Informative, Guided Messages Throughout the Movie The Pursuit of Happiness

It seems eccentric to say that leisure time can change your entire life for the better. I have watched a lot of movies in my life, but one of them impacted me. I remember the day when I was curious to watch a beautiful movie named “The Pursuit of Happiness”, which created a commotion in the world in the last decade. That movie was based on the beautiful, true story of Chris Gardner, an American businessman, who was enacted in the movie by Will Smith. This man was undergoing a tough time in his life, struggling to provide his son’s basic needs. The film carries a lot of informative, guided messages, which I really learned a lot from. It especially taught me to continue fighting even when life gets dark.

At the beginning, the story showed how unhealthy Chris Gardner’s marriage was. After a long time of arguing with his wife about the financial hardships they were facing, she selfishly left him alone with their son. By that time, he wasn’t able to pay his bills, so he lost his house, credit card, and all his belongings. As a result, he ended up being homeless accompanied by his son, sometimes sleeping at a hostel for the homeless, other times in the train station. Obviously, this situation would be a difficult starting point for any human being, especially when having another person to take care of. However, this terrible situation did not stop Chris from reaching his goals.

After a long period of perseverance, he was finally able to find an internship with a prestigious Wall Street company. He was obliged to train for six months without a cent and ready himself to take the stockbroker test. He faced many difficulties during that time, the major one was splitting his time between studying, taking care of his son, providing their needs, and looking for the night shelter every day. Finally, he succeeded in passing the test and became a

stockbroker. Of course, this would not have happened without his ambition and his “never give up” attitude. At the end, Chris says “This part of my life, this little part, is called happiness” (Muccino, 2007). He realized that happiness was not about wealth or power, yet it was about achieving goals and following dreams through motivation and persistence.

After watching this movie, I admired Chris Gardner for what he did and his resistance. Despite the fact that Chris was in a desperate situation, his positive attitude made him strong enough to sort it out. Honestly, this movie changed my life radically. Chris’ persistence and ambition really roused my aspiration and showed me that I could reach my goals. No matter the circumstances, giving up is not an option. Although that is easier said than done, it is the only way to face reality. Moreover, life gives all of us a lot of opportunities and chances that are worth our time and effort; for that, we had better not let these chances slip by. I will always face obstacles and undergo hard times, but this is what happiness is all about. The beauty in life is in the journey of accomplishing goals, not in the end result. Once I achieve my goals, life goes back to the norm. Yet, I am no longer the same. “The Pursuit of Happiness” helped me improve my attitude, which was often my downfall, and gave me a big push to attain my targets.

Furthermore, I liked the powerful words that Chris had said to his son, “Don’t ever let someone tell you that you can’t-do something … if you want something, go get it. Period” (Muccino, 2007). This quote showed me how motivated Chris was, and warned me of one of the hazardous motivational barriers, which was the influence of negative people. What I learned was that my environment could easily pull me down if I am not strong enough to impose myself. That is why Chris had mentioned those impressive words.

To conclude, the “Pursuit of Happiness” left a long-lasting impact on my perception of life. Besides entertaining me, the movie showed me numerous life lessons, which have proven to

be valuable. I fail to find a movie that combines tragedy with humor as perfectly as this film has. The “Pursuit of Happiness” is a bittersweet journey that one experiences, as it displays joy and hope in the most unbearable situations. The key message is that chances and opportunities in life should not be missed. Life tends to obstruct people; however, no matter the situation, I now believe that I can achieve anything if I make the right decisions.