The Pursuit of ‘Happy’ness

“There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million.” - Walt Streightiff

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Dear Riddhie,

Happiness is a fuzzy concept and can mean many things to different people. Ranging from deep vested contentment to a frantic intensity, one can be happy in different ways and again for a variety of reasons. As a parent, I will wish for you to be always happy. Happy and content with what you are rewarded with after you have put in your due effort.

Happiness in an important lesson to learn and cherish in life. The reason I say this is because after a certain age and juncture in life, it becomes relatively harder for a person to find things he can indulge in and seek a refuge from the day to day rigors. It is then that one realizes that true happiness and joys in life are not meant to be searched and looked up outside but within one's own self.

Perhaps when you read this, you may not truly understand or appreciate what I am trying to tell you here. I guess it is a quest in its own right where every living being needs to seek his/her own nirvana. You are free to comprehend your own objectives and goals in life and develop your own frame of reference but I am sure a time would come when you shall have to sit back in silence and contemplate what you need in life and what you want to achieve before curtains are drawn. In that moment of introspection, people who are wise enough can attain a state of detachment with all worldly pleasures and truly find what is the essence of true happiness and one's reason for the entire journey we call life.

You were born out of your mother's womb and we walk with you in every aspect of your life as of now, yet you will have a life and destiny of your own. We, your parents will leave this world and pass on before you. You will have your own share of sorrows, your own set of struggles and your own share of happiness. Live life to its fullest and do not compromise on your integrity and self respect. No price is too high to keep your self esteem. Every day you should be able to look yourself in the eye and tell yourself that you are special and have a purpose in life. Let no one tell you that you can't do something. 

There is a special reason why I chose the subject of this letter as ‘pursuit of happyness’ and spelt it this ways. I did so because I also wished to mention and quote from a movie released in 2006 by the same name. Thomas Jefferson amongst other things in the declaration of independence quotes “We hold these truths to be self-evident – that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. The movie I mentioned questions if happiness is something that can only be pursued and never attained and it is always an ongoing forward moving quest that shall never have a single fulfilling objective. If this were to be true then should we rather not enjoy the journey and this voyage than to lose sight of everything while keeping an eye on the final end? I shall leave this question open for you to understand and answer on your own.

If you can even comprehend the question, I guess I will have accomplished a larger part of my duty as a father – which is raising you well enough to understand the true essence of life. I am no spiritual guru to be defining your path but I as a parent I shall encourage you to ask questions and once you set out to find the answers on your own, your path will light up on its own.

I shall probably sit with you one fine day and maybe we will watch ‘The pursuit of Happyness’ together. Will Smith happens to be one of my favorite actors and I specially like him in the movie.

I shall close in with a famous quote from the movie itself:

Christopher Gardner: Hey. Don't ever let somebody tell you... You can't do something. Not even me. All right? 
Christopher: All right. 
Christopher Gardner: You got a dream... You gotta protect it. People can't do somethin' themselves, they wanna tell you you can't do it. If you want somethin', go get it. Period.

Love,
Dad.