The Pursuit of Happiness
On this July 4th, I can't help but think about what the pursuit of happiness really means. It's about having freedom. It's about being grateful for the extraordinary gifts we are given every day. It's about having the opportunity to achieve the impossible. This day is a reminder of that. The thought gives goosebumps.
Not everybody has the opportunity to know what freedom is like. We get to dress how we want, say what we'd like, go do what we want. That's what happiness is. We have it so, so good. We just forget, because we don't think enough about those who don't. If you're reading this, you have everything you need to feel true, unrelenting happiness.
Thomas Jefferson said that "the pursuit of happiness" means to live a meaningful life, one that whatever you're doing, you feel like it is worth living for. Not one where you are chasing or seeking happiness, but embodying and practicing it. It's about experiencing what happiness is, which isn't a quest, but an unalienable right. We are born to practice happiness.
So, don't try to be happy. You're actually gifted the right to happiness. Nobody can take away you're ability to be happy, because that's your right. Change your mindset around the pursuit of happiness. The more you chase, the more it will evade you. Let yourself naturally feel it.
Take a second to appreciate the amazing opportunity you have. You're alive. You're free. You can go out and experience happiness. You can see what our founding father meant by "the pursuit of happiness". It's a gift. Now, go out and live your one life. You have a gift in your hands like no other. Go make it meaningful.