The Pursuit of Happiness

Happiness is, well, something abstract. Huh? Abstract? Siao ah, happy is happy; unhappy is unhappy. What’s so abstract about it? You ask.

Nah, I’m not going bananas, not yet anyway. You see, what makes me happy is very different from what makes you happy. Yes? Okay, let’s go on then. And it stems from the value we put on the things in our lives.

What makes you happy? Is it scoring that A in your exam? Is it having lots of money? Is it buying that LV bag you’ve been coveting for the longest time? Is it having a good meal at Chomp Chomp (think chai-tao-kueh and sugar-cane juice...yum!)? Or is it a hug from somebody who means something to you? Is it being surrounded by great friends? Is it knowing that your family’s behind you all the way no matter where you are or what you’re doing (erm, of course, I’m not referring to unlawful deeds like taking crack or plotting a murder!)? Or is it simply hearing somebody tell you you’re indispensible in their lives (without having to decipher whether the person meant it or was that merely lip service)?

I vaguely remember someone telling me this many years ago: “Dare to live the dream you dream and never give up hope...” Huh? What’s the connection? Okay, Jo IS going bananas! You see, whatever dreams we dream then or now basically converges to one idea - the pursuit of happiness.

What’s your dream? Mine used to be to travel around the world and taking up jobs along the way to earn my keep so that I can keep moving from one city to another. Why would I want to do that? Well, I’m not exactly sure myself. Perhaps it’s my middle-child syndrome (as KK puts it for everything unexplainable about me). And despite the fact that I’m far from fulfilling this age-old dream, I’m still dreaming it may come true one day, some day.

Are you giving up on your dream because it’s just so hard to fulfill? Don’t...because if you do, you’re giving up your pursuit of happiness.