The sight alone of the crisply plaited stack of newspaper gave my tiny fingers a fit of greedy jitters in anticipation of the Toy 'R' Us catalog I knew was inside. Knowing my father had priority reading rights, I desperately searched for anything to divert my attention from its glossy, untouched pages of color-laden bliss. Feelings of joy and excitement radiated from the bright faces of the children receiving the gifts outshining the new gadgets they showcased. I realized that these pictures were saying if I had these toys I would be happy like the children playing with them. This intensified my desire to have whatever paraded in front of me on the T.V. The pursuit of happiness is a target easily exploitable because of man's obsession with it. America is not excluded from this inherent desire for happiness. So, why then is it one of the most unhappy nations in the world? As our booming commercial market implies, America is no stranger to materialism. It is this conquest of chasing this wealth that diverts our time from things that truly make us happy such as and acceptance of personal achievement, contentment with only our needs, and time spent with family.

Our country's fixation with performance and competition distorts how we view as success. An example of this attitude manifesting itself in our society is the public school system. It's foundation is built around academic performance made measurable by tests.  The anxiety surrounding these exams to perform proficiently for most students is unavoidable due to their staggering impact on our grades and opportunities. Such a fixation on performance redefines our view of what true learning means. This theme of anxiety spills over into the workforce with its pressure to make the most money, and fierce competitiveness for promotion. Denmark and Switzerland, both countries scoring highly in a recent poll for the happiest countries, refuse to use standardized testing and regular examinations to test their students knowledge. Instead they encourage students to demonstrate what they've learned through projects or other creative means of showcasing that they are processing what is being taught. Standardized test scores do not carry nearly the weight of defining your college career for these Dutch and Swiss students as they do in America. This lack of pressure encourages students to achieve their best without fear of one mistake being the end all to a successful future. Our society trains us that a spirit of competitive achievement will bring us happiness when really this pressure to succeed draws us from contentment of our personal best.
            

Greed and materialism also elude us from happiness. The commercial industry is aware of this quest for riches even resorting to enticing little children towards acceptance of this idea. Owning the newest generation iPhone or pair of Jordans have become so essential to our identities that it has left countless drowning in fashionable debt. That is why despite being one of the wealthiest countries we are the most unhappy. Countries statistically poorer ranked much happier because despite their monetary disadvantage most are content with necessities and enjoying life's free gifts such as family and nature. With technological phenomenon like television, the internet, cell phones, and video games, it's easy to see that family interaction has taken a back seat in our lives. Let's face it, The American Dream is not based on the desire to get by or to live modestly. Its founded on the desire to thrive and enjoy the luxuries that in other places would be unattainable. How intertwined are possessions with our happiness? Wanting to live comfortably seems reasonable, why wouldn't accomplishing this goal make us happy?  If we devote time to enjoying life's free gifts rather than being obsessed with purchases and glued to our gadgets we will be happier people. In order to do so we must first draw the line between who we are and what we have and realize that they do not define each other.

What we as children see has the habit of staying with us throughout our lives. The toy catalog in which I so faithfully read cover to cover, was meant convince me that these shiny toys would somehow make me happier 10-year-old. It sounds absurd now, but the reason why America is not happy is because it searches for happiness from the pages of a catalogs or from advertisements on television. Until we honor the priceless gifts in our lives such as peace, contentment, and family we will remain enslaved to our own wealth driving us further and further away from a truly happy existence.