Sunday, February 18, 2007

In Pursuit of HappYness

This weekend, out with the girls, I got to see Will Smith in melodramatic glory, running the wheel of life, a tired hampster.. Nevertheless, keeping at it in the hope of achieveing that urgently sought after success paradigm. More than that, he was really struggling to survive. In The Pursuit of Happyness, he is Pursuing an idea of happiness. And he is constantly agitated that it could be spelt with a 'Y'. Almost like it has to be forever shadowed by the nagging question, and dogged at its heels, the promise of a struggle: 'the pursuit of.' So. If, as his grating thoughts reveal, happiness is a thing to be pursued, fought for and struggled to get to, then he decides that point is that one never really does reach it. It is a pursuit and never a destination. Or is it...

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear Kimya
and Dear Will Smith ;)

Happiness is not something one can persue, chase or follow. Happiness is a state of being, build on one's perception. Anyone can be happy all the time, but people limit the state to certain achievements, accomplishments or even material things.

We are born happy - having nothing at all but life itself. Then as we start blinding our very natures with what surrounds us, we hang happiness around expectations.

Many might disagree, but how many people are 'truly' happy?

Life is simple.

Happiness is within us all :)

*mwah*

Shafinaaz Hassim said...

Hey u :)

You're Happy. Im Happy.
Spread it around!

Lol.

This months Longevity magazine says that
happiness = challenge + purpose.

Simple equation.

Feel Good stuff.

And whatever makes us smile at least once a day :)

Alhamdulillah!

Anonymous said...

I cant get out of my head the sing song tune DoNt WoRrY Be HaPpY now...

dum deee dee dum da daah

;-p

Shafinaaz Hassim said...

aaah, here we go, i found it!

Feb 2007 issue of Longevity asks 'Do you have the happiness formula?'

"Research has found the three essential elements to gaining true happiness are pleasure, challenge and meaning.. Although you may feel happy enough with say two out of the three elements, ultimate joy is about acquiring and maximising all three of them in your daily life."

Hmm. Let me go think on these.
Bubble-baths are a pleasure, a challenge and have immense meaning :P

*sigh*

That wasnt tooo difficult ;)

Anonymous said...

Happiness is something that we have to work at. All the time.
Some say that you find a level of being or feeling content, and then others say that means people lack drive and ambition. So its about balance. Once you achieve that then you steer clear of unhappy, disappointing thoughts and feelings. Its the best we can do.

JT

Anonymous said...

Hi Kimya

I am thinking, pleasures for the body, challenges for the mind and meaning for the soul. Thats the balancing act for a happy life in my books :)))

Shafinaaz Hassim said...

hey JT: in staying clear of darkness, do we achieve light?
thats a little short-sighted.. one must feel the flame to know the light! at least thats how i see it.

@verbosity: well-said! ur a trapeze-artiste with words and concepts, hardly verbOse :P

SingleGuy said...

fThe pursuit of Happyness. This is something entrenched in American History and folklore as a term coined by those "founding fathers"of theirs.

See, it's easy to say that everyone has the Rights. And by rights we mean those accepted rights that are protected in the Constitution, ours, their's or whoever's. Life, Liberty, Equality, etc...

The only Right we don't have is the Right to be happy. It's not in the constitution.

So it's not given to us on a platter....we have to go and find it, whatever it may be to us.


And that, ladies and gentlemen...is the Pursuit of Happy-ness.

Shafinaaz Hassim said...

Jefferson.
Declaration of Independence.
Liberty. Equality.

And The Pursuit of Happiness.

This is the work ethic defined.

*SigH*

Anonymous said...

Sometimes I think that most people don't have happiness because they don't embrace it when it comes their way.

Weither our excuse is fear, imperfection or unceratinty - happiness comes to everyone.

I think one must embrace it when it comes your way. Not just smell the flowers, but actually water them.

Saaleha said...

My sister has been raving about it. Shall have to make a point of watching it soon.

Anonymous said...

Happiness is...

Chocolate Icecream!

or tOP DEck.

or a fASHion sALe :p

Shafinaaz Hassim said...

Hmm.. Happiness issss

Everyday moments that make you smile.. :)

Loved ones who u can sit with in silence and feel totally at peace.. :) sipping Creme sOda..

Happiness is.. CreMe sOda ;P