When life seems to reach a series of unfortunate events, there appears to be no way out except dream. While people strive for different “ideal lives,” many agree to pursue “happiness.”

The “pursuit of happiness” is one of the “unalienable rights” of people enumerated in the Declaration of Independence.

“To me the pursuit of happiness means to go after your dreams and the dream of becoming happy,” Molly Griffin, ’09, said. “Doing things that you succeed in helps to create happiness in your life.”

According to pathwaytohappiness.com, it is an authentic and natural desire of the human nature. On a deeper level it becomes about the heart?s desire, or satisfaction of the soul.

“I think you should always follow your heart’s desires and not your mind,” Clay Alcorn, ’10, said, “but your heart should never change.”

Based on a true story, the movie The Pursuit of Happyness shows the struggles to achieve the American Dream. Chris Gardner, (Will Smith), is a single father, has no money or formal education and struggles to find a job with a steady income to provide for his 5-year-old son.

“I pursue doing my best in every aspect of my life,” Taryn Brown, ’08, said, “because when you do your best and achieve a goal it builds confidence. If you don?t ever try to do your best you wont get anything done; if you do, it may prove to be worth while.”

Gardner spends nights in motels when affordable, if not sleeps in subway bathrooms and homeless shelters. He perseveres and holds on to the idea that he could succeed in providing his son with a better life. Determined to care for his son Christopher (Jaden Smith), Gardner enters an unpaid internship at a brokerage firm in hopes to acquire the one paid position available at the end of the training program.

“It is very important to pursue something in life,” Aaron Ortiz, ’07, said. “The pursuit of God is the most important goal of any Christian’s life. He is the one whom we serve and our everyday goal is to become more like him. The only way to become more like him is to pursue him.”

Gardner advises his son to never let someone tell him that he cant do something and if he has a dream, he has to protect it to achieve it. “Don?t ever let someone tell you that you cant do something; if you have a dream you have to protect it; if you want something, get it.”

“Your dreams are all you have sometimes,” Ashley Chavez, ’08, said. “When someone takes them away you feel like you can’t go on, so I protect my dreams.”