In The Pursuit of Happiness

In the pursuit of happiness you are never too old nor too young.

image: zazzle.com

Hey dad, you wanna hear something funny? There was a man who was drowning, and a boat came, and the man on the boat said "Do you need help?" and the man said "God will save me". Then another boat came and he tried to help him, but he said "God will save me", then he drowned and went to Heaven. Then the man told God, "God, why didn't you save me?" and God said "I sent you two boats, you dummy!" (From the movie, The Pursuit of Happyness)

I hope you're laughing by now. I'm sure God's going to say something similar to us as a country. He's already sent us all the help we need, but we don't want to do our part. Every time I think about Nigeria, I'm motivated to never leave my happiness to chance. To actively pursue it. To be God's active partner in building myself a great life. 

And it begins with getting rid of the age barrier. The feeling that one is either too young or too old. And then find out what you really want to do with your life. God didn't give us a unique personality and special abilities just to watch us fight the temptation of being our real self or using those abilities. Rather he's planned everything thoroughly, and made sure that the helping hand we need most is the one he's attached at the end of our arms. We just have to be bold and active.

Happiness is in knowing there's nothing you would want to do differently. It's in spending your life in such a way that no matter what happens you'd always be happy. Maybe you end up not rich, nor famous, nor influential, but happy nonetheless. 

Happiness is really not a destination. Nothing in itself can take you there. Happiness is a path. A journey. And a pursuit.  It doesn't come to you. You'll have to get up and go after it, and find that path. And make the pursuit.

Everyone's path will definitely be unique. So whenever you feel yours is not rosy enough and are considering following another man's, beware! The most you'll get if you switch path will be roses (and that's if you judged right) but not happiness.

But worse than following another's path is being like that man in the quote above. He didn't swim nor did he use the resources God sent him. He simply kept waiting. He left his happiness to chance.