In Pursuit Of Happiness

Chester was a tiny little dog. He was excited to start puppy school, but he was also nervous because he had no idea what trade he wanted to pursue.  

After months of waiting, he finally realized he wanted to be a guard dog. 

"Chester’s mom had given him all of the time in the world to choose what trade he wanted to learn. But her patience was wearing thin.  

Chester, have you decided what you want to do with your life? All of your brothers and sisters have already gone off to pup school and graduated. Why are you taking so long to blossom?” asked his mother. 

“Mom, I want to be a guard dog,” Chester blurted out.  

“Honey, you’re so small. You can't be a guard dog; you'll get eaten alive.” remarked Chester’s mother. 

This lit a fire under Chester. He was determined to pursue his road to happiness, no matter how long and hard the journey may be. “Mom, I’ve made up my mind. I am going to be a guard dog,” said Chester before he skipped away.  

The very next morning, he enrolled in pup school as a guard dog. His classmates were German Shepherds, Pit Bulls and only the toughest dogs. But Chester felt confident in his ability to succeed. 

When he got home from school, Chester would exercise to build up his strength. It was tough, but he stuck to his guns. He knew he could do it. 

At his final examination, he had to run an obstacle course in under 45 seconds. And, because of his hard work and small size, he was able to complete the obstacle course in 20 seconds!  

Against all odds, Chester became a guard dog. 

Initially, Chester’s fear of failure kept him from pursuing his dream of being a guard dog. And, when he finally worked up the courage to follow his passion, he was criticized. Nonetheless, Chester stuck to his guns and achieved exactly what he set out to do.  

He pursued his happiness and won.  Surely, you’ve encountered a situation where your lack of confidence has stopped you from chasing something you know you would love to do. However, if you don’t even try, you've already lost the battle. 

Maybe you couldn’t give that executive your elevator pitch because you thought he wouldn’t spare a second to talk to you. Or you may have even opted for a “safe” college major rather than what you truly love to do.  It’s important to remember that every day is an opportunity to succeed. And pursuing your happiness can effectively be done just one step at a time. 

If you want to be a doctor someday, the first step is showing up to class. If you want to work as a bridal consultant, the first step is handing out resumes.  Once you take the first step, once you get up off the couch, the steps that follow seem to fall into place!