I have always found the whole idea of happiness intriguing. There are times when I stop and think, is life really just about chasing after it, or is there something more profound that gives our days real meaning? I bring this up because I have watched folks pour their entire lives into something far greater than themselves, giving up things like steady money or easy comforts, all to lift up someone else. Think about all those parents who do just that for their kids, day in and day out.
That got me realizing that happiness looks different for each of us. What lights up one person’s world might not do a thing for the next. I have known people who seem completely at peace without the typical stuff, no big laughs, no fancy bank account, no special someone, no little ones running around, no spotlight or awards. It is like they are soul vegans, skipping what others swear by, but still putting together a satisfying life on their own terms. Life hands us these mixed flavors of joy, and we each mix our own recipe, zeroing in on what feels right deep down.
Seeing the movie The Pursuit of Happyness stirred all this up for me, and it made me pause to ask, what am I truly after? What is that core pull in my life, the one that would have me bunking down on a bathroom floor with my boy Daniel, just like Chris Gardner did? Have I pinned down my real aim, or am I drifting along with everyone else, figuring the group must know the way?
For Chris, everything clicked when he spotted Bob Bridges hopping out of that Ferrari. Before then, he was all about getting by, stuck down at the survival level of Maslow’s pyramid, that setup explaining how we humans climb from basic needs up to becoming our best selves. But after that moment, his sights lifted higher, even as troubles kept piling on.
It calls to mind what a wise man once shared with me: if you have no clue where you are headed, any old bus will seem fine. Are we on a route that fits us, or did we hop aboard the first one that rolled up, only to end up circling the same spots? Back in Costa Rica, where I grew up, there is this bus called La Periférica that just loops around the city edges, never really getting you somewhere fresh. It is so simple to slip into that pattern, rolling along without noticing the repeat scenery.
Choosing to live with real intent goes beyond hunting for happy moments; it is about figuring out what fires you up inside and making sure your steps match that. When you stay true to what you value and where you want to go, those good feelings tend to show up on their own. The road of life is not some sprint to a distant goal, it is a trail you shape with steady heart, toughness, and the guts to push through whatever comes.
And like any decent road, it has those traffic lights for good reason. Reds give you a moment to breathe and look around, maybe rethink your direction. Yellows nudge you to watch your step, think through the choices ahead. And when it flips to green, go for it! Not only for your own sake, but because people around you count on that spark to guide and lift them too.