What Does it Mean to Be Happy?

Hello Everyone,

This semester in college, I am taking a philosophy class called "The Meaning of Human Existence." To complete the first few assignments in the course, we had to read Terry Eagleton's "The Meaning of Life." This book discusses the different perspectives of what the meaning of life is, whether there be one specific answer to the question or no answer at all. Life could have an inherent meaning, meaning that humans are to look for the answer, or an ascribed meaning (a "life is what you make of it" perspective). It also looks at the language of the question itself, for the word "life" could have different meanings for different people, and therefore the question would have different answers.
Something I found interesting in the book is the presentation of the different views of happiness, and whether or not happiness is the meaning of life. In Aristotle's point of view, happiness is a state of being. One becomes happy by living his or her life virtuously. They cannot attain it, they can only create it. In philosopher Julian Baggini's viewpoint, happiness is a state of mind. It is attained most likely through material possessions or favorable circumstances. Because life offers unfavorable circumstances, one cannot truly be happy all the time, which is why it is a state of mind, not a lifestyle.
So what does it mean to be truly happy? Eagleton brings up the point that people who live with disabilities aren't necessarily unhappy; the rest of the world may seem their situation as means for negativity, but that doesn't mean they do. I'd like to believe that happiness is a lifestyle: you can choose to be happy, despite the circumstances you're under. I don't want to have to rely on my possessions to define my happiness; sure, a new pair of shoes or perfume can make me happy, but only for a little while. The effect eventually wear's off, and it's this sense of fleeting happiness that constantly leaves us wanting more.
I want to be able to create my own happiness. I don't know if happiness is the meaning of life, but I would like to be able to live the majority of my life with a positive disposition. There are going to be negative situations and times where being happy seems impossible, but that doesn't mean you have to let it control you. If we have the power to choose to be happy, then we should do so.

Happy reading,

Ashley