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The pursuit of happiness is something this nation knows all about. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of it is what every American wishes to obtain. Unfortunately, I believe that a lot of Americans aren’t happy and/or can’t find a path to happiness that suits them and their needs. It’s so unfortunate that in the land of plenty, few are genuinely happy.

In ancient times, the people of the world didn’t have a lot of the things that we have today and ultimately take for granted. Even though the Bible and our history books have taught us that these ancient people weren’t always happy, they seem to have gotten by just fine. So apparently, the things that the human race has created over time haven’t made us any happier. Sure, these things were made for our conveniences, and some really do help us out, but they haven’t succeeded in elevating our level of true happiness or created any more time for us. And certainly our happiness hasn’t decreased due to lack of things, or even lack of money.
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On this Thanksgiving holiday, when we sit with family and friends to express gratitude for the things we have in life, I will think of Randy Pausch. If you haven’t heard his name yet, you should have. On the afternoon of Sept. 18 the Carnegie-Mellon University professor walked into a packed auditorium on the Pittsburgh campus and delivered his "last lecture."

It was a doozy.

Pausch spoke with the theatrics of a showman, the wit of a master comic, and the eloquence of a statesman. He recalled his own childhood dreams, his life’s goal to enable the dreams of others, and the lessons he learned and wanted to share over the 46 years of his life. Pausch is a handsome man, with a full head of black hair, bushy eyebrows, and a remarkable sense of humor. Of all the lectures this computer science prof had delivered during years in classrooms, this one was especially poignant and urgent. He began simply enough by quoting his father who always told him that when there is an elephant in the room you introduce it.

So Pausch pulled up on an overhead screen a trio of CAT scans that showed the 10 tumors in his liver and spoke about his doctors’ prognosis that he had three to six months of good health left. "That is what it is," he said simply. "We can’t change it. We cannot change the cards we are dealt—just how we play the hand."

[ Business Week ]

This has gotten me thinking lately. Since recently my father passed from Leukemia, obviously this story touches me. We’ve got to make sure we live life to the fullest every single day. We’ve got to make sure we don’t burn bridges that might not ever have the opportunity to get rebuilt. Most of all, we must truly, deeply, spiritually; give thanks daily to the Creator and cherish the time you get to have with family. This life is the only life you have, don’t waste it by harboring ill feelings or by not expressing your true feelings.