This Will Change Your Meaning of Happiness

Recently I watched the most recommended movie that everyone should watch once in a lifetime — The Pursuit of Happyness. I have heard a lot about that movie and they will say if you are on a self-help journey, this movie you must watch.

So I finally watched it. If you have already watched the movie, then you can jump to the next paragraph. But for those who still didn’t watch it, let me give you a summary.

“The Pursuit of Happyness” is a story based on the life of Chris Gardner, a struggling salesman who faces financial hardship and homelessness while trying to build a better life for himself and his young son. Set in San Francisco in the early 1980s, Gardner takes on an unpaid internship as a stockbroker while facing numerous challenges, including homelessness and the constant threat of losing custody of his son. Despite the overwhelming odds, Gardner persists in his pursuit of a better life, showcasing unwavering determination and resilience. Finally, when he got a job in that firm, he said “I could name this phase of life as HAPPINESS.” And the movie ends.

After watching this movie I got a series of emotions in me. I felt empathy for him. I felt grateful to God that I have food, shelter, and good clothes to wear. I felt compassion for those who sleep without eating. I felt joy that hard work won. I compared myself to Chris, what would I do, if I were in his place? My mind was full of questions at that time.

I want to share the most common question that might come to your mind — “What is actual happiness for me?”

Today you might have good food on your plate, fancy clothes in your wardrobe, and a cozy house to live in. Yes, I have all of them then what I am looking for? As per the movie, the hero got happiness, once he got the job. You might think that I have a good job that is paying my bills, then why I am not happy?

Does it mean the meaning of happiness differs from person to person? Yes, we can say that. But my opinion here is slightly different. For me, happiness does not depend on things that you are lacking in your life but on the situation you are in.

Read my last sentence one more time.

Let me explain it with some scenarios.

Scenario 1. Let’s assume, you have a big loan on your head, but you don’t have a job. You tried a lot to get a job and finally, you get one. Now you are happy. Why? Not because you get a job, but now you can pay your loan and come out of your debt situation.

Scenario 2. You have a good high-paying job, a big house, and a luxury car, but you don’t have family to share that luxury with you. For you, happiness is something different.

Scenario 3. You have a family to share your luxury but you are not mentally at peace because not having an ideal partner. For you, happiness is mental peace.

Scenario 4. You have everything now. A happy family, ideal spouse, lovely kids, all luxuries, but you are not good at your health front. You can’t help yourself to get healthy. For you, this situation is the cause of your unhappiness.

So the whole point is we can’t materialize the word happiness. Happiness is something that we feel differently in different situations. My key takeaway from the movie is that — in every situation of life the definition of happiness changes. So rather than lamenting over the situation which we are in now, work on the situation, where we want to be.

If you have a different opinion, I want to hear it from you.

Don’t chase happiness, be happy.