So Here is my essay I wrote on Happiness. I am posting it because writing is so important to me and I find it is a great form of expression for me personally.

Aristotle Happiness
Would you like to hear a crazy idea? Happiness is a community, or so Aristotle wanted us to believe. In 350 B.C.E, philosopher Aristotle wrote a book which was titled Nicomachean Ethics. In this book, Aristotle looked to define the guidelines for humans to achieve happiness as a community. Happiness is something that we, as humans, have to constantly work for. Happiness cannot exist without struggle, and it cannot exist forever. Aristotle believed that the only possible way for a society as a whole to be happy was through the study of political science.
Nicomachean Ethics was separated into ten books. In Book 1, Chapter 1, Aristotle states that all human life consists of activity. He then claims that human beings engage in these activities to, and I quote, "arrive at some end." Obviously, this end is believed to be good; otherwise, we as humans would not strive to reach it.
I personally believe that happiness can only be measured by one's own expectations of their life, their surroundings and their lifestyle. If money makes one person happy who is to say that it makes me happy as well? Happiness in all reality is an intrapersonal measurement of what one person finds to be positive in their life as opposed to the negative.
If one has more negative aspects in themselves or their lifestyle then one is obviously not going to be perceived as happy. Aristotle's theory of political science as a means of happiness intrigued me. Although it makes several very good points, I refuse to believe that in today's society we can or should measure happiness as a community instead of as an individual.
Personally for me "happyness" is simple. Acrylic nails, food, friends and knowing my family is happy with how their day went all makes me happy. Even through struggles and strifes there is always a silver lining to the cloud, one just has to be willing to look for and accept it.
Aristotle tried to teach human society that happiness was based on a whole community, but I stand by the opinion that happiness can only be measured by the individual evaluating their life, their family or their happiness. I once read a quote at a very difficult time in my life that stated "Everything is okay in the end, if it is not okay it is not the end." After reading that quote my perspective on the situation I was in changed drastically from pessimistic to optimistic. I can also tie this quote into Aristotle's claim that in order to achieve happiness we arrive at some end. Could the end possibly be that one is finally willing to look at the positive things in their life rather than the negative? Or could it simply be stating a general end to some experience, travel, assignment or endeavor?