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I have just finished watching a movie called ' the pursuit of happyness'. Its about a man Chris Gardner, a talented salesman deserted by his wife and facing immense hardship in his life causing him to struggle each day in order to make ends meet for his 5 year old son and himself, even to the point of having to stay in a shelter, even a station toilet, the only sustenance to cope through it all is his belief in himself and the repeated hope of his son's words 'Dad I trust you', so very much like saying to Jesus..'I trust in you'.
His ordeal comes to an end after passing an internship in a stockbroking firm that rewards him with a job, the knowledge of which brings tears to his eyes filling him with the intensity of that moment as described in his own words. 'This part of my life...is called Happiness'.
How much happiness have we experienced in our own lives? The expression is so rightfully true 'The Pursuit of Happiness'.
Every little moment of happiness cannot be experienced spontaneously, it has been and always will be the result of striving to achieve something, 'a pursuit'. Our lifetime is spent in pursuit of something or the other, something which makes us happy, for it is never an unending emotion because life is so full of ups and downs, and hardship exists in every aspect of life, giving full meaning to this pursuit, which if filled with hope ultimately leads to happiness....But how much happiness? That depends on the individual because one man's degree of happiness can be another man's dissatisfaction, one man's wealth can be another man's poverty.
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| image source; sony pictures |
His ordeal comes to an end after passing an internship in a stockbroking firm that rewards him with a job, the knowledge of which brings tears to his eyes filling him with the intensity of that moment as described in his own words. 'This part of my life...is called Happiness'.
How much happiness have we experienced in our own lives? The expression is so rightfully true 'The Pursuit of Happiness'.
Every little moment of happiness cannot be experienced spontaneously, it has been and always will be the result of striving to achieve something, 'a pursuit'. Our lifetime is spent in pursuit of something or the other, something which makes us happy, for it is never an unending emotion because life is so full of ups and downs, and hardship exists in every aspect of life, giving full meaning to this pursuit, which if filled with hope ultimately leads to happiness....But how much happiness? That depends on the individual because one man's degree of happiness can be another man's dissatisfaction, one man's wealth can be another man's poverty.
So then how long do we struggle for happiness?, and what degree of satisfaction can make us happy? material wealth?,fame?, emotional satisfaction, love?..from a child to adulthood, we pursue little factors and sometimes big factors that lead us to moments of self satisfaction making us happy till the feeling dies down and we again strive for more, how long do we carry on and to what extent of happiness achieved will make us content?..the answer is eternity...because no real degree of happiness can satisfy us because we have never really pursued happiness, and every degree of happiness keeps us wanting more.
Chris Gardner's hardships like his job almost broke his spirit, but he did not give up, he pursued something which some of us have had to do at some point in our lives and that is survival in the face of despair, survival in order to hopefully achieve a life where he would never be wanting, the kind of life most of us lead, yet, we always want. When he finally did achieve it, he felt and understood the true meaning of happiness. This same life which Chris Gardner tried so hard to achieve doesn't really make some of us happy. So what then do we need to do to experience our levels of happiness? well,.. we can. If only we reflect on the fact that first of all we are alive today, we are surviving, we have our jobs, and we have the material means to live a comfortable life and that's if we live according to our means and be happy in what we have.
We have our homes and our children, we have also been given the gift of hope, choice, determination and spirituality. In times of sadness and despair if we can learn to become a Chris Gardner ever hopeful in a mindset reflected in the words of a song 'God don't move that mountain, just help me climb over it'. Maybe then our pursuit will be meaningful and when we are satisfied we will know 'Happiness.