The Pursuit of Happyness

Filed in archive Goal Setting on December 15, 2006

Last night I had a serious conversation with my 15 year old son.

Yes, if you follow my posts, you know that we occasionally have a communication gap, which has sometimes been solved with music, but not last night. In fact, music is what set me off.

I came home from a meeting to discover that he was playing his guitar and hadn't completed his homework. It was 9pm. Not a whole lot of time left in the evening to complete his work.

Where are your priorities? I asked.

Where is your drive to do your best and complete a task with better than a "get by" attitude?

In two years I won't be there to drag your tush out of bed and nag you about your homework and make your lunch and and and - have you had these same conversations with your teens?

Well today a movie based on a true story opens up called The Pursuit of Happyness. The story of one man who has a dream and a list of seemingly insurmountable obstacles in his way.

No matter what challenges the main character, played by Will Smith, encounters, he faces them head on and with a calm, positive demeanor.

And he's not alone. He has his son in tow, watching his reaction and response to each challenge. Imagine if your reactions to professional and personal setbacks were observed by a little one. How would you handle the situation?

The movie is based on the real life story of Chris Garner, who was featured in a recent edition of Fortune Magazine..

He went from homeless to millionaire.

He had a goal, a dream, a vision of the life he wanted for his son and himself.

What would you do in the same situation?

Actually - what are you doing now, right this minute?

I'll be taking my son to see the movie over the Christmas break. I think we will both benefit from the inspirational story of Chris Garner played by Will Smith.