The Meaning of a Good Life: a Personal Journey of Discovery
What are some of the first things that would come to your mind if you were asked, “What is a good life?” If young ones were asked this question they would say something like not going to school and eating pizza with extra cheese for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day. If senior citizens were asked this question they would say something like having no medical issues and being able to move freely. Those are some fairly obvious answers. In what is a good life essay I will share personal viewpoint about this topic.
In today’s world, we are often misled by television, posters, and rich celebrities on what a good life means. But it’s up to you to decide what a good life really is. I think a good life is being able to have 3 full meals a day, having a roof over your head, maintaining good health, having a stable job, and enough money to afford the necessities to support yourself and your family. If one can’t even eat in peace, they are not even close to living a good life. It’s not just about the money. If a person can’t feel from inside that they aren't happy, there’s pretty much no purpose of living to their full lifespan. There will always be times in life when you'll feel depressed about something or just feel like giving up in life. But that's not the solution. We have to learn how to bounce back and grow stronger from past experiences. There are some things are subjective to each individual but there are also a few things that should be objective as well.
The first and most important thing to care about is your health. If you don't take care of your health every day, the worst of the worst can happen. Not only would you suffer but your family members would also suffer by just looking at the terrible state you would possibly be in. I once had an uncle who got jaundice because of his drinking problem and he went into a coma and then soon passed away. All of his family members couldn’t bear the loss and still feel the guilt of not being able to help him to this day. Once you fall sick, you will definitely regret not taking care of yourself in the first place. You would be lying in bed like a bump on a log. It can also be very expensive to cover the cost of any medical treatments you would have to go through if you don't have medical coverage or insurance. That's why taking care of your health is very crucial to living a happy life.
The other thing you should have is money. Although it is said that money cannot buy happiness, money is still an important factor to consider when trying to maintain a balanced life. Money can't buy happiness but it can buy things that can potentially buy happiness. That leads me to my next point. You shouldn't have money just to feel like the next Jeff Bezos, who is currently the richest person in the world by the way. Just enough to make yourself feel financially independent. Just enough to support yourself and your family. Just enough to feel as if you're living a good life.
The last major aspect that each individual should take into consideration is freedom. The freedom to choose what you want to eat or the freedom to do what you want to do for a living. I strongly believe that everyone should live the life they want to live in. Without freedom, it's certainly hard for one to move forward, to forget about the past and concentrate on the future. For example, I could join the military to get paid well but as a human, I wouldn't like to be forced to do something that I wouldn't enjoy. It's one thing to overcome your desires but it's another to overcome them in peace.
If you have money, stable health, and freedom, you're all set to become the next 'Happy Gilmore.' I don't mean literally. These are just my opinions on what a good life means to me but they could be different for you. There are probably more pieces to this puzzle but we may never know unless we go on an adventure to find them.
