Happy Pepero Day APCians!

Last November, there were uploaded videos together with the posters around the campus announcing that something big is coming. November 9, 2015...  the Asia Pacific College Junior Marketing Association announced that Pepero will celebrate its day. 

From two fun and vibrant cultures, Korean & Filipino - The Pepero Day in APC was a huge blast.

There were a lot of festive games, biggest acts, awesome surprises, and a lot of free Pepero products. 

Plagiarism

Today, education is big business. With the explosion of the Internet, more and more people are pursuing advanced education. It has never been easier to get your Bachelors or Masters degree. The business of plagiarism has become big business also.

Plagiarism comes from the Latin "plagiarus" which means kidnapper (Waltman 1980). It was not until the 18the century, however, that the word began to designate an intellectual theft. Plagiarism is one of many classifications that constitute academic dishonesty. In the educational atmosphere plagiarism is most common among students. 

I know plagiarism is something that isn't respected, condoned, or excepted in any part of the education process. Either is it tolerated in any type of assignment. Not only does it steal someone elses work, it robes yourself of the learning experience you can gain on the assignment. Plagiarism by definition is immoral and unethical. Plagiarism is: The submission of material authored by another person but represented as the students own work, whether that material is paraphrased or copied in verbatim or near-verbatim form. The submission of material subjected to editorial revision by another person that results in substantive changes in content or major alteration of writing style and improper acknowledgment of sources in essays, papers, or presentations. 

Basically passing someone elses work as your own, and trying to get away with it. I understand first hand how easy it is to plagiarize someone elses work. If something is said or written in a way that would put your work to shame your instincts tell you must make that work your own somehow. I assume plagiarism has been around since first words were written, so I would imagine students who have writing assignments, and find good information would plagiarize to get the best possible. grade. Students must understand you must quote the writer and embellish on the subject. 

Plagiarism is the lazy students dream, and the hard workers nightmare. I am confident that plagiarism occurs more often than it should because we do not feel confident in our own work, we are constantly being reminded in our society that we must do our best and receive the highest achievements. Plagiarism also occurs because of poor teaching and learning skills, if you do not have complete confidence and knowledge on a particular topic than your only other option is to find the work elsewhere. 

There is a big difference in liking someone’s ideas or being inspired someone’s ideas to spur their intellectual fire, than to copy what someone has wrote or developed as your own. Plagiarism along with piracy, is a stealing and can not be tolerated in our society. In my opinion, the only way to stop these crimes is education. Legislation will work to a certain degree but to truly stop plagiarism is to educate students and back up the education with stiff penalties.

References:

Walter, J. L. (1980) “Plagiarism: Preventing it in Formal Research Reports.” ABCA Bulletin 43: 2: 37-38 

Media Literacy

Social media has taken the world by storm through dozens of websites, mobile apps, and other forms of technologies improving the way people communicate with each other. There are social media sites that have millions of members allowing them to share photos, videos, text messages, and more on a regular basis. 

Last November 25, 2015, the APC RAMpage held a seminar about Media Literacy. Their objective is to develop sense of social responsibility among RAMpage team and ofcourse APCians. In line with this, they invited 3 Guest speakers from GMA Network. These 3 lovely ladies are Ms. Sophia Balod, Ms. Lian Buan and Ms. Edmallyne Remillano.They are all writers from the State of the Nation with Jessica Soho, apart from it they are also writers of a blog called Subselfie.com. It was a 4 hour talk and to make it short they've discussed tips on how to effectively write a story and the role of social media in our society. 

I have learned so many things during the seminar  like, stop posting status or whatever that is senseless, that is not important at all. Although, it is our right to express our feelings, we should think that there are more important matters that needs attention especially news all over the world. Another thing, we should be aware that whatever we do, whatever the thing that we're going to trend is what the social media produce. We are feeding them a lot of bullshit that will not affect our lives. To top it all, it all starts within our self. We should be responsible users of social media as  a mean of transporting stories that can affect our everyday life.

The Biography of Amado V. Hernandez

Amado Vera Hernandez was born in Hagonoy, Bulacan but grew up Tondo, Manila, where he studied at the Manila High School and at the American Correspondence School. While being a reporter, columnist and editor of several newspaper and magazines including Watawat, Mabuhay, Pilipino, Makabayan and Sampaguita, he also honed his poetic craft. He received the Republic Cultural Heritage Award, a number of Palancas and an award from the National Press Club for his journalistic achievements.

After World War II, he became a member of the Philippine Newspaper Guild and his writings increasingly dealt with the plight of the peasants and laborers. Influenced by the philosophy of Hobbes and Locke, he advocated revolution as a means of change. In 1947, he became the president of the Congress of Labor Organization (CLO). His activities and writings led him to imprisonment from 1951 to 1956. Even in prison, he was still a leader and artist, spearheading education programs and mounting musical productions, plays and poetry reading. It was during his incarceration that he wrote one his masterpiece, Mga Ibong Mandaragit (Predatory Birds). His prison writings were smuggled out by his wife, zarzuela star Honarata “Atang” dela Rama, who would become our National Artist for Music and Theater.

Ka Amado died on 24 March 1970 in the wake of the First Quarter Storm, whose leaders and activists recited his words. He left a legacy that includes Isang Dipang Langit (An Arm-Stretch of Sky), Kung Tuyo na ang Luha Mo, Aking Bayan (When Your Tears Have Dried, My Country), Panata sa Kalayaan (Pledge to Freedom), and the novel Luha ng Buwaya (Crocodile Tears).

He was posthumously honored as our National Artist for Literature in 1973. Together with poet Jose Garcia Villa, Amado V. Hernandez was the first to receive the title in literature.

Ka Amado gave voices to the oppressed peasants and laborers, rendering them powerful verses and plots that should have gone down as a compelling chronicle of a struggle of a people, but still prove to be an influential instrument in constituting reform and empowerment. A literary artist that he is, Ka Amado remains to be a social and political leader, fast becoming to be an icon of the working-class.

Hernandez's poetic sensibility was initially developed in literary circles. During the second decade he was a member and vice-president of Aklatang Bayan where he associated with Lope K. Santos, Valeriano Hernandez- Peña, Iñigo Ed. Regalado, and Julian Cruz Balmaseda; later he joined Ilaw at Panitik, where he became close to Jose Corazon de Jesus, Florentino Collantes, and Deogracias Risario. He wrote poems on sundry topics for his daily column “Sariling Hardin” (My Own Garden) in Pagkakaisa from 1926 to 1932. He continued writing poems for his column “Pangkasalukuyan” (Today) in Mabuhay from 1932 to 1934. In 1929 he challenged de Jesus, the acknowledged “King of Balagtasan,” to debate in verse on the issue of nationalism and independence. For almost a month, they articulated their positions daily in the newspapers they worked for: de Jesus in Taliba, Hernandez in Pagkakaisa . In 1940, he published his first anthology of poems entitled Kayumanggi at Iba pang Tula (Brown and Other Poems). His prison ordeal provided the creative impulse of most of the poems in his collection, Isang Dipang Langit (A Stretch of Sky), 1961 and the epic, Bayang Malaya (Free Country), 1969, both of which were written behind bars.. Most famous of his poems are “Isang Dipang Langit,” “Panata sa Kalayaan” (Oath to Freedom), “Bartolina” (Solitary Confinement), “Ang Dalaw” (The Visit), and “Kung Tuyo Na ang Luha Mo Aking Bayan” (When Your Tears Dry Up, My Country).


He published short stories in different newspapers among them “Wala ng Lunas” (No More Remedy), “Kulang sa Dilig” (Needs Watering), “Langaw sa Isang Basing Gatas” (Fly in a Glass of Milk), “Dalawang Metro sa Lupang Di-Malipad ng Uwak” (Two Meters in Land That Stretches Forever), “Ipinanganak ang Isang Kaaway sa Sosyedad” (An Enemy of the Society is Born), “Isang Ulo ng Litson” (Head of a Roast Pig), and “Kislap ng Utak,Pawis ng Noo” (Sparkle of Brain, Sweat on the Forehead).

His experiences as a guerilla, labor leader, and a political detainee were shaped into the novels Mga Ibong Mandaranggit (Birds of Prey), 1969, and Luha ng Buwaya (Crocodile's Tears), 1972.

Hernandez wrote plays based on prison experiences: Muntinglupa , 1957; Hagdan sa Bahaghari (Stairway to the Rainbow), 1958; Ang mga Kagalang- galang (The Venerables), 1959; and Magkabilang Mukha ng Isang Bagol (Two Sides of A Coin), 1960. He has written many essays, among them, “Si Atang at ang Dulaan” (Atang and the Theater), “Si Jose Corazon de Jesus at ang Ating Panulaan” (Jose Corazon de Jesus and Our Poetry), and “Pilipinismo: Susi sa Bayang Tagumpay” (Filipinism: Key to a Successful Country), among others. In these works, he exposed what he perceived to be the neocolonial nature of Philippine Society and pushed for nationalist and progressive agenda to end the long history of the workers' and people's oppression.
In the pre-WWII era, Hernandez won more than 20 awards for his short stories and poems. In 1925, he was proclaimed “Makata ng Ilaw at Panitik” (Poet of Ilaw and Panitik). In 1931 his story “Wala ng Lunas” won two gold medals also from the Ilaw and Panitik. His stories, “Pilipinas” (Philippines) and “Kayumanggi” (Brown), both won first prize in the Commonwealth Literary Contest in 1938 and 1940, respectively. He won the Republic Cultural Heritage Award for Isang Dipang Langit, 1962; the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature fro his four plays: Muntinglupa, 1958, Magkabilang Mukha ng Isang Bagol , 1961, both first prize winners; and Hagdan sa Bahaghari, 1959, and Ang mga Kagalang-galang , 1960, both second prize winners; the NPC-ESSO Journalism Award for his novel Luha ng Buwaya, 1963, his “Pili sa Pinili” (Chosen form the Select) in Taliba, 1964, and for his essay, “Report on Indonesia,” in 1965; the Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan award from the city government of Manila, 1964; the first Balagtas Memorial Award from the Cultural Center of the Philippines for Bayang Malaya , 1969; and the Tanglaw ng Lahi Award from the Ateneo de Manila, 1970. He was proclaimed National Artist for posthumously in 1973 for “his contribution to the development of Tagalog prose.” – R.T. Yu and N.G. Tiongso.Reference

Cultural Phenomenon of Selfie

The smartphone self-portrait or “selfie” has established itself a form of self-expression. Is it a harmless fad or a dangerous sign of society's growing narcissism?

These days, humans take almost 1 trillion photos a year. And lots of these photos are selfies—self-portraits, usually taken with a smartphone. As of this writing, nearly 300 million Instagram photos had been tagged with the selfie label.

                As early as the 15^th century, according to Dr. Terri Apoter, psychology lecturer at Cambridge University: “People who had access to self-representations were keen to make use of them. In this way people could control the image projected, and of course the fact that the image was on display marked the importance and status of the person represented.” They’re also a way to figure out who we are. The “looking-glass self” is a psychological concept that says that how we see ourselves doesn’t come from who we really are, but rather from how we think others see us.

But if selfies are simply an exercise in recording private memories and charting the course of our lives, then why do we feel such a pressing need to share them with hundreds and thousands of friends and strangers online? To some, the selfie has become the ultimate symbol of the narcissistic age. Its instantaneous nature encourages superficiality – or so the argument goes. One of the possible side-effects has been that we care more than ever before about how we appear and, as a consequence, social acceptance comes only when the outside world accepts the way we look, rather than endorsing the work we do or the way we behave off-camera.

Getting Out of our Comfort Zone

We've seen inspirational quotes that encourage us to get out and do something strange orsomething we wouldn't normally do—but getting out of our routine just takes so much work. There's actually a lot of science that explains why it's so hard to break out of your comfort zone, and why it's good for us when we do it. With a little understanding and a few adjustments, we can break away from our routine and do great things

Simply, our comfort zone is a behavioral space where our activities and behaviors fit a routine and pattern that minimizes stress and risk. It provides a state of mental security. We benefit in obvious ways: regular happiness, low anxiety, and reduced stress.

The idea of optimal anxiety isn't anything new. Anyone who's ever pushed themselves to get to the next level or accomplish something knows that when we really challenge ourselves, we can turn up amazing results. More than a few studies support the point. However, pushing too hard can actually cause a negative result, and reinforce the idea that challenging ourselves is a bad idea. It's our natural tendency to return to an anxiety neutral, comfortable state. We can understand why it's so hard to kick our brain out of our comfort zone.

Trying new things is difficult. If it weren't, breaking out of our comfort zone would be easy and we'd do it all the time. It's just as important to understand how habits form and how we can break them as it is to press yourself out of your comfort zone by doing specific things.

School of Management Week

                    The day that all School of Management (SOM) students have been waiting for has finally arrived. This is the week where all students are given the chance to participate in various events such as games, sports, and pageants even that their professor is kind enough to permit them to do so. 

                    SoM week began last Monday, October 25, at the parking lot of the school grounds. The parade was to officially start off the week. Hosted by Abigail Viray and Dhaile Osh of APC Speaks, and lead by the marching band of Sto. Nino Elementary School, SoM students began to march towards Magallanes and back. The walk was a bit tiring and the heat was problematic, but all negativities have been set aside for the sake of a moment. Aside from the sports that each player was waiting for that day, they are also waiting to cheer for their bet for Mr. & Ms. SOM 2015. 

With my co-candidates under the heat.

                    In the last day of SoM activities, a friday, it ended with the last, most awaited event of the week - Mr. and Ms. SoM. A couple of representatives from each of the courses have showcased their beauty which took form of different themes and styles. A lot of students watched as they supported their friends and blockmates who were participating in the pageant. At the end of the day and a successful celebration of  SoM week, and as the students went home, the joy, laughter, cheers, and memories that have been left behind filled the air of the autiorium and the gym till the next school week commences. 

Anti Smoking Campaign

                    Me and my classmates attended the Anti-Smoking seminar which was held at our school's Multipurpose Hall 2. Mr. Emer Rojas was one of the speakers in the seminar, he is part of the New Vois Association of the Philippines Inc.  He is a larynx cancer survivor who used to smoke and has undergone laryngectomee- the process in which an idividual's larynx in surgically removed, 

he mentioned that he used to smoke a lot, like 3 packs a day. He was open to admitting how bad his addiction was and how bad the addiction itself already is. He included in his speech very important health issues which included his personal experience in which he has had his larynx removed due to the cancer. He told us of the horrors of losing our larynx.

                    In the talk of Mr. Rojas he mentioned how many chemical compounds does cigarettes contain and for all you know cigarettes contains over 7,000 chemical compounds. By that information they have raised up awareness about it through this No Smoking Campaign, and with the help of raising the awareness, Sin Tax Law RA 10351 which is an act restructuring the excise tax on alcohol and tobacco products was implemented at the year 2012. As the awareness continues to spread the next goal of the campaign is to make Graphic Health Warnings printed along the pack of cigarettes.

                    Even though I'm not a smoker I really do learn a lot in this talk we attended, and by this it helped me to be more alert and careful for I myself is still prone to lung cancer due to what we call second hand smoke, and that through the help of all the information I got from the talk I can help raise awareness to other people especially to those people who smokes.

Love, love, love

                    The movie Turn Left, Turn Right was based on the best selling illustrated storybooks in Asia. It is also adapted from a Chinese book depicting two main characters, an aspiring violinist and a professional translator, who was played by destiny.

                    The story tells of two people who live in buildings right next to each other, separated only by a wall, and are always near each other but can't seem to find one another. What strikes me the most is their destiny. It is different from coincidence, because time will come you  and your destiny will be together. All we need to do is to wait for the right time and your choice to strive for your own happiness.  

Historical Film

                    The most talked Historical biopic film for this year was entitled "Heneral Luna" which was directed by Mr. Jerrold Tarog and produced by Artikulo Uno Productions.  I would like to thank Mr. Tarog for giving us this kind of movie to influence and be inspired of what Heneral Luna did. He showed to us his courage, passion and dedication to fight for our country inspite of betrayals of his fellow Filipinos. He also showed heroic actions especially when the Americans and Spaniards were invading our territory. The movie also showed how the Filipinos during that time suffered and sacrificed their own lives for the freedom of the Philippines. 

Teatro Phileo

 Last October 9, MA 151 and other blocks that are under Ms. Eliz's EEP classes were gathered at MPH 1 to watch a play entitled "Ang Tatay kong Kalbo."

The characters were perfectly represented in all their aspects. Nobody forgot their lines, nor did anyone laugh on stage unless of course they were supposed to. The props and the setting were superb. I can only imagine how much effort and man hours were put into making them. It helped in the overall presentation of the idea of the story. We have kept our focus on the play and we were very much entertained and we really laughed a lot because the actors and actresses were great! All in all I find the play very interesting and entertaining. I would like to watch another play like this for this kind of play will somehow give you good vibes which can relax you from all the school stuff or stress.

C O N F I D E N C E !

CONFIDENCE is captivating, 

it is powerful and does not fade,

and that is endlessly more 

interesting than beauty. 

                    Self-confidence is extremely important in almost every aspect of our lives, yet so many people struggle to find it. Sadly, this can be a vicious circle of people who lack self-confidence can find it difficult to become successful. Confident people inspire confidence in others: their audience, their peers, their bosses, their customers, and their friends. And gaining the confidence of others is one of the key ways in which a self-confident person finds success. The good news is that self-confidence really can be learned and built on. And, whether you’re working on your own confidence or building the confidence of people around you, it’s well-worth the effort!

XVIII

Hi everyone !! I just wanna share with you guys how my 18th birthday was celebrated with my friends here in APC.

It was 6th of July when we celebrated my birthday and unfortunately, it was raining cats and dogs that's why the local officials suspended the classes in the afternoon. But me and  my friends went to the nearest bar to play billiards after the class and that's when my other friends showed up. I thought it was a simple celebration because I never thought that they would come in the first place. Well, actually, they said that my boyfriend invited them here and so, he showed up and surprised me with a cake and flowers. It was really special for me because it was my first time to celebrate with the people I love asides from my family. Ofcourse some of them were drunk but I did manage myself because I needed to go home at 9pm. It was a only a couple of hours we spent together but that night was really special and I know that I'll never forget this highlight of my life as a young lady who formally turned into an adult or legal age.

According to Hubpages.com, celebrating 18th birthday for young women in the Philippines is a very special event every family looks forward to. The "debutante", as she is called, is a French word meaning a "female beginner", an adult now, who is being prepared to be introduced into society and into a world of civic responsibility and social awareness. Originally, she is being exposed due to her legal age, that she will be eligible for marriage and to be formally introduced to all eligible bachelors as well.

It was just a simple birthday celebration but it means a lot to me, I was not after the special event that everyone was waiting to happen which was the debutante ball because I wanted to have a celebration with my family and friends which is not in a formal way.

Get to Know Me Well

Hi everyone :) thanks for stopping by at my blog. 

Well my first blog for September is about me, myself and I. (hahahaha)

So, my name is Jamilah Pecayo and Im already 18 years old (ugh getting older),  for my security purposes I won't state my address because you might stalk me outside... (ahahaha) 

Im studying BS Tourism Management at Asia Pacific College, a member of TM Society and APC Flickers (both organizations).  My hobbies are watching English movies, Korean/ Japanese/ Taiwanese dramas, surfing the internet, shopping with my mom and sister and lastly is hanging out with my squad(friends).  When it comes to food, Im so picky like seriously I don't eat any food that is color white and black like for example, carbonnara and dinuguan but, I like spicy foods like bicol express, binagoongan baboy, papaitan and etc. When it comes to fashion, sometimes I go for chic style, but mostly something that looks elegant in colors like black and white. I also go for something comfy like t-shirt, shorts and then sneakers. 

So I think that's all for now... 

Connections between Money and Happiness

Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

Money is not only an instrument of commerce and a medium of exchange for products and services, but also a powerful tool that can cause happiness or dependency. Money is also a multidimensional construct; it is instrumental as well as symbolic in and of itself. There are many dimensions associated with money: power and prestige, retention-time, and good and bad.

According to Mr. Christopher's article entitled "Money Can't Buy Happiness", money is a short term way of happiness. Money can only buy the things that people want like cars, houses, shoes and clothes in which the newness wears off and gets old after a while. But it cannot buy their needs like friendship and time with their family. Money can't make people love you for who you are.

"Having the power to get whatever and whenever you want something is not part how it should be," Christopher said.

Another article was written by Sonal Daga entitled "Is Too Much Money a Bad Thing?" He said that too much money is considered bad because many people forgets who to respect and be grateful in life. They take everything in life for granted and feel superior. They forget what is right and wrong and do not follow any rule and act the way they feel is right.

"Money does not make everything good or bad, but the thinking does it," Sonal said.

As for Rodney Chrisman, in his article "Is Money Evil?", people with strong lust for money can develop an insensible disposition. In the discipline of psychology, there exists a correlation between happy feelings and money which has already been discovered. Those who have a strong love of money constantly feel the urge to money as if they have a lack of it, these individuals have a bad disposition and are impatient when confronted with those whom they believe are seeking to prevent them from gaining money. Many people with an excessive passion for gaining money tend to identify themselves with their financial well-being, thus being afraid to lose their capital.

Rodney said, "In their fear, they lose the greatest of all values, a sense of peace."

According to Professor Afrikadzata Deku's article entitled "Positive Money to Have and Negative Money to Avoid", negative money is crumbs-based and oriented, the more you have it, the more you want it, the more drained you become and the less time you have to enjoy it.

"To treat money as your friend and not as your master is to enjoy the blessing of positive money and be free from the curse of negative money," Professor Afrikadzata quoted. 

The researcher believes that money is evil however, an experiment proved that thinking about money may drive us toward using our financial resources to benefit ourselves, but spending money on others can provide more effective route to increase our own happiness.

Therefore, the researcher seeks to find out and have a knowledge why money is associated to happiness knowing its negativity.

Since there has been an experiment, the purpose of this research paper is to explain the connection between money and happiness.

B. Statement of the Problem 

The study seeks to answer the question: What is the connection between money and happiness?

C. Significance of the Study

Workaholic. The prior knowledge of this study would surely help the people who are obsessed in work believing that more money is going to make them and their family happier. This belief sets someone on an endless treadmill of working harder and harder to make more and more money to achieve happiness. However, this is a fool’s errand. In this case, they could make use of the information written in the research paper and basing their life off working too hard for money might succeed in becoming lonely and miserable.

Teenagers. Even though teens may think they know it all, new research has found that money matters are one area where teens are most assuredly lacking knowledge.  Proof of that fact comes from the 17 percent of teens between the ages of 12 and 17 who said they knew how to manage their money. So in a long twisted jumble of facts, they think that money really does make the world go round and round.

Politicians. This research paper would benefit the politicians to know and reflect what negative reputation money can bring into their lives once they they misuse their governmental power for personal gain.

Future Researchers. There are many researchers who have studied about money and happiness. Previous studies have been published and are used by other researchers to examine how to achieve happiness. Aside from the other studies, this study will also be helpful for other researchers in order to know the effect of money in life behaviour and happiness.

D. Scope and Delimitation

This research paper focuses on the connections between money and happiness. Having money is one of the most important things in life, but happiness is even more important. Many people believe that becoming rich is the path to happiness, but pursuing wealth may be an ineffective means of pursuing well-being.

E. Materials and Methods

This study evaluates pieces of information based on the article found and the researcher’s observation. The study is also after the defining money and happiness. All the related articles and studies were gathered through the World Wide Web.

F. Definition of Terms

Money. Is any item or verifiable record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts in a particular country or socio-economic context.

Happiness. Is a mental or emotional state of well-being defined by positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy.

Psychologists. A psychologist evaluates, diagnoses, treats, and studies behavior and mental processes.

Positive Psychology. It is the study of what actions, pursuits and motivations best contribute to the good life.

Chapter 2

DISCUSSION

What is the connection between money and happiness?

I. Definition of Money and Happiness

Money is primarily a medium of exchange or means of exchange. It is a way for a person to trade what he has for what he wants. Ideal money has three critical characteristics: it acts as a medium of exchange; it is an economic good; and it is a means of economic calculation. To properly understand money as a medium of exchange one must first go back to the first methods of trade. Before money was invented one would have to engage in direct barter. Over time, different commodities served as medium of exchange but the problem of marketability and durability came into play. A necessary and highly exchangeable commodity was food. The problem is that it was perishable. One had to either use it or trade it before it went bad. Over time, the most marketable and durable commodities came to be used as medium of exchange – commodities such as gold and silver. Money is an expression of exchange value (the exchange values placed on goods by traders in the marketplace).

Happiness is not about smiling all of the time. It's not about eliminating bad moods, or trading your Tolstoy-inspired nuance and ambivalence toward people and situations for cheery pronouncements devoid of critical judgment. While the veritable experts lie in different camps and sometimes challenge one another, over the past decade they've together assembled big chunks of the happiness puzzle.

What is happiness? The most useful definition and it's one agreed upon by neuroscientists, psychiatrists, behavioral economists and positive psychologists is more like satisfied or content than "happy" in its strict bursting-with-glee sense. It has depth and deliberation to it. It encompasses living a meaningful life, utilizing your gifts and your time, living with thought and purpose.

It's maximized when you also feel part of a community. And when you confront annoyances and crises with grace. It involves a willingness to learn and stretch and grow, which sometimes involves discomfort. It requires acting on life, not merely taking it in. It's not joy, a temporary exhilaration, or even pleasure, that sensual rush though a steady supply of those feelings course through those who seize each day.

II. Connections between Money and Happiness

A. How much Money do we Need to make us Happy?

People desires to have more money just like I do. Money can provide our needs and wants. It can take us wherever we want. Nowadays, it's like money can make the world go round. People would  do everything just to have money, in illegal or not. They will do whatever it takes to give happiness to the people they love by giving them money or by buying anything they want. Nevertheless, can money buy happiness?


According to the article entitled "Does Money Buy Happiness? Apparently, it does" written by Sara Miller, when we're introduced to the lifestyle of rich, we witness the majestic money can achieve. They mentioned that according to the Time Magazine article "Do We Need $75,000 a Year to Make Us Happy? money can buy happiness in a certain point. A study held by Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School surveying 450,000 people, the happiness limits is around $75,000. This wage allows the average American to live comfortably and a little fancy. Economists Angus Deaton and Daniel Kahneman tested two different types of happiness. The first being the daily up and down of mood swings and the second focused on a deeper and long lasting fulfillment. $75,000 or above helps people to feel the deep satisfaction of happiness and gives them a positive outlook on their future.  Once under the $75.000 mark, dissatisfaction starts to arise and the worries of life.

Sara quoted, "Does money buy us happiness? It does, and it can.  In the modern world, money (be it $75,000 or 1 million) can bring us happiness to a certain degree, optimism about our futures, and leave a little extra for indulgence."

I strongly disagree with the author. How can she measure the money that we need just to ensure our happiness? For me, her thoughts are mainly focused on tangible things that can make us even happier. However, she never thought of the things that absolutely money can't buy and those are the intangible just like love, friends, family, talents and so on. Surely we can live without material possession just like how our ancestors lived in simplicity.

B. Can Money Buy Happiness?

For people with very little money, it turns out that money can actually make you happy because it can provide you with things that you need for survival. However, once, you gain a foothold on these basic survival related needs, the relationship between money and happiness decreases.

In the article written by Michael Kraus and titled "The Happy Chronicles II," for instance, self-determination theory suggests that happiness is about self-improvement, finding meaning in the things you do, and personal growth. Thus, people tend to be happiest when they satisfy intrinsic goals that have to do with finding personal meaning. Extrinsic goals like making money and becoming famous won't necessarily improve one's happiness. In a study that examined this effect, Niemiec and colleagues examined well-being among college students who just graduated from a four year university that were now heading out into the work force. They found that the students who set intrinsic goals, goals for self-improvement and personal growth tended to achieve those goals 1-year post graduation, and also tended to be happier than did students who set extrinsic goals, goals to make money and be famous. It's also possible that increases in a select group of people's income can be detrimental to happiness in society as a whole. Recently researchers, led by Ed Diener of the University of Illinois published evidence from a large scale national survey asking if inequality that is, large wealth differences between the richest and poorest people in society might decrease happiness. The researchers found that wealth inequality is correlated with lower trust toward others. Thus, wealth inequality may reduce happiness by straining the normal trusting relationships between people.

The author said,"Beyond fulfilling your basic needs, money doesn't seem to be a pathway to happiness. In fact, at a certain point, people may find more happiness in sharing their wealth with others, forming lasting relationships, and pursuing goals for personal growth."

Happiness is a choice. Whatever life throws at you, happiness will always be your choice. It is in this simple matter than one can find happiness, though money plays a role, there are other factors that can affect one's happiness, relationships, personal needs, however nothing can compete against one's own belief, one's own idea that they are happy. It is when one can appreciate what they have will they truly find happiness.

According to Manasa Gopakumar's article entitled "The Happiness Quotient, the Relationship between Happiness and Wealth",  a person’s conception of the relationship between money and happiness also depends on how he spends his money. If he uses it for the time spent with family, friends or for doing charity, the happiness is bound to last longer as the memories of those experience are long-lasting, as opposed to spending the money on say, gadgets that will bring a momentary pleasure which will die out soon.

There is a correlation between money and happiness, but correlation always does not mean causation. It is not always the case that more wealth means more happiness. Money helps reduce stress and worry in one’s life and hence provides contentment. Although money is extremely important for one’s survival, there are factors other than a high-paying job that contributes towards a person’s overall happiness. The thought of being independent, getting respected, having a loving family and a fulfilling job can be more meaningful and rewarding to someone than a fat pay cheque.

"Wealth should not pursued for its own sake, as this would make one subservient to it."

One should not get possessed by or get affected by pleasures like wealth, which comes in the way of one’s journey towards a virtuous life. But in a more pragmatic sense, for someone to even say that they are not affected by wealth, they need to be at a certain privileged position. The horrifying feeling of an empty wallet will never let anyone say that they are not affected by money at all.

Chapter 3

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS

AND RECOMMENDATIONS

SUMMARY

This research paper is meant to find out the connections between money and happiness.

The researcher evaluates pieces of information based on the related articles and studied found online. With that, the researcher was able to answer the statement of the problem. The results, outcomes and findings of the study are as follows:

1.  There is no correlation to the wealth and happiness in one’s life. As long as one is leading a comfortable life with access to basic amenities and good education, he can be happy. However, since words like “comfortable” and “needs” are subjective, it depends on the individual what his idea of a satisfactory life would be. 

2. Doubling your salary won't necessarily give you more joy, day-to-day. It won't make you more excited by your work or help you feel closer to your friends and family.”

3. The happiness quotient is bound to be higher when one moves from a state of abject poverty to a state of being comfortable and having their needs met; as compared to a transition from an already comfortable life to a little more sophisticated lifestyle.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the outcomes and results produced by the study done, the researcher concluded that:

1. People tend to compare their wealth to that of others. Many a time, their happiness depends on how well they are keeping up with their colleagues or neighbors. The happiness, in this case, is due to relative wealth. 
2. Beyond fulfilling your basic needs, money doesn't seem to be a pathway to happiness. In fact, at a certain point, people may find more happiness in sharing their wealth with others, forming lasting relationships, and pursuing goals for personal growth.

RECOMMENDATIONS

After drawing the conclusion of the study, the researcher hereby makes the following recommendations:

1. Spending money on tangible objects for self-centered means fails to offer a route to sustainable happiness.

2. Spending money on well-chosen experiences is a useful route to sustainable happiness.

3. Communal motives for spending money is an effective strategy for increasing happiness in other people as well as the self.

REFERENCES

Manasa Gopakumar (April 26, 2013) "The Happiness Quotient… the Relationship between Happiness and Wealth" Retrieved April 7, 2015 from http://ssla.edu.in/blog/entry/humanities-social/the-happiness-quotient-the-relationship-between-happiness-and-wealth

Todd B Kashdan Ph.D. (May 25, 2010) "Does Money Influence Happiness? Depends on How You Spend Your Cash" Retrieved April 7, 2015 from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/curious/201005/does-money-influence-happiness-depends-how-you-spend-your-cash

 Michael W Kraus Ph.D. (April 3, 2012) "The Happiness Chronicles II: Does Money Buy Happiness?" Retrieved April 7, 2015 from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/under-the-influence/201204/the-happiness-chronicles-ii-does-money-buy-happiness

A. Freeman "Economics and Liberty" Retrieved April 7, 2015 from https://economicsandliberty.wordpress.com/what-is-money/

Sara Miller "Does Money Buy Happiness? Apparently, it Does" Retrieved April 7, 2015 from http://examinedexistence.com/does-money-buy-happiness-apparently-it-does/

Blogpost 8: No Regrets

Life is so precious. Life can change in a blink of an eye. One minute you’re on top and then the next moment you’re on the bottom thinking can things get any worse? When moments in life like that occur you shouldn't give up because the next day you’re going to wake up and regret it.

I saw an article entitled "Living in the No Regrets Zone” by Caroline Adams Miller. She said regrets are defined as unfulfilled intentions or goals that a person wishes they had the courage or time to pursue at a previous time in their life.  It’s natural for everyone to experience regrets, and these regrets often begin to build during the college years over passed-up educational opportunities. There are many connections on how regrets fit with the science of Positive Psychology, including Ryff’s work about how one’s well-being is increased when progress is made toward meaningful, challenging goals in the present, and that are correlated with one’s best possible future self. It has also been found that attained and unattained goals are key predictors of rumination, which is an indication of psychological adjustment. Regrets carry a certain type of energy that can be used in positive or negative ways, and that will impact your well-being. In fact, researchers have found that the incidence and intensity of regretful ruminations are minimized through the active pursuit of goals and that greater well-being can occur through a carefully structured plan of daily goal pursuit that is married to pursuit of meaningful life goals.

"If you are living with regrets today about roads not taken, old decisions made in haste, or things you have longed to attempt but been afraid to try, declare this to be your “No Regrets Zone” year. Take a risk — try it out. And take another risk — live today without regrets," Caroline said.

Life is full of great things that you should never miss out. Live life to the fullest and embrace the challenges you face with no regret because in the end it’s all worth it. We tend to focus more on what might go wrong, what we might lose or sacrifice when taking risks. They are pointing us to a brighter future that we can only create when we commit to taking bolder, more decisive and courageous actions.

Another good article I've read entitled "No Regrets: Why 'Letting Go' May Be Key to Happy Aging" by Charles Q. Choi. He said rain scans can now reveal that living a life without regrets may be one key to aging well. The brain scans revealed that activity in a brain region called the ventral striatum, which is linked with feeling regret and also addiction, and in the anterior cingulate cortex, which is involved in regulating emotions, was similar between the young adults and the depressed older adults. In contrast, the healthy older adults showed different patterns in brain activity that suggested they experienced less regret and regulated their emotions more effectively. They suggest that healthy older adults may employ helpful mental strategies to avoid regret, such as reminding themselves that the results of the game were up to chance. In contrast, depressed older adults may blame themselves for the outcome. It might be possible to train people to use these mental strategies to help preserve their emotional health in old age.

"Given that unsuccessfully aged people demonstrated a more youth-like behavior, it seems to be essential for our emotional well-being to adapt to changing life demands when we are older that is, to not look back in anger and to focus on the positive," Charles said.

I have always heard people say, “Don’t have any regrets.” For some reason I believed it was true. We all do things in life that we regret. We also do things in life that make us proud of the people that we are. Still, there are things in life that we hope that someday be able to do. All of these things make up who we are and how we've come to be ourselves. 

Blogpost 7: The Power Of Your Smile

I believe in the power that a simple smile can bring. Living in a chaotic world where crime rates are on the rise, people are abused, innocent loved once are being killed and anything can happen in the blink of an eye. I believe that a simple smile can remind others that the world is still full of kind people and still full of hope.

According to "There's Magic In Your Smile" an article written  by Sarah Stevenson, the act of smiling activates neural messaging that benefits our health and happiness. Neuropeptides are tiny molecules that allow neurons to communicate. They facilitate messaging to the whole body when we are happy, sad, angry, depressed, excited. The feel good neurotransmitters dopamine, endorphins and serotonin are all released when a smile flashes across your face as well. Finally, the serotonin release brought on by our smile serves as an anti-depressant/mood lifter. Many of today’s pharmaceutical anti-depressants also influence the levels of serotonin in your brain, but with a smile, we don’t have to worry about negative side effects and we don’t need a prescription from our doctor. When we smile, people treat us differently. We're viewed as attractive, reliable, relaxed and sincere. A study published in the journal Neuropsychologia reported that seeing an attractive smiling face activates our orbitofrontal cortex, the region in our brain that process sensory rewards. It also explains the 2011 findings by researchers at the Face Research Laboratory at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. Subjects were asked to rate smiling and attractiveness. They found that both men and women were more attracted to images of people who made eye contact and smiled than those who did not. 

"We can’t always control what happens to us, but I am 100% confident that gracing your face with a grin can seriously change your internal and external experience. Your smile is something that should be worn often, so make it a priority to surround yourself with people, places and things that brighten your day," Sarah said. 

I agree with what Sarah mentioned, we do not have the control in what will happen to us. But we should always smile to the people around us because maybe it will be the last. Through our smile, we gain friends and we also experience new happenings in our life. They said that we should start our day with a smile because it will be the start of a new productive day for all of us. 

Another good article I've read was written by Julia Layton entitled "Explanations for Why Smiling Causes Happiness". She said that the theory goes back to Darwin, who proposed in the 19th century that facial expressions didn't only reflect emotions, but also caused them however, there is a lack of good evidence. But in the 1980s, some interesting studies on the physiology of smiling brought it back into the consciousness of the psychology field. Dr. Zajonc's research took this observation further, into a full-fledged proposal for why a smile might trigger happiness. When facial muscles are activated in an expression, the biochemical processes associated with those areas of the face are altered according to their temperature change. And research suggests that a cooler brain creates good emotions, while a warmer brain produces negative emotions. Dr. Zajonc points to the part of the body called the internal carotid artery, which is the pipe that delivers the majority of blood to the brain. This artery flows through an opening called the cavernous sinus, which contains lots of facial veins. When someone smiles, causing certain facial muscles to stretch and tighten, veins are constricted. This would cut down on the blood flowing to the cavernous sinus, which in turn would reduce the amount of blood flowing through the carotid artery to the brain. Less blood volume means the temperature of that blood drops. When that cooler blood gets to the brain, brain temperature would drop too, triggering a happy feeling.    

Julia Layton said, "Even proponents of the theory don't suggest that smiling can make unhappiness go away. The theory basically states that in a state of emotional neutrality, putting a smile on your face can tip you in the direction of a positive feeling."

Smile is a beautiful thing. It's a symbol of happiness. I believe that a smile is one of the most powerful gift that we as humans, possess. It is our ability to create and express our infinite love. So today, smile often. Smile at yourself and smile at your loved one. And whatever that thing that we love to do, do it and share it with someone. And do it all with a smile, knowing that we are spreading love, joy and inspiration.

Blogpost 6: Can We Live Forever?

The longest journey that we as human beings will have to go through is the Journey of Life. From the moment we entered this world, we are faced with the most terrifying roller coaster ride. Life has its ups and downs. And as life goes on, things get more complicated. We are no longer a child, but an adult who faces reality. And the one thing that is real, we are all gonna die sooner or later. 

As per Molly Edmonds, the writer of "Can humans live forever?", the idea of living forever might seem like a fairy tale. Some researchers believe that there is a limit on how many years we can live, and the maximum is 125. Aging, dementia and heart disease are just one of the diseases that blocks us from reaching that point. Our body parts wear out from use that's why scientists are focused on how to stop aging occurring within the body. One method that has demonstrably increased the lifespan  is a calorie-restricted diet. To follow this diet, we must cut our caloric intake by 30 percent while still consuming all necessary nutrients. This eating plan has proven difficult for humans to maintain, so researchers are trying to figure out how, exactly, fewer calories lengthen life. Anti-aging pills could also be used to halt the production of free radicals, which are molecules that cause increasing damage within the body as we age. Researchers are also considering whether compounds like resveratrol, which is found in red wine, could be effective in pill form, as resveratrol might have the ability to interfere with the aging process at the genetic level. Some scientists think that telomerase, an enzyme that mends protective coverings on cells, is the answer, while some would-be centenarians have begun injections of human growth hormone, hoping they will stop the body from aging. There are many theories on why we age and how we can stop it, and an anti-aging pill may be decades away, if it ever appears at all.

Molly Edmond said, "We've been raised with the belief that death is inevitable, so we must consider the legacy of what we'll leave behind. But what if you had unlimited time to pursue your life's work? What if you didn't have to die?"

We are all working so hard because when the time has come, we all want to leave a a good legacy. I actually don't agree with the anti-aging pill. Although these pills may slow the aging process, but still we should accept the fact that sooner or later these will no longer be effective anymore. And instead of these pills, why don't we intake vitamins that can make us healthier although we cannot avoid being sick. Death is inevitable therefore we should seize the remaining years to come. 

The second article was written by Chris Wood entitled "Can You Really Live Forever?". He said that a molecular biologist named Dr. William Andrews' company discovered a nutraceutical or knows as TA-65.  It supposedly slows down the aging process in humans by activating an enzyme called telomerase.Telomerase acts on telomeres—simple repeating sequences of nucleotides (the building blocks of DNA) found at the tips of chromosomes that are important to cell division and replication. When telomeres erode away, parts of critical genes remain uncopied, eventually spelling death for the cell. Some scientists think that this telomere erosion is what imposes a limit on our lifespans and causes our health to decline as we age, they also think that an answer to this dilemma might be telomerase activation. Some scientists, like Dr. Andrews, think telomerase activation could be the cure for aging that his company is looking for, and he views TA-65 as a potential big first step in that direction. 

Chris Wood said, "Just keep on living until you meet with a fatal accident. Woo hoo! But… hold on. Turns out we shouldn’t get irrationally exuberant just yet. It might not be such a good idea to activate telomerase, after all—because of the role it seems to play in cancer."

I don't really think that we can live forever. Perhaps these new invented pills can actually slows down the aging process however, these may be cost too much. People who are rich and afraid to die old just like the celebrities and some politicians are willing to buy these kind of pills. There are also some people that are also afraid to die old however, they cannot afford to buy because they have their prioritize in life. While some people accept the fact that there's nothing we can do about aging. They just enjoy the life and they do not care about any matter regarding their lines in their forehead or whatever signs due to oldness. I think we should be satisfied on how long we can live in this earth and  just mind the legacy that we can leave behind. 

Blogpost 5 : Enjoy Life

I believe in living in the moment. We have been given only one life to live, and we need to live it to the fullest. I believe that the purpose of life is not only to fulfill God's purpose for us, but also to find joy along the journey that we have been given.

According to the article entitled"How to Enjoy Life" written by Peter Clemens, we should appreciate beauty. Everything in this world is beautiful and has its own uniqueness. Although some might find it ugly, still we should consider it as an art.  He also said that we should always laugh, and we should surround ourselves with fun people and don't get caught up in our own sense of importance. Connect with different people because in this life, it is our relationships with people that gives us the most happiness in life. It is also the best if we build good and strong relationships with the people we encounter everyday. He also added that we should celebrate our success. We love celebrating even the small matters is important. The compliments that we receive from them is also a part of our life that makes us even happier because they value our works. 

Peter said, "If you slow down for just a moment and take the time to appreciate these ordinary events, life becomes instantly more enjoyable."

What Peter said is actually true. Every moment is important. Take time to appreciate small things or any ordinary events. We are always in a hurry that sometimes we tend to forget those moment every second of our lives.

The second article is about "How to Enjoy Life Every Day"   which was also written by Peter Clemens. According to him, we should enjoy every day. Do what we love, make friends, take pride in our work and stop waiting for something to occur before we are happy. He also said that we should try to improve 1% each day by being 1% happier, healthier and productive than yesterday. 

It is not about recklessly living life as if there is no tomorrow. The future is important to plan for, but it is important not to obsess about it to the extent that you neglect the present. Remember, the only way to get to the future is through a series of todays," Peter said.

There is a saying that "Yesterday is a history, tomorrow is a mystery and today is a gift". This means that we don't actually know what will happen to us tomorrow. So why don't we think that it's like our last day here and so we should enjoy and treasure every moment. Remember that we only have one life and that's it. We all don't want to live in regrets in the future. So like I said, appreciate, cherish and enjoy every second of our lives.

Blogpost 4: Love is ...

       

 Love is a very special and meaningful word to each and everyone of us. Everyone has his/her own thoughts about love, to guide himself/herself into the kingdom of Love. By the way, What is Love? I know this question exists in our minds. If not it is still waiting to be discovered deeply in our hearts. 
  

 I've read several articles regarding about what is love. One article I've read was written by Kendra Cherry entitled "What Is Love?". In her article, she said that according to Sigmund Freud, the study of love in the past was left to the creative writer to depict for us the necessary conditions for loving. While research about this has grown tremendously over the last 20 years, early explorations into the nature and reasons for love drew considerable criticism. According to social psychologist Zick Rubin, love is characterized by three different things : attachment, caring and intimacy. Using a psychometric approach to love, Rubin devised a scale used to assess levels of liking and loving. While love is often seen as one of the basic human emotions such as anger or happiness, some have suggested that love is instead a cultural phenomenon that arises partly due to social pressures and expectations. If love were a purely cultural invention, it would stand to reason that love would simply not exist in some cultures. However anthropological research suggests that love is influenced by both biological drives and cultural influences. While hormones and biology are important, because the way we express and experience this emotion are influenced by our personal conceptions of love. 

"Despite the fact that love is one of the major human emotions (some would even say the most important one), love has only fairly recently became the subject of scientific." , Kendra said. 

When we talk about love, it is a wide range topic. No one can answer what Love really is. Some people might think that love is a biological or cultural phenomenon. Its the kind of thing that keeps poets and philosophers up at nights. But science, actually has a pretty good explanation for it to. 

Another article I've read was entitled "What Is Love, and What Isn't?" by Deborah Anapol. She said,  Love is inherently free. It cannot be bought, sold, or traded. You cannot make someone love you, nor can you prevent it, for any amount of money. Sexual stimulation and gratification, whether by way of fingers, mouths, objects, fantasy play, whips and chains, or just plain intercourse, can certainly be bought and sold, not to mention used to sell other things. Whether sex should be for sale is another question entirely, but love itself can not be sold. This doesn't mean that love allows destructive and abusive behaviors to go unchecked. Love speaks out for justice and protests when harm is being done. Love cares what becomes of you because love knows that we are all interconnected. Love is inherently compassionate and empathic. Love knows that the "other" is also oneself. This is the true nature of love and love itself can not be manipulated or restrained. Love honors the sovereignty of each soul. Love is its own law.

Deborah said, "Love is a force of nature. However much we may want to, we can not command, demand, or take away love, any more than we can command the moon and the stars and the wind and the rain to come and go according to our whims".

The truth is, the people have different meanings when talking about Love. Scientists may explain it  with different tests and observations . Psychologists may interpret it with our emotions. While some ordinary people may simplify it based on their emotions and actions. With their experiences they usually come up with a unique meaning of Love.