We are in uncharted territory in America.
There is fear and anger and distrust and contempt everywhere.
Everyone thinks they are right, often at the exclusion of others.
The other day I came upon a short clip from the TV series “Afterlife”, a wonderful series starring and created by Ricky Gervais.
Gervais plays a man who has lost the love of his life, and contemplates ending his life because he is lost and lonely.
There’s this scene where Gervais haltingly comes to the realization, that his life could still have meaning.
He says this:
“And even though I’m in pain, it’s worth sticking around to maybe make my little corner of the world a slightly better place”, the Gervais character says.
His friend Anna, responds.
“That’s all there is.
Happiness is amazing.
It’s so amazing. It doesn’t matter if it’s yours or not!
It’s that lovely thing.
A society grows great when old men plant trees, the shade of which they know they will never sit in.
Good people do things for other people.
That’s it.
The End”
That scene moved me when I saw it because I feel happiness in today’s world is elusive for so many.
So many are angry and scared and filled with rage… and they don’t know what to do with their fear and anger.
I think happiness is almost a duty, almost a responsibility.
When you are happy, you can make those around you happy too..if they want to be happy.
When you are miserable, you help make the world a miserable place.
And so happiness isn’t just a selfish pursuit.
It’s a virtue.
Today, find a way to make yourself happy. Then, if you can, try and make someone else happy.
That’s not some willowy ,fluffy, pie in the sky rhetoric.
Happiness is about feeling good and doing good for others.
Good people do things for other people.
Happiness IS amazing,
That’s it.
The end.
