I listened to my father because I loved him and was taught to respect him. So for those reasons alone, I followed his advice.
“Happiness is out there waiting for you, work hard, take no prisoners and take what is yours!”
I believed him, and did exactly what he said.
I pushed – hard – and made it though school, and got a good job that affords me a comfortable lifestyle. I have constantly pushed and pushed. I have made many people extremely unhappy along the way, but I don’t care. They mean nothing to me and are responsible for their own happiness. I am striving to find my own.
My obsession caused waves in my marriage and my wife divorced me. Stating that I was unbearable and a tyrant.
I am now an old man, I have pushed everyone away in my quest. I have no friends to speak of, or with. People avoid me and say that I create a feeling of unhappiness. Tomorrow is my 80th birthday and I sit alone on a park bench and it is where I will be again tomorrow.
The next day, a small boy was walking hand in hand with his mother and saw me on the bench. He smiled and I smiled back, They sat down beside me, I smiled at him again, he said “ Mister, why are you smiling?”
I said “Today is my birthday, and for eighty years I’ve been chasing happiness, and it was useless. And then I decided to live without happiness and just enjoy life. That’s why I’m happy now.”
Come to think of it, I don’t remember my dad being very happy.
Twitter example:
I respected my dad so I listened to his advice. Find happiness at any cost. So I tried.
#respectyourfather
#happinessisoutthere
#takewhatsyours
Take no prisoners and spare no feelings. Find your own way to happiness. If the wife can’t handle it, have a good life.
#happinessisoutthere
#obsessionrocks
Being alone and being lonely are two different things. However, we can all continue to learn.
#happinessisoutthere
#olddognewtricks
Don’t chase happiness. Enjoy your life. Your life is your own and you shouldn’t live it by someone else’s rules.
#happinessisoutthere
#nowimhappy