of Happiness.
Borrowed from philosopher John Locke, Thomas J. hit the mark when he penned these famous words. “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”
But, who knew the” pursuit” part would be so darn hard?
In the 2006 movie, “The Pursuit of Happiness,” Chris Gardner (played by Will Smith), laments the pursuit of the ever-distant, and seemingly unattainable, happiness. A hard-up salesman, Gardner finds himself raising his two year old son alone on the streets on San Francisco, bouncing between homeless shelters and subway station restrooms. If you haven’t seen the movie, it is quite a tear-jerker, as Gardner spends most of the movie, in the pursuit of happiness.
Apparently, we all do.
In a recent Newsweek article, 8 out of 10 Americans claim to think about their happiness at least once a week. However, according to Eric Weiner, author of the new book, “The Geography of Bliss,” America is far from being the happiest country on Earth. In fact. We are 23rd
You can read Eric’s book, as I hope to soon, to discover the secrets some countries already know. Countries like Denmark, Switzerland, Holland, and Iceland (I’m seeing a chilly pattern here) are among the happiest, while some sources place Britain at # 41, Italy at # 50, and France at # 62!
Just to help you through the day, here’s a little thought to keep you smiling.
Ain’t got no cash,
Ain’t got no style
Ain’t got no girl to make you smile
But don’t worry
Be happy
Cause when you worry
Your face will frown
And that will bring everybody down
So don’t worry,
Be happy…
So, how about you? Do you think you are happy, and if so, where do you live?
I do indeed consider myself happy. I live in Canada, but I don’t think that is the reason I am happy. I have a great family and that first and foremost is why I am happy. Then we have a nice little home, a job, friends, and most importantly our health.
I remember seeing an interview with Brad Pitt and he had a really good quote about it, which I don;t remember exactly, but the general thought was that happiness was overrated. I think he preferred the word content. I tend to agree.
I am definitely happy….doing what you love you should. Being with people that care for you, OH I am in Florence right now..:)
I have a lot to be happy about but there are always time when that frown or worry sneaks up on me.
dont worry..be happy..sounds good to me too 🙂
I’m pretty happy, I’d say, but I’m also in the pursuit as well–for me I think that’s always a part of being happy, appreciating what I have but also working for what I want to have (and you know I’m not talking about material things, right?).
I’m in Italy, btw 😉
Ain’t sure where I live. And ain’t sure if I’m happy. But I’m certainly working on both! 🙂
Antonino had a post on what is happiness earlier this year and I think my answer was, happiness is found between your two ears. I stand by my statement. Happinesss has to come from within not from people or things. I think we can make ourselves happy or miserable in our heads with our thoughts. This June, post-Italy, I was the most unhappy person alive to not be in Italy, but now, I’m happy beyond belief just sitting in my garden without much else being different. (Okay, I did get a raise but I had to fight for it and fight for it I did).
I do work on my “self” though, and lately, here in the US we have had Paul McKenna, a British hypnotist on TV doing a show called “I Can Make You Thin”. He is quite good and I think by positive reinforcement and hypnosis, I am focusing on all the good in life and find myself laughing for no good reason at all AT WORK. Plus I’ve lost 3 pounds without dieting. He also has books, etc. for attaining wealth. I listen to the hypnotic trance that can be downloaded at http://www.paulmckenna.com/trance
“If you try to make yourself happy, you only make yourself miserable.” That’s a line from some movie I don’t remember, but I like it.
as a general rule I am happy. not satisfied with the state of my own affairs but happy with who I am. I’m at peace with my shortcomings (though that doesn’t mean I don’t try to fix them) and with the relationships I have. That all said though, I am still in pursuit of contentment – which to me is being with the one you love, living the life you want to live. maybe I’m delusional but I feel like I have the right pieces, its just a matter of fitting them together correctly.lol
Running – It sounds like you have it all together! No wonder you are so happy.
MM – Funny you mention this, because lately I’ve been feeling “content.” Like, that is the word I want to use. Funny, eh?
Welcome back, Katie!
Ah, yes, PP. It sneaks up on me, too. I think it is HARD not to worry (or frown sometimes)! lol
Brava, MK! Sing along, now!
Yes, Michelle, I know you are talking about that Prado purse we saw in Palermo!
ha ha…poor Maggie!
HH – you are laughing at work b/c of that big raise! ha ha…Also, I definitely agree that your mind has a lot to do with your happiness/contentness level! I have noticed several times in my life that I’ve talked myself into a bad mood. That is just wrong!
Ha ha, good one, J. I haven’t heard that one.
You aren’t delusional, Stacy!
Put those pieces together, girl and get to Italy!