We live such complex lives in our modern, industrialized society. Sometimes we lose ourselves in our dreams and the expectations that are placed upon us. We are influenced by so many things in our lives that sometimes it’s difficult to be happy and grateful for what we have. I find comfort in my life through understanding. In the past year, I have developed a greater understanding of myself and my place in life. Before, I felt like I was always caught up in being someone I wasn’t; I was always searching to be something different from what I was. To be honest, I hated myself. I never felt true happiness until I began looking inside myself. “Happiness is an inside job” has a rather obvious meaning: we create our own happiness. To me, finding happiness was rather difficult, and like me, a lot of people derive their happiness from outside of themselves. To most people, happiness is a reaction to something -- ”My good grade made me happy” or “That gift made me happy.” I have recently begun to realize that, while things in life can make you happy, it feels a lot better when you know that you can create your own happiness by looking into yourself. Believe it or not, everyone has the ability to make themselves happy, but it comes from being able to understand yourself and the world around you. For me, having control over my feelings and emotions and freeing them from other influences in life has made the biggest difference in my life. It’s difficult at times to create your own sense of happiness, but it comes more easily when you understand yourself and your purpose in life. When you feel lonely or depressed or anxious, remember that you put yourself in those feelings. In a way, when you feel sad, you WANT to sad because you always have the ability to create your own happiness. Life is too valuable to waste being unhappy. Go out and do the things that you find purpose in. Find the true root of your happiness and pursue it relentlessly because you only have a limited amount of time on this planet. Spend your life doing things that you truly enjoy doing. Live in your reality; don’t live in the reality forced upon you the standards and norms of society. Always be happy, and don’t settle for anything else.