It is believed that once we have obtained all the money we need or the person we want, we have yet to experience "true happiness"; but after we've gotten what we wanted or claimed to need this temporary form of happiness slowly begins to  disappear. Seeking happiness that will  remain a life time is, "more associated with pride and fulfillment," and "remains more elusive."(Happiness, Sherwood, 2013). Finding and retaining happiness is the key to enjoying life. Creating a happiness from within will show externally and encourage others to seek positivity. True happiness cannot be taken away or altered, we learn that we are in control of what defies our happiness. Happiness is based on our interpretation on the situations we encounter in life and it is also comes from appreciation and acceptance for what we have.

True happiness that is formed from within cannot be stripped anyone other than oneself. Creating happiness in someone else, will create negative emotions once that person leaves, "Our mind associates this person leaving us with unhappiness, sadness, anger, and loneliness ... These painful emotions are associated with someone rejecting us." ( Happiness in Relationships)  In the story of Ethan Frome written by Edith Warton, Ethan Frome is unhappy in his marriage with Zeena he then creates happiness with Zeena's cousin Mattie Silver. Ethan learns that his wife no longer needs the help of Mattie and that she must leave their home. Ethan was willing to do whatever was needed to keep Mattie Silver near ,"...She put her lips close against his ear to say: "Right into the big elm. You said you could. So 't we'd never have to leave each other any more." Ethan created happiness in Mattie which was why he held on to her so tight. If Mattie left, his happiness would leave also, if he had happiness from within there would be no trouble in Matties leaving.  We as humans forget, "how we become unhappy and who is responsible... We become unfamiliar with how to make ourselves happy." (Happiness in Relationships). To fulfill true happiness, " you must gain mastery over mind." True happiness is controlled by oneself, as long as we create our own happiness no one will be able to take it away. 
        

Happiness is about appreciating and accepting what we have in life.  "Our human nature is to want progress, to want control. Giving up these goals and expectations involves giving up this control." In the story of  Ethan Frome, Ethan is ungrateful for what he has. Though he has a home, a wife, a barn and a mill he did not have happiness among himself. "His fathers death, and the misfortunes following it, had put a premature end to Ethan's studies(24)...," Ethan had a dream and raised the bar high for himself, after both his mother and wife fell ill he was unable to pursue his dream. He was unable to achieve his dream which created disappointment because, "...we are only happy when things workout the way we expect them to. We set ourselves up for misery, as things go the the way they will go, and we believe they should have gone a different way."(Happiness is an Internal Process). Ethan did not learn to appreciate what he had even after deceiving Zeena, “But sometimes the two of them get going at each other, and then Ethan's face'd break your heart... When I see that, I think it's him that suffers most... anyhow it ain't Zeena, because she ain't got the time... It's a pity, though,”. Ethan should have appreciated and accepted the life the he had before Mattie appeared, he would have had the chance to love Zeena and appreciate her for all that she did to help him after the accident and with his mother. Accepting what has happened and moving on would have helped Ethan get closer to happiness.
           

Happiness is based on a decision, we as humans allow our interpretation to defy what makes us happy and unhappy. "No object or action is inherently good or bad, it can only be interpreted as good or bad... If you change the interpretation, you have the ability for anything to make you happy."(Happiness). In the story of Ethan Frome, Zeena explains that a hired girl will be coming to help her, and no longer needs Mattie. Ethan perceives Zeena's actions negatively, "Zeena's narrow-mindedness and ignorance. And what good had come of it? She was a hundred times bitterer and more discontented than when he had married her: the one pleasure left her was to inflict pain on him. All the healthy instincts of self-defence rose up in him against such waste..." Ethan's interpretation of Zeena putting Mattie out was negative because of the emotions he had for Mattie. Ethan could change his interpretation and understand that he could have another chance to make a happy marriage with Zeena. "Your happiness and your unhappiness are your decisions," changing the perspective of every situation in your life and thinking of it positively will allow internal happiness. Deciding that you want to be happy means, "... You are deciding not to base your self worth on other people's opinions. You are not deciding to take things so personally from other people. You are deciding to find the lesson in every experience you have..."(Happiness is an Internal Process).
     

Though at times it may seems as though the pleasures from people or materialistic beings bring us joy but they can be the number one causes of our unhappiness. Seeking internal happiness means that be we must learn to control our minds and understand that we are in control of what defines our happiness. Happiness is," a purpose that reflects an appreciation and enjoyment for life itself." Being happy internally allows appreciation and acceptance for what we have, we learn that we control what makes us happy because it's a decision and happiness cannot be taken away unless we make the choice of being unhappy. "Take responsibility for your happiness by developing your passions,"(Are you trapped & Unhappy in your Relationship). Create happiness from within so you can be dependent on yourself.