Stop looking for happiness in the place where you watched it all perish.

Disclaimer: I wanted to dedicate just one post to a movie review, but I will still continue writing about my trip next week. I just wanted to fit in this one post because I think it has a message that everyone needs to hear. And when I say everyone needs to hear the message it sends, I mean it.

When people think about happiness, they think everything in their life is perfect, or will be perfect. I can explain to you for hours about how wrong that is. Happiness depends on your life, what situation you’re in, and how you live. Happiness isn’t by chance, but by choice. I like to think that happiness is like rain. It can come to you when you least expect it. First it’s just a drizzle, then it’s pouring, finally your soaked. Like I said, it depends, on the way you live. But it also depends on what kind of person you are. Happiness can either come to you in storm, or leave you waiting in a dry, secluded, desert. So when making choices in life that can affect your happiness, and other people’s lives, choose wisely.  Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets you on fire, you’ll be surprised on how much of an affect it can have on your life.

Christoper “Chris” Gardner is mainly known for being a stockbroker, motivational speaker, and an author in his later life. But what really shocked people when they heard of his backstory, was of his struggle. Long before he became so successful he was struggling to find a place that he and his young son could call home. In the 1980’s he struggled with finding a decent job, and finding places to stay and keep his son safe. They both once had to sleep in a bathroom stall in a Bart station. They had to sleep in churches where other people who had a similar situation as them came as well. This all took place in San Fransisco. Where people who are struggling with daily living and finding homes roam the streets even today. That is probably the saddest part out of the whole thing. People still roam, they can’t find a place that they can call home. Every time I think about this I feel guilty. I have a decent education. I have a roof over my head, food on the table. I have warm clothes to wear. I have a computer that I can type in. I can afford a doctor and dentist. I have a place that I call home. Just think about it for a moment. You’ll understand what I feel.

A few weeks ago I was working on one of my posts for the blog, my dad was standing over me reading through. He then said “You should watch the movie The Pursuit of Happyness and write a post about it.” I saw the DVD just sitting there so once I finished the post, I put the DVD into the desktop and pressed play. The movie was based of Chris Gardner’s life during the 1980’s. In one of the scene’s it showed Chris( played by Will Smith) and his son (Played by Jaden Smith) are waiting in a long thick line leading to a church that is letting people sleep there for one night. The line was so long, some people fought with each other to get to the front, or get a chance to sleep in a bed. It was so so sad. But one of the saddest parts was when they were both sleeping in a bathroom stall, the door was locked so no one could find them. There were actual tears on the keyboard that I was leaning on. I wish everyone in the world could watch this movie and think about it for a while. He didn’t look for happiness in the place where it perished. He looked everywhere but there. And that is how you get yourself on the pursuit on happiness.