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5 I The Best Online Education System in the world
DESPERATELY SEEKING HAPPINESS
Kathlyn Q. Barrozo
Class of 1991, University of Santo Tomas
B.S. Medical Technology
We all are victims of our own ambitions and goals. Many of us have been labeled unstoppable and have
managed to remain unflappable in all the chaos in the world. Such people simply never stop reaching for the
stars, maintaining a collected attitude despite living hectic paces in their lives. I personally envy those people.
They say that:
As a rule, man is a fool,
When it's hot, he wants it cool;
When it's cool, he wants it hot,
Always wanting what is not. (http://www.wockyjivvy.com/poetry/folly/manfool.html)
But of course! Give it to poets to say it in not so many but definitive words!
We are humans. We think and see things further, I would like to think. We seek things which are simply beyond
what we are now. That’s normal.
Who wouldn’t want to succeed in life? Who wakes up each morning without seeking a better plane of
existence? Those who live their lives to the hilt are not zombies or invalids. They want something better, dream
of something bigger, thirst for something sweeter, aim for something higher. We are such individuals, aren’t
we? We seek satisfaction, happiness and total achievement.
The road to holistic, complete happiness is strewn with challenges and hardships. Many of us try very hard to
get there, but have to go through the needle’s eye. There are also no shortcuts. But remember: we design and
pave our own roads according to what we wish them to be. Whatever we come to, wherever we end up in and
whenever God wills it, we basically control our own courses. Therefore, right now, while we still can, let us set
our priorities straight. Let us set our sights on the horizon with a clear vision that’s not blurred by pride,
misunderstandings, and plain and simple carelessness.
In the performance of our duties, let us ask ourselves: How much of ourselves have we truly given up to reach
our goals? Have we become what we have become independently, or have we been negligent of others’ needs
and considerations?
In our daily quest for excellence and perfection, let us not entirely forget that we also owe it to the world to
give back as we have been gifted. Let us constantly seek spiritual guidance and inner harmony towards
attaining our dreams. If we can influence others in a profound manner on the way, the world would be all the
better for it.
Be firm in your convictions but forgiving in your calculations. Be happy, but make sure that many others can
spiritually share in your mirth.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1.
Name some individuals whom you admire for their happy disposition in life. Describe each person
briefly and what makes them special.
2.
Are you happy? Why or why not?
3.
How can one attain ultimate happiness in life?
4.
Why is the road to happiness filled with so many challenges, in your opinion?
5.
Are all successful people truly happy? Cite examples, if you need to.