From the moment we start wondering about our adult lives, we question if we are going to be able to make a stable living. We question if we can find a well-paying job, or start a family, or even afford a place to sleep at night. This idea can haunt us for years, and adulthood can only get closer. However, none of us may actually require a large and wealthy life to be happy. Instead, all that matters to have a stable and happy life is the bare minimum. Perhaps the goal of life is not to succeed, but instead to just simply live. We can see this theme expressed in examples such as the film “Scavengers,” “Lost and Found,” and the essay “Children in the Woods.”

The short film “Scavengers” tells the story of two astronauts surviving an unknown, and at times dangerous planet after their ship has crashed. The film tells a clear story where the goal of the main characters is to survive, and live life with what they can. We see the characters use as many resources as they can at their disposal. However, throughout the entire film, we never see them feel miserable, or upset. They are simply determined to keep living and make the most out of what they can. Throughout the film, they spend time using the creatures around them in order to obtain an orb and they end up using the orb to see a city on Earth. This shows that you should always just keep living, and you don’t need to aim for a huge and amazing life.

The video “Lost and Found” follows the happy life of a man named Blair Somerville. His life consists of him living off of the bare minimum. He lives far away from the city and lives in a small piece of land. However, he describes his life as something he is happy to live through. He says, “I left home knowing that you didn’t need much to live on and that I didn’t need money. You just need some shelter, some food, and a reason to be alive.” We can all find happiness in smaller and simple things. We don’t need the most luxurious lifestyle, and instead we just need the ability to find and appreciate something we already have in our life.

The essay “Children in the Woods” highlights how a couple spends time experiencing nature and the wilderness with other children they’ve come to know. Unlike how many young people today spend a lot of time with technology, they’ve taught children to appreciate small things, so that they can be happy even when they might not have a super wealthy or easy life. The things the children are learning are small, but it makes them perfectly happy, and it shows how you don’t require the most successful life imaginable to live a satisfied life. You just need to find something to live for.

Overall, we spend too much time worrying about the fact that we aren’t living a wealthy or successful life, and we never stop to ask ourselves if we’re happy. I believe we can all find something to live for and be happy about that would make life worth living.