Martin Luther King Jr. is an outstanding example of the saying "If you want something done, you must do it yourself". King struggled with society's unfair regulations and challenged the norm. He took giant steps towards peace and further equality across the entire united states. Throughout his entire life he was faced with many hardships and things holding him back from being happy and reaching his full potential. As he grew older and more mature he began to realize that something needed to change. He gave speeches and protested peacefully to initiate that change. King went to jail and wrote "A Letter From Birmingham Jail" for what he was defending. He took it upon himself to create what he was looking for; peace and happiness.
Philosophers, theologians, and psychologists, have tried to define it for a long time, and since the 1990s, a whole branch of psychology has been dedicated to happiness and how it works into the human brain. In the movie "Silver Linings Playbook" the two main characters have mental disorders that effect how they socialize on a day to day basis. Jenifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper play characters that overcome their mental disorders and fall in love. The two take it upon themselves to be happy and turn their previously unstable mental states around and become two very happy people.
"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you. (Maya Angelou)" In the book "The Secret Life of Bees" the protagonist Lilly Owens is faces with many obstacles such as losing her mother at a young age, overruling her father, and finding out where her mother grew up. Her life did not begin an easy journey as her mother passed away when she was a little girl and having to live with her abusive father. Annie takes it upon herself to find where her mother was raised and learn more about her. She meets many new people that she eventually comes to consider as family. With the help of these new friends she puts herself in school and begins her journey to find happiness.
Charlie, the protagonist in the book "Perks of Being a Wall Flower", is socially awkward and lonely. He shows signs of depression for the first portion of the book due to his social skills and inability to make friends. He takes it upon himself to such it up and try to overcome is social anxiety and try talking to a few new people. He makes two friends Sam and Patrick, who allow him to pick himself up and grow out of the shell he has created for himself. The changes he makes to his own life allow him to find happiness and strength with his newfound outlook on the world.
Actress Reese Witherspoon plays young Ellie Woods in the 2001 movie "Legally Blonde". Ellie's goal in the beginning of the movie is to marry her intelligent, hot, law school attending boyfriend before he breaks up with her for being " too blonde". Ellie is heartbroken but disagrees with her now ex boyfriend. She decides to enroll herself at Harvard ans get a law degree of her own. Through struggles related to school, friends, and boys she realizes that happiness isn't something she can obtain through anything but herself.
Happiness is something that comes from within. In the book "A Separate Peace" the protagonist, Finny, is a very positive, happy go lucky type of boy. His joy and happiness is created by himself. Throughout the book, Finny faces obstacles that would bring out the darker side of most people, yet he maintains a state of serenity and lets nothing bring him down. Much of Finny's happiness is brought upon by his innocence and immaturity. His ability to ignore real problems works in his favor in the fact that he is unable to see the worst in a situation. Finny's happiness is self inflicted and allows him to stay a vibrant young adult.
Soul Surfer is a Movie based on a true story about a girl named Bethany Hamilton who is passionate about surfing and gets attacked by a shark. After the shark attack she is left with only one arm. She struggles to face the fact that nothing, even surfing, will never be the same again. Despite support from her family and friends she becomes depressed because of how hard daily ordeals become. Bethany decides to workout and strengthen her one arm and create a surfboard that has a handle for her to hold on to. She enters contests and works towards her goal to be the girl she used to be and as happy as she used to be. After winning a major surf competition, she is not only back to her old self, but better.
The Hunger Games is a book about a girl named Katness who volunteers for her sister in a battle to the death put together by the Capital. She makes it to the end with her newfound friend Peta as they are lead to believe they can both leave alive. The rules are suddenly changed and only one of them can live so she decides to take matters into her own hands and force the Capital to let them both leave alive which brings them both joy.
"Edward Scissorhands" is a movie about a man who's hands are constructed of scissors and other sharp objects. He is perceived as scary because of accidents his hands cause. He occasionally slips and cuts himself and rarely other people. He is taken in by a family who is given a hard time for taking in such a monster. The community he is a part of sees him as a dangerous threat. Edward become so sad because of the image the community has created for him yet knows he has a kind heart and decides to do something about it. Edward speaks out and shows people how kind he can be and how he isn't as big of a threat as people make him out to be. He took a chance at happiness and started being seen in a whole new light.
The Fundamentals of Caring is a new movie about a handicapped teenage boy who wants to know more about his father. His new caretaker has a difficult time getting through to him and tries to suggest all that he can think of to please him. The boy decides it is up to him to visit his father and figure out why he left; so that is exactly what he does. With his internal frustration powering him and his new friends by his side, he visits his father and gets answers to his questions.