The pursuit of happiness has been one of the greatest driving forces throughout the ages. Defined as an active or passive feeling of pleasure or satisfaction, happiness motivates individuals to accomplish a number of fulfilling activities in their lives. Thus, an assessment of the meanings attached to happiness provides insight into how an individual maximizes their pleasure. Positive psychology concepts provide an explanation of what happiness is and show a number of activities that enhance contentment. Najemy (89) argues that authentic happiness theory provides an approach to explaining happiness since it uses positive emotions, engagement, and meaning to describe such emotion. The theory states that happiness is the feeling that accompanies other positive emotions such as pleasure, comfort and ecstasy. Therefore, engagement involves flowing with aspects that enhance pleasure. Some of the aspects that trigger flows include listening to your favorite music and losing self-awareness during involving activities. This aspect of happiness allows individuals to merge with an object of interest. Additionally, the flow aspect requires an individual to use their strengths and talents to maintain good mood. Authentic happiness theory also holds that the third element of happiness is purpose. This element results in happiness since human beings seek meaning in their activities. According to Ahmed (169), a meaningful life involves belonging to and serving a course that is greater than oneself and humanity. This aspect has facilitated the creation of positive institutions that enable individuals to pursue happiness. Some of these institutions include religion, political parties, and recreational groups. On the other hand, well-being...... middle of paper ......s. Additionally, happiness results from activities such as a well-paid job, maturity, marriage, entertainment activities, and literature. As a result, a portion of the population seeks the aforementioned activities to increase their happiness levels. In conclusion, an evaluation of theories related to positive psychology provides an explanation of what happiness is, thus showing a number of activities that are crucial for improving satisfaction levels. Works Cited Ahmed, Sara. The promise of happiness. Durham [NC: Duke University Press, 2010. Internet resource. Diener, Ed, Daniel Kahneman and Norbert Schwarz. Well-being: the foundations of hedonic psychology. New York, NY: Russell Sage Foundation, 2003. Print. Najemy, Robert E. The Psychology of Happiness: Understanding Our Self and Others. Worcester, Mass: Holistic Harmony Publishers, 2001. Print..