I just watched a pretty fantastic movie, available on Netflix. It’s titled “Hector and the Search for Happiness” and features Simon Pegg as a psychiatrist who, feeling dissatisfied with his life, decides to journey the world to discover what makes people happy. If you love movies and have a couple hours to spare, I would definitely recommend it.
Throughout the movie Hector compiles a list of facts about (or rules for) happiness – which, because this is a movie, becomes increasingly less important than the adventures he’s having in the meantime. Some of the rules on his list are useless outside the context of the movie. One in particular is quickly crossed out (I think the language of the list makes it pretty obvious which one). But some of these rules resonate with me. In future posts I may refer to some of these rules… also it was annoyingly inconvenient to find a site that had the list from the movie instead of the book, so I decided to post one here.
Hector and the Search for Happines: The List
- Making comparisons can spoil your happiness.
- A lot of people think happiness is being rich or important.
- Many people see happiness only in their future.
- Happiness could be the freedom to love more than one woman at the same time.
- Sometimes happiness is not knowing the whole story.
- Avoiding unhappiness is not the road to happiness.
- Does the person you’re with bring you predominately A) Up or B) Down?
- Happiness is answering your calling.
- Happiness is being loved for who you are.
- Sweet Potato Stew!
- Fear is an impediment to happiness.
- Happiness is feeling completely alive.
- Happiness is knowing how to celebrate.
- Listening is loving.
- Nostalgia is not what it used to be.
Let’s keep this short and sweet – there’s the list, and we’ll see you next time.
Chasing Enlightenment 