Final Project

My interest and attention had been caught by the structure of this

class. One of my favorite sections and topics to learn about has been,
Happiness and the Good Life. This is a theme that is greatly incorporated in
my own life and really hits home for me, especially since the bulk of
discussion covers religion and how religion brings people happiness and a life
thats simply better or good.
There is one individual that comes to mind when I think of what
happiness is all about and that individual is George Washington. Lo, he
wasnt perfect and absolutely had his fair share of trials and tribulations. He
even may not have been an extraordinarily happy person. I simply dont
know. But what I found, by studying his life, was that happiness is in fact a
byproduct of excellence, not an objective. Similarly, David Vincent Meconi
wrote, . . . happiness in the Christian tradition is also understood to be more
of a consequent result than a direct goal. (Meconi, p. 938)
There are not very many men that have done more for humanity than
George Washington did. He presided over this country and oversaw its
establishment. He fought for independence, literally, being the only sitting
president to ever lead his troops into battle. He was the epitome of
excellence. Now, whats most impressive to me, is that he was responsible
for the success of the American cause against all physical odds and what
did he do? He gave God all the credit. (Mulligan, 2008) He was a very
religious and moral man and was blessed for it.
Even though happiness is the result of excellence, it doesnt
necessarily come all at once. It may not have been in this lifetime that true
happiness was realized in his life. But I know for a fact that he is
experiencing pure and eternal happiness now, in his current state, as a result
of what he did on this earth.
Why did you choose the particular individual you did? George
Washington emulates excellence to me and what its like to live a good life.
I chose him because I really wanted to learn more about how he impacted
this country and me, specifically. If he had not done what he did, if he hadnt
had fought for religious freedom, then I wouldnt be here today. My life
revolves around those freedoms that he so courageously fought for and that I
have today.
How are you specifically incorporating the theme(s) covered in
class into their life story?

The above explanation explains this pretty well. I firmly believe

happiness is a result. Its what comes as a result of the beautiful life were
living or supposed to live, rather. One of my favorite quotes, which actually
comes from the textbook, can be found on page 799. It reads, Happiness, as
far as were concerned, is achieved through living a meaningful life, a life
that is filled with passion and freedom, a life in which we grow as individuals
and contribute beyond ourselves . . . The Minimalists.
In my opinion and from what Ive researched, George Washington lived
a meaningful life. He was passionate about freedom and contributed more to
the American people than any other president in history. Maybe theres a
reason he still holds the highest governmental and military rank of all time:
General of the Armies of the United States.
Prompt 1: What did you learn by creating the signature assignment?
I learned through research that theres obvious levels and degrees of
happiness and happiness is different from person to person. If anything at all,
happiness is comfort. Im sure Washington was comforted and had a peace
of mind that what he was doing was good, and right, and noble. He knew it
was Gods will. In the textbook, the philosophy of happiness uses a synonym
to happiness and the good life. It uses the word meaningful. It suggests that
a meaningful life is a happy life as well as a good life.
I greatly appreciated the research I found. It was hard to stop myself. I
just wanted to read and read and read. There is some fascinating information
about George Washington, specifically about the Prayer at Valley Forge. Most
say he wasnt religious and didnt pray, but I know for a fact that he was a
man of God and communed with Him often.
How did your thinking about it evolve over time (point to specific
experiences while working on the assignment)?
My original thoughts were that George Washington was a very good
man, leader, and example. After doing some quick research, I started to think
otherwise. I questioned the kind of man I always believed him to be.
Fortunately though, I found accurate and more correct sources to clarify the
confusion I had. I found he was in fact a very honorable man. One of the best
to have ever lived. He had a very sincere and personal relationship with God,
which is something I admire. He emulated humility. Good leaders do. He was
a good leader and lived a good life.

Works Cited
Allen, P., & Peterson, C. (2015). It Begins with Our Questions. Plymouth, MI:
Hayden-McNeil.
Hart, B. (1970). Did Washington Pray at Valley Forge? Retrieved December
07, 2016, from http://americanrevolutionblog.blogspot.com/2008/05/didwashington-pray-at-valley-forge.html
Did George Washington Pray at Valley Forge? | Pray for US. (2013). Retrieved
December 07, 2016, from https://prayfor.us/did-george-washington-pray-atvalley-forge/
Fraley, D. (2013). When George Washington Prayed That Day, Did He Pray
For Us? Retrieved December 07, 2016, from
http://www.daronfraley.com/2013/03/when-george-washington-prayed-thatday-did-he-pray-for-us.html
Fraley, D. (2013). George Washington Was A Christian. Retrieved December
07, 2016, from http://www.daronfraley.com/2013/08/george-washington-wasa-christian.html
25 Things You Probably Didn't Know About George Washington. (n.d.).
Retrieved December 07, 2016, from http://mentalfloss.com/article/56532/25things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-george-washington