For Merriment. I just am a really big fan of alliteration.
I contacted people and asked three simple questions: (1) Do you consider yourself to be a happy person? (2) What, in your opinion, is happiness? (3) What do you do when you're feeling unhappy? These were the responses.
(All photos were provided by the interviewee)
Bethany, 21
1.) I'm seriously one of the happiest people I know. Even though I'm clinically depressed, I don't let it drag me down. I'm a ball of sunshine who is ALWAYS smiling because it fools your head into thinking life is better than it really is. You've gotta fake it til you make it
2.) To me, happiness is breaking a PR-ing on a run or hitting that money note with my belt voice. It is watching someone's face light up when you tell them you like their shirt & making everyone laugh with dad jokes. Happiness is petting every dog in the world at the exact. same. time.
3.) When I'm unhappy, I get in the shower to try and wash it away. I sing in the shower to help me forget about my feelings. I hold conversations with my cat because animals are the best listeners & she just really gets me.
Nico, 22
1.) Hmm…honestly I’m not sure. I think half the time I am “happy”, and the other half I’m not. I currently feel happy which is great. Some days are definitely harder than others, but positive vibes and hope for a better tomorrow really keeps me going.
2.) To me, happiness is joy in life and the key to everything. When you are happy, you’re glad you’re living your life and love a lot of things about it. Happiness is the most important and only goal in life. Nothing should matter as long as at the end of the day you can look back on your choices and proudly say you are happy with your life and where it has lead you.
3.) When I’m unhappy, I either force myself to get out of bed/the house/wherever I am and do something that I know will get my mind off of things.
John, 21
1.) As a whole, I would not consider myself a happy person. I try to appear happy when I am with friends, but in general, I try to take a realistic, pragmatic approach to life, and it tends to leave me feeling neutral at best and worried most of the time.
2.) I'd say a big part of it is feeling loved, feeling wanted, even just being relied upon... Happiness is a background noise, an indistinct feeling I get, when I'm with friends, or DJing at certain gigs or when I'm out with the band.
3.)My short-term escape to happiness (or at least, a similar feeling) is video games. The best video games will have me play for several hours straight and at some point in the middle, I physically forget that I am a person and about the real world and my obligations to it.
Taylor, 17
1.) Without putting a lot of thought into it I would consider myself to be a very happy person, but if I looked too into depth I would probably feel differently.
2.) To me happiness is something that makes you feel warm inside, happiness makes you want to do things and be a better person and help other people. Happiness is kind of like when you come home and find unexpected food in the fridge.
3.) When I'm not happy I try to embrace it. I bring on the sad movies and ice cream and lay in bed all day, after accepting being unhappy it's a lot easier for me to be happy again. (Also dogs help me a lot, you just can't be sad when you're looking at a dog)
Brittany, 22
1.) I do not consider myself a happy person.
2.) To me happiness is climbing into bed on a chilly fall evening, wrapping myself in blankets and falling asleep without having to set an alarm to wake up the next day.
3.) When feeling unhappy I literally just go to bed. Avoid everyone and take a nap.
Jess, 39
1.) I am a happy person! I appreciate life and love everyone in my life. I love my job and my role in my job. I love my kids and appreciate what they gave me as a person. When you have such a rough road in life, happiness is sometimes easier to see.
2.) Happiness is being able to smile inside and out...appreciate life as it comes. Life isn't easy ever! But you have to be able to take the good and bad and make the best out of it. It's getting up every day and not quitting on yourself and your goals.
3.) When I am unhappy I focus on making others happy... its easier for me to snap out of my negative mode seeing others smile and learn or realize their own gifts with my help... I have used my kids' successes to make me shine sometimes...seeing them happy and proud snaps me back to positive place
Meredith, 20
1.) Not yet.
2.) I'm not sure I have a clear idea of what happiness is to me, it seems to vary. I know that it makes me feel light and that I'm most happy when I'm with other people. I suppose, for me, happiness is feeling good about where I am and what I'm doing - feeling like I am getting the most out of where I am in life.
3.) When I'm feeling unhappy my first reaction is to change my environment. Simply rearranging furniture, taking a walk or finding a place I've never been before seems to help. Something about exploring new places and being in new environments makes me feel happier.
Jack, 18
1.) I would consider myself to be a happy person.
2.) I think happiness is a feeling you get when you're enjoying yourself or when you are satisfied with the way things are like your career, relationship, house/apartment, etc.
3.) I normally just do things that I enjoy - Go on ifunny, go to the woods, ride my bike, and things like that.
Marla, 18
1.) Typically, I do consider myself a happy person.
2.) Happiness is the way I feel after a long difficult hike. When I finally get to the top and I see the wonderful view it seems as if all of the worlds problems simply fade away. It's realizing that we are so small and insignificant in this beautiful world and that our problems really aren't all that big, and there is always a reason to be grateful.
3.)When I'm unhappy I think about the things that I should be grateful for. There are people on this earth with far less then I have. And if that doesn't work then I put on that sad playlist I know we all have on Spotify and wallow until it passes. Hahaha.
Ann, 57
1.) I think I am a happy person.
2.) To me happiness is feeling comfortable in your own skin - Acknowledging things will not always be perfect but having the ability to see the positive in most every situation.
3.) It sounds very cliche but When I'm feeling unhappy I literally count my blessings, beginning with my family, my health and the health of my family and friends. This answer may not be deep but I don't think I'm a particularly deep person and I don't think that's really a bad thing.
Mackenzie, 19
1.) I think most of the time, I can be described as a happy person.
2.) To me, happiness is just calm. The worry and everyday struggles seem to fade away and it's just quiet - not the awkward and tense kind but instead the comfortable and welcomed kind. It's knowing that you're doing alright - financially, mentally, emotionally, or physically.
3.) When I'm not feeling so happy, I usually turn to music. I'll put on one of my favorite songs and just be alone. I think it helps for me to think about the things in my life that I have that I would never trade away. I have family who love me. I have friends who trust me. I have a house to come home to and a job to make money. I'm doing alright, even if it might not seem like it right now..
Here's my challenge for you: Find what makes you happy. By the end of the day, think of one positive thing that happened that made you smile - or even smirk. Then, pass that on to a friend to make them smile. Have that friend try to make someone else smile. Happiness isn't always a choice but it can definitely be a chain reaction.
