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Eriesha Hall

Professor Ditch

English 113A

21 February 2018

Living For Your Own Happiness

Two common things that people seem to mix up is happiness and pleasure. Happiness is

a feeling that lasts forever and pleasure is a temporary feeling. For instance, I would feel happy

when I have achieved a life goal that I have set for myself because any goal that I set is a life-

long lasting goal. The feeling of when I get my hair, nails, and eyebrows done is an example of

pleasure because the feeling will only last for a moment. I really recognized the difference

between happiness and pleasure when I read : “The Sources Of Happiness” by His Holiness the

Dalai Lama and Howard Cutler, “ The Alchemy Of Suffering” by Matthieu Ricard, “ From The

Tao Te Ching” by Laozi, “How Should The Soul” by Rumi, and “From Nicomachean Ethics” by

Aristotle. The purpose of these articles is to make the reader critically think about their life while

reading them. All of these passages that I have read so far makes you really get into deep thought

and see things more differently than you did before. The common idea that I saw in the readings

“How Should the Soul” by Rumi and “The Sources of Happiness” by His Holiness the Dalai

Lama and Howard Cutler was to live for your own happiness and not for the happiness of others.

These authors are writing about this to empower people to do what makes them happy so they

would not have an unhealthy life. This common idea can be applied to my own life experience

by helping me not feel so guilty for not living my life how others would prefer me to live it.

The common idea between “The Sources of Happiness” by His Holiness the Dalai Lama

and Howard Cutler and “How Should The Soul” by Rumi was that you should live for your own
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happiness and not for the happiness of others. At the end of the day you have to live the rest of

your life based on the decisions you made. Therefore, you should make your decisions wisely

and make sure it makes you happy. You should be doing things that you desire and makes you

happy not what others rather see you do to make them proud. Rumi stated in his poem “How

should the falcon not fly back to his king from the hunt when from the falconer’s drum it hears

the call: Oh, come back!”(Line 9-12). I used this quote to show how the falcon is trying to fly to

his happy place but they are calling it back so it can remain in the place where fulfill their

happiness. To be happy you have to think with your own mind. You have to be able to make

your own decisions and learn from your own mistakes. You cannot live your life based on what

will make the next person happy. That is how you become depressed you have to fulfil your won

happiness. It says “Now, all of these factors are, in fact, sources of happiness. But in order for an

individual to be able to fully utilize them towards goals of enjoying a happy and fulfilled life,

your state of mind is key” (Lama & Cutler 24). I chose this quote because it indicates how your

state of mind is the main key to reaching happiness, think for yourself. When you are happy with

yourself you will start to show more positivity towards others and give off positive vibes. These

two pieces connect with each other because they both talks about being within your heart and

mind.

The message Rumi sent was if you are not doing stuff that makes you happy you will

live an unhealthy life based on you trying to live life like someone you’re not just to please

others. When in reality you should be living to please yourself and for your own happiness. It is

important for you to live your best life because you only live once. Rumi states “what

graciousness and what beauty! What life-bestowing! What grace! If anyone does without that,

woe- what error! What suffering!” (64-65). I used this to show being unhappy will cause you to
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deeply about things so much you start requesting things. You will start to rethink if you are really

beautiful inside out. You will start to have low self-esteem about everything within and overall

about yourself. Negativity really ruins your health mentally and emotionally. It says “For

example, if you harbor hateful thoughts ...then it ruins your health; thus it destroys one of the

factors” (Lama & Cutler 24). This quote highlights how the wrong thinking and energy could

destroy your health. When you are not doing what you truly desire you start to get depressed,

give off negative vibes, and gain self-hatred. These readings are connected to the common idea

because it shows what can make you lose courage and how you have to live for yourself in order

to be healthy.

Reading these two passages helps me not feel guilty for not living my life how others

will prefer me to live it. People will make you feel bad after they see you are not living the way

they told you to. They will try to criticize you to make you want to live how they say you should.

It empowers me to be stronger than the manipulation that will be coming my way. I am free to do

whatever makes me happy nobody can make me change to do things how they rather see it being

done. “You have escaped from the cage now - your wings are spread in the air. On travel from

brackish water now to the fountain of life… and we are coming, O Soul” (Rumi 65). I used this

quote as an example because it indicates being set free from all the troubles and things that is

holding you back. Now you can begin a clear path into happiness. Even though things might

seem tough it is always important that you remain calm though the process. The article “ Sources

Of Happiness” says “As long as there is lack of the inner discipline that brings calmness to mind,

no matter what external facilities or conditions you have...it is possible to live a happy and joyful

life” (Lama & Cutler 25). This quote highlights stability and calmness will bring you happiness

even if others try to make your happiness fade. I am relieved and very calm minded when it
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comes down to doing what is going to make me happier person. Also, it brings out the best in

me.

In Conclusion, you should not live your life based off how someone else tells you to. It

makes you feel very miserable and you will slowly start to grow self-hatred. You will be mad

with yourself because you know that you could have been living your life happily as you planned

instead of you living your life how someone can picture it. The main common idea was to live

for your own happiness not for others. This idea was highlighted by the authors Dalai Lama and

Howard Cutler, and Rumi because people seem to be depressed and live unhealthy when they are

trying to please others. This common main idea could be applied to my life when I start feeling

bad because others are mad due to the fact that I am not living my life how they want me to live

life. Therefore, people should really use parts of these readings in real so they can see how

someone is controlling their happiness.

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Works Cited

Cutler, Howard, and Dalai Lama. “The Source of Happiness”. Pursuing

Happiness, edited by Mathew Parfit and Dawn Skoroczewsk, Bedford first
Martins, 2016, pp.21-32.
Rumi. “How Should the Soul”. Pursuing Happiness, edited by Mathew Parfit and
Dawn Skoroczewsk, Bedford first Martins, 2016, pp.64-65.