Kim Hyunju first draft

What makes people happy?

 

Academic Writing, June 28, 2010

 

Kim Hyunju

 

 

Have you ever seen a movie, The Pursuit of Happiness starring Will Smith? It is a story about a young poor guy trying to have happiness. Although I did not miss any scene of the movie, I could not find out what happiness is in the end. He just kept finding the place to stay overnight and making money to take care of his son. The journey was too difficult to endure, but he never gave up dreaming about the better future. I realized that the whole process to gain happiness is a kind of happiness. We can make ourselves happy as taking care of our families, enjoying our works and having hope for the future.

 

Although family members sometimes fight and hurt each other, we become happy with our family by exchanging emotional and financial supports. When we have troubles, we usually discuss with our parents, brothers and sisters. They are the only people who can give a real advice that are sometimes difficult to say to others. That is why people try to avoid hurting others’ feeling by giving direct advices. However, family members show their thoughtful concern by conveying wisdom gained from their life experience. Furthermore, we can get a financial support from family when we face a monetary problem such as a debt or a tuition fee. We can feel their affection, sincerity and loyalty through these kinds of supports and try to express love and take care of our family. By reinforcing family bond, we can be satisfied. When Will in the movie became a homeless and his wife left, what was left for him was only his son. Some people might say that being alone is better to overcome such a situation. However, I don’t think that he would endure difficulties without his own son because he might have a will to survive and be happy by taking care of his family.

 

Another condition to make us happy is a work. It might be strange to people who hate their job and try to make money. However, I think that the whole process of getting to know what we want to do is a great joy. Even if we waste our life to find out our aptitude, we can learn from failure and get a lesson. Through this course, we can improve our knowledge and skills and do better next time. People generally content with achievements and good results that they have done in their job and realize life without any challenges is boring. For example, Will worked only for making money at first. When he started to work in finance field, he was no longer a salesman who was poor at selling medical equipment. He became to have confidence by making couple of contracts and got to know the pleasure of working. Finally, he became successful businessman despites of difficulties.

 

Lastly, having hope makes people happy. Just believe ourselves, our potential, and see the bright side of the future. It doesn’t mean that we should pay for having the better future or depend on our luck. If we keep complaining and do nothing, there is no progress. We can relieve from the belief that our lives will be better in the future. It gives a power to overcome obstacles in front of us. Even when Will spent a night in toilet with his son due to no place to sleep, he never gave up dreaming. He believed that he would have a place to take a rest and make his son be full tomorrow. Actually, his life was miserable but getting better like his belief.

 

The movie, the pursuit of happiness, showed just a man struggling to survive in troubles. However, we can get a lesson that the family, job and hope make people happy. Although these are not magical mysteries, we might not feel happiness without them. Remember happiness are always around us.