“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. 

The Declaration of Independence

These are the words that Americans have lived by for over two centuries. It has been the influence of an entire nation’s way of life and goals, procuring International urban legends such as the “American Dream” so much so that to move here is considered a blessing by many foreigners; and much to its name, the American Dream remains immaterial for many Americans, the staple American urban legend. 

“Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” 

We have life, we have liberty, but most of us are in a constant pursuit of happiness, and we don’t know where to find it. It’s like a game of tag that goes on forever. A game for children. Your win is not something anyone can be assured.

So, what can we do? How do we attain the seemingly unattainable? It’s simple, we adjust and adapt to our situation. If pursuing happiness is a game of tag, become a child.

The general attitude of a 3-year-old tends to be carefree and aloof, which most often, adults can learn a lot from. The happiest people I know act the same way. They have this nonchalant attitude about the world. They take joy in the smallest of things and laugh at the tiniest things because they understand that happiness is found everywhere. It is the air around us, the smiles of passersby, and the love of all of the people in our lives. I was once told that my sense of humor was so wondrous that I would find a leaf floating in the air funny, and I take pride in that. It has inspired me to be like that always. To not allow my childlike self to slip away.

This is not to say that we should be irresponsible and forgetful, but it doesn’t hurt not to be so serious all the time.

I know that learning from 3-year-olds is not something that most people would expect to hear (or read, in this instance) as advice on how to be happy, but I think that a lot of the time, there is so much that we can learn from children. They can remind us what it was like not to worry about ‘acting like an adult’ or ‘being mature’ because all of us have a child hidden inside of us that we never really grew out of, that is just waiting for a day to play again.

Think of all of the wonderful things we have learned from that are from children or about the attitude and ways of a child. The Little Prince has influenced a multitude of generations, teaching them to find joy in life and see everything in the little things. Kid President talked about social issues and called on everyday people to change the ways that we live our lives so that we model not just a respectable society, but a humane one. If anything, these just amp up the credibility of children.

They have bright minds and an amazing ability to see the wonder in the universe.

So, next time you are on a walk, enjoy those wild flowers growing in the middle of a sidewalk, and when you buy marshmallows at the grocery store, do your silliest happy dance, because I can guarantee you that those moments make life come together. Those moments are the ones that you will see in slow motion as your life flashes before your eyes. The little ones that will mean the world to you because the children came out to play.