Happiness is not just a choice, it is also a right. Yes, we all deserve to be happy but what’s more important now is that we have that ultimate right to be happy and the U.S. Constitution says so.
By legal definition, “pursuit of happiness” is an inalienable right that is enumerated in the Declaration of Independence. That’s in addition to our right to life and liberty, and it refers to the right to pursue any legal activity that’s essential to your happiness just as long as it does not infringe on the rights and safety of others.
The pursuit of happiness is a fundamental right which means that we, as humans, are free to pursue joy and live our lives in a way that makes us happy just as long as we do not perform illegal activities or violate the rights of other individuals.
So if you want to pursue your happiness, you have every right to chase after it and claim it but never at the expense of others and without violating any laws.
Happiness as a Human Right
Nobody can ever blame you for being happy. It is more than a choice now because it is considered a human right. Basically, the pursuit of happiness can be considered as an umbrella term to represent other forms of human rights that equate to one’s joy, quality of life, and self-fulfillment.
Examples are; right to have your own family, the right to marriage, the right to equality, and the right to privacy among many others.
Practicing these rights and preserving them are often linked to one’s pursuit of happiness. For example; for us to be happy, we should be free to marry the person that we truly love instead of being forced to marry someone due to tradition and culture.
Another example; career-driven women should be entitled to the same job opportunities as men in order to achieve personal growth and improvement instead of being forced to live a domesticated life.
These examples reflect how each person is entitled to his/her happiness by recognizing human rights regardless of various circumstances like cultural aspects and gender.
Taking Action: Doing What Makes You Happy
If you want to be happy, you have to take action. You have to become proactive in life in order to determine the things that are essential to your pursuit.
For instance; if your idea of happiness is having an active social life and a wide network of friends and acquaintances, you can try meeting new people by joining social organizations, or by working in a field that involves a lot of human interaction, or by trying modern approaches in meeting new friends such as using social phone lines and becoming active in various social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
If you’re happiest when you’re helping other people, you have every right to pursue charity and work on various organizations that aim to create a better world such as the UNICEF.
Alternatively, you may also choose a career that involves helping others like entering the medical field, doing social and volunteer works, or organizing your own charitable institution for a specific cause. The bottom line is about you “taking action” to pursue your happiness as long as it’s for the betterment of yourself and of others.
What Makes You Happy?
How do you define your own happiness? Some would base happiness on things that are tangible such as money, property, and various material aspects.
There are some who would equate happiness to their sense of fulfillment, being with the people they love, and seeing their dreams come true. There are no right or wrong answers to this question.
In truth and reality, it all boils down to finding that one reason as to why you want to wake up tomorrow and why you want to go on living.
Just as long as you’re not putting anyone at risk or in danger and just as long as you’re not breaking the rules of society; there is no reason as to why you should not pursue your happiness. The Declaration of Independence means that you are free to become anyone in this world just as long as it leads you to a path of joy.