Feeling content, satisfied, comfortable, or at ease are all synonyms to feeling happy. If one asked another what they believe the definition of life is the inquirer would receive a medley of different answers. One answer might be that life is the pursuit of happiness. The memoir The Pursuit of Happyness by Chris Gardner highlights the meaning of the pursuit of happiness for himself and for all Americans as well as motivating the reader to think about the pursuit in their own lives. Whether a person dreams of being rich and famous or dreams of living in a small house on a farm, they are dreaming of what they think will make them happy.
For Chris Gardner the pursuit of happiness was a pursuit of a very large number of things that he felt would make him happy. Gardner's life journey was all about the pursuit. The things he did were motivated by him wanting to be happier than he was. Whether he was working towards acceptance from his step-father, a high-paying job, or a red Ferrari he ultimately was pursuing happiness. Chris's dreams were about who he wanted to be, what he wanted to have and what he wanted to be able to give to his son. He worked hard in pursuit of those dreams and ultimately was very lucky and reached them.
Contrary to Chris Gardner Americans are often known for their exotic dreams of living lazy and easy lives with large houses, fancy cars, and people to do everything for them. For many Americans happiness comes in the form of having the freedom to do whatever they want whenever they want. The pursuit of happiness for them lies in their quest for a leisurely and enjoyable way to a life of luxury. Most Americans want to lead these to be in the spotlight or impress others. Some Americans believe that happiness can be found at the bottom of a pile of money. They work towards attaining jobs that pay well while sometimes failing to consider the repercussions.
For me in particular exactly what dream I am looking for is still a little unclear. I believe that I am happiest when I am surrounded by people that I love. I am chasing a dream of attaining a career I will enjoy and that will help others and having a loving family and some good friends to support me. I guess some would say that my dream is to live a real-life sitcom. My dream is to live the type of life where I would have a loving family to come home to, a fulfilling career, and a dynamic group of faithful friends.
If a person asked someone what happiness was, they would likely receive, once again, a wide variety of different answers. Everyone wishes to be happy in life. Yet for everyone, that means something unique to themselves. When Chris Gardner wrote the memoir The Pursuit of Happyness he showed readers what the pursuit meant to some people including himself and invited them to consider what the pursuit meant in their own lives. For many Americans happiness is having everything you could ever want. For Chris Gardner it meant becoming a successful man that could provide for his son. And for me it means living a comfortable life with loving companionship. So whether it is to live on a farm, in a large mansion, or in an apartment in New York City, every person has unique dreams and a different idea of what the pursuit of happiness is.