When it comes to films, personally, I am a little arse about face.
There is no pattern. I cried at Love Actually and A Good Year (shut it!), didn’t cry at the Notebook, still haven’t seen Fight Club or the any of the Godfather’s (I AM SAVING THEM FOR A RAINY DAY DAMN IT) and can recite most of Wedding Crashers and Role Models.
Shit. Is there something wrong with me? Or do I use more than 10% of my heart when watching films?
Film choice is obviously typical of a person’s personality. People find escape in films or try to relate to characters or themes, after all, that is why we all have different tastes and opinions.
One film that I implore you to watch, if like me you are drawn to films that allow the mind to romantically adventure, is ‘Hector and the Search for Happiness’. Simply put, a bloke (a psychiatrist) is stuck in a stuffy office and his ‘happy’ life starts to fall apart when he realises he can’t really advise patients if he doesn’t truly understand happiness himself. So he buggers off abroad to find out what happiness means to different types of people. I was sold at that point. I’m not saying it’s a knockout, but it was worth the £1 it cost me to rent from the Google Play Store!
Robbie Collin in the Telegraph disagrees – ‘This smug and cod-philosophical film features Simon Pegg in his worst role to date’.
I had to google what cod-philosophical meant. Maybe Robbie isn’t the target audience and didn’t need a few hours of easy watching to let the mind wander or provide a slight glint of inspiration. If you do, you’ll really enjoy it, and you might actually learn a wee pearl of wisdom from it.
At this point you should watch the film before you read on. I think it’s called a SPOILER ALERT.
This is the trailer;
Throughout the film Pegg’s character notes down the following lessons;
1. Making comparisons can spoil you happiness
2. A lot of people think happiness means being richer or more important
3. Many people only see happiness in their future
4. Happiness could be the freedom to love more than one woman at a time (lads lads lads)
5. Sometimes happiness is not knowing the whole story
6. Avoiding unhappiness is not the road to happiness
7. Does the person you are with (wife, partner, husband, boyfriend) bring you predominantly up or down?
8. Happiness is answering your calling
9. Happiness is being loved for who you are
10. Sweet potato stew
11. Fear is an impediment to happiness
12. Happiness is feeling completely alive
13. Happiness is knowing how to celebrate
14. Listening is Loving
15. Nostalgia is not what it used to be
So, yes it’s a list. Did it tell me anything I didn’t know? Probably not, but it is portrayed it in a way I could relate. And that is brilliant. If you put that list in real terms, it looks something like this;
1. If you compare yourself to others throughout life, you’ll never stop. Be ok with who you are now. Decide what is important to you. It will be your greatest asset.
2. The rat race? To get the bigger house, the bigger car. Sometimes happiness can be a lot simpler than that. Know what drives you. This will stop the comparisons too.
3. Live for now! I am guilty of thinking 2, 3 even 4 steps ahead – ‘yeh but if that happens, then that happens, then that….’. We all do it, but STOP. Enjoy the now! Just do it, don’t worry too much about consequence, it could make 2, 3 and 4 more interesting.
4. Each to their own(s).
5. I think this nicely fits into no. 3. You’ll find that stuff just happens sometimes. Let it. Read Yes Man by Danny Wallace. Taught me a few things too.
6. FEAR! We all know that right? ‘Yeh, but what will they think, what if that happens, wouldn’t it be much easier to just that?’…. I find excitement is a form of happiness, and risks can be exciting.
7. Well, do they? Really? Or are you just safe and making compromises?
8. Follow your passion. If something doesn’t make you happy, or makes you sad, what things can you do to change it? How can you break that thing down and take small steps? Even very small. Take them. And apply 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 7 to it. 9, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 also.
9. Not who you think you should be. Remember point no. 1?
10. It’s part of the film. I kinda think it represents family time. Make time for that, it is where you came from and you can quickly forget that.
11. There’s that FEAR word again. Fuck fear.
12. Challenge yourself. A lot of lists read ‘do one thing every day scares you every day’. I think that is quite challenging to complete actually. But just write a bunch of things down that you want to do but you have always thought not possible, or because that is what ‘other people do’. You want to jump out of a plane? Well, shit, that is completely possible. GO AND DO IT, YOU ARE ONLY SCARED OF YOURSELF (and 15,000 feet). How do you want to be remembered?!
13. Parties are fun. Do them a lot and with people you love. They make people honest 😉
14. Listen to others, you will learn and become closer. But also allow time to be listened to by those that you trust and know you. One thing I inherently dislike is someone who gives you advice but in their shoes. Find someone who knows you and can give you advice based off you (remember number 1? We can all get a little lost!). Those people are golden. But also listen to yourself, your gut. All the time.
15. Don’t let the past negatively affect your future. We all have bad experiences but fuck, life is too short and I guarantee not every situation or person is the same, and you constantly learn. Protect yourself, but don’t be too risk adverse and fearful of challenge, something new or a chance for excitement.
A lot of the films message comes from the idea that we are at our most free as children, and that childhood happiness is what we spend a lifetime trying to get back – the pursuit of happiness. It then presents the idea of happiness in the pursuit, the idea in my mind, that just going for it can be bloody good too.
I like that. Combine that list, and that is what you get. Let go, don’t fight happiness, let it come and embrace every opportunity it presents. I think that is called excitement and excitement is better than waiting.
I reckon we could all learn from that.
I am guessing Robbie would disagree with me. Sorry Robbie.
JP
stopdreamingandstartliving 