Tyler Lotz 
Meghan Lawrence 
Gavin Lane Since we all have different perceptions of the world around us based on our experiences, what “the good life ” means to me one day may not mean the same to me in a month. I am constantly searching and exploring what it means. In order to express such an idea I have to ask myself two questions.
What satisfies me in life? Well I could reflect the small scale experiences I have had that trigger short pleasure receptors and continue to engage in these behaviors to maintain a constant level of satisfaction such as indulging in chocolate and relaxing on a beach. However, these actions leave me discontent and only longing for another experience that supersedes the previous. Overall satisfaction for me is a lifestyle backwards to what the natural mind would assume (a.k.a. human nature). This leads into the second question.
Do I believe life is the time between birth and death, or do I believe life exists beyond death? Because I believe in life after death and in a higher deity then my life has a purpose beyond earthly pleasure. True satisfaction comes from living out this purpose and this purpose is to love. In order to love (the kind of love that is defined as “everlasting loving kindness”) I must become more like my God and in order to become more like my God I must live in a constant state of awareness. ” The good life” comes from living in this state of awareness of self and awareness of the spirit that connects me to my God. From this awareness will I be able to really love and fulfill my purpose and say that I lived “the good life”.
Lyndi Smith
4:02 pm, 01.20.13
Madison, I could not agree more. I find myself daily finding satisfaction in earthly pleasures. Further, I myself also find satisfaction indulging in my own chocolate and relaxing out on a beach. Again, I couldn’t agree more that after you have successfully eaten your chocolate or laid out on a beach somewhere that you still feel discontent. Every day we desire other experiences and once we have reached those experiences, only more arise to the surface. It is a constant and ongoing process that will fill our life every day.
You stated, “True satisfaction comes from living out this purpose and this purpose is to love.” Through this statement I realized how much love affects a person’s life. Love is the root of happiness and can branch out among a number of people. To be more like God is a goal that each individual should live out DAILY because this connects the individual with God. The connection between the individual and God is where the love and happiness comes from. That is truly what the good life is. I couldn’t have even begin to say it better myself. What a wonderful way to put the good life into perspective.