If you want to be happy, be.
 |
| Image: All Rights Reserved |
| London : Macmillan Children’s |
| 2011 |
‘I don’t think you have explained why you let Maia–’
Miss Minton interrupted him. ‘I will explain. At least I will try to. You see, I have looked after some truly dreadful children in my time and it was easy not to get fond of them. After all, a governess is not a mother. But Maia… well, I’m afraid I grew to love her. And that meant I began to think what I would do if she was my child.’
‘And you would let her–’ began Mr. Murray.
But Miss Minton stopped him. ‘I would let her… have adventures. I would let her… choose her path. It would be hard… it was hard… but I would do it. Oh, not completely, of course. Some things have to go on. Cleaning one’s teeth, arithmetic. But Maia fell in love with the Amazon. It happens. The place was for her- and the people. Of course there was some danger, but there is danger everywhere……’ She broke off, gathering her thoughts. ‘When she was traveling and exploring… and finding her songs Maia wasn’t just happy; she was…herself. I think something broke in Maia when her parents died, and out there it was healed. Perhaps I’m mad–and the professor too–but I think children must lead big lives… if it is in them to do so. And it is in Maia.’
Extract from the book Journey to the river sea
By Eva Ibbotson
All Rights Reserved.
London : Macmillan Children’s, 2011.
Call Number: J English IBB
Extract contributed by Fan Wenqing from Tanjong Katong Girls School
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To what lengths would you go in pursuit of true happiness knowing that the path you take could also jeopardise your safety?
August 13th, 2011 at 11:31 am
I would do anything to achieve true happiness. We live only once and dangers are everywhere, it is the inevitable.
It’s not the dangers that we have to face that’s important, but how we deal with the upcoming dangers. We’re never defeated unless we give up on ourselves. Because after all… true happiness is worth a lifetime.
August 13th, 2011 at 3:04 pm
Anything is possible. The path you take, may be dangerous, but as we strive for happiness, dangers can’t be predictable. Therefore, it is worth to do something than trying nothing when dangers are all around. It is how we face or deal with the dangers coming upon us. Happiness is not about safety, it’s about how we spend our life…
August 13th, 2011 at 5:15 pm
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
(Robert Frost)
Happiness may be scaling Mount Everest, winning a competition or even something small like drinking your favorite tea. It is unique to us.
So what if the road ahead is fraught with danger? So what if everyone warns you of the potential risk you’ll have to undertake?(money,time,energy etc)
These do not matter. As long as your mind is set, all there is left to do is to take the first step, then the second step, followed by another and another.
August 28th, 2011 at 2:55 pm
The saying ‘No pain, no gain’ will be most apt here to introduce the concept that one has to challenge their limits to know TRUE happiness.
The greatest risk is to take no risk at all; our local hero Khoo Seow Chiow scaled the Seven Summits in order to fulfill his pursuit of dreams, despite unimaginable financial & physical hardships.
He serves to remind us that while we should take care of our own bodies, the drive to reach our goals at times require sacrifices which we must accept!
August 30th, 2011 at 9:40 pm
In order to be happy, one has to sacrifice something. One will never know true happiness without taking a risk, as there will always be the regret that an opportunity has been passed by. As the saying goes, no pain, no gain.
August 30th, 2011 at 10:06 pm
If not for happiness, what else do we live in this world for? If all we do is the same routine over and over again for decades, what would be the point of living? Life is full of adventures and no one’s life woul be perfect and full of right decisions. All great changes in this world comes from people who not only dare to dream of the unconventional, but decides to take a bold step to fulfill it, despite what obstacles they may come across. We only have one life, live it to the fullest, leave no regrets. If you step back from a challenge,you will never succeed, and all you have is regret for missing opportunities. If you embrace the challenge, you may win, or you may lose. Even if you lose, it is with no regret.
August 30th, 2011 at 11:03 pm
I would go to the ends of the earth if I could for true happiness, even if it would jeopardize my safety. If we do not make sacrifices for true happiness, then what do we make sacrifices for? It would be pointless for most other purposes. If there is a way that we can truly be happy, why not take risks and go for it. After all it is for our happiness. If taking a few risks along the way is all that it takes, why not go for it. every choice has its own risks that we need to take, what could be better to risk ourselves for but our happiness. If it is in our reach, why not reach out and grab hold of it? Safety and worries are just things that hold us back from true happiness, but after all whether or not to take the risk is up to the person.
August 31st, 2011 at 3:19 am
Although the danger would make the taste of happiness sweeter, I do not think that I might want to take the route. How can it be true happiness, if it has to jeopardise your life? Yet danger can be differently interpreted. In the story, Maia does not think she is in danger, because she is with someone of the tribe, who knows the people, and who the tribe would accept without questions. Yet in the view of the police who ‘rescued’ them, he thinks that these are savages who are going to kill Maia and her friends. So, it is different.
yes, the eventual prize is true happiness. But if along the way I have to risk so much, live in constant suspicion and fear, the road to true happiness will make me so miserable along the way that, if eventually I find happiness, I wonder if it will be enough to assuage all the previous pain and will it be worth it?
September 1st, 2011 at 12:07 am
Certainly, when we jeopardise our safety when in pursuit for our true happiness, it would make the taste of happiness much sweeter. However, when we risked our life and safety just to happy, have we thought if it would be worthwhile? I am sure there are other safer paths to take when in search of our happiness and very often, we just have to wait. don’t give all your life and take risk just for one moment of happiness, if we fail, it would be very hard for us to climb back up again! Oppotunities come and go, the pursuit of happiness can sure be achieve safely, without facing danger and risking.
September 21st, 2011 at 10:53 pm
Yes i agree, taking unnecessary risks would not be healthy for happiness. it always returns to haunt you, for instance when Thor stole the sword of surtur in a movie, he wanted to win thw quest but provoked the enemies.
November 7th, 2011 at 8:57 pm
True happiness is very sacred and precious to me. No matter how dangerous the path might take, I’ll still brave through all the obstacles and soar to my goal. I believe that true happiness will provide me with the mysterious power to keep up with the “never say die” attitude during my quest for true happiness. If I am foccused and serious about my true happiness, I will do anything for it, unless I have to do something evil or harmful to mankind. I believe that my closed ones around me will also give their fullest support for my decision and will give me an extra boost of strength to strive on and complete my quest to pursuit true happiness. I strongly feel that every human should have the power and right to pursuit his/her true happiness. I totally agree with the phrase “If you want to be happy be.” !
February 14th, 2012 at 11:02 pm
True happiness is a very difficult thing to define. Many people spend their entire lives searching for this one thing and yet only few know the true meaning of it. Personally, the decision that I make would be based on what this ‘true happiness’ is perceived to be. Is it temporary, or is it a lifetime’s worth of bliss? For the former, I would shy away from the idea of endangering my safety. I only take calculated risks and would not view it as something worth sacrificing my life for. Some people find their true happiness in others, such as their kin or loved one. However, I find it hard to comprehend their actions because people are ever-changing. The spark of joy that was once there might fade over time, and the result may cause one losing his or her ‘true happiness’. The process is painful and foolish and the end product is, in my opinion, not worthwhile.
However, if eternal or long-lasting happiness is ensured, I would not hesitate to take a leap of faith, even if it means jeopardising my safety. Happiness is precious and I would let neither my fears nor worries hinder me from pursuing what I desire to have. Before you can reach the summit, you have to journey up the mountain. I believe, after finding such true happiness, all the pain and toll that I’ve gone through along the way would be worth it.
August 9th, 2012 at 10:04 am
I agree that if someone wants to be happy, he should be. After all, happiness is what people desire and want for their whole lives. They will work hard and earn money, in order to provide a better life for themselves, and to find happiness as well. There makes no reason to prevent someone from being happy. If that happiness needs to come with effort, it will taste even sweeter when achieved. Even if there is danger involved, one should still strive for happiness because that is life’s purpose. Without happiness, life has no meaning.
August 10th, 2012 at 11:25 pm
I will certainly not jeopardise my safety just so as to pursue true happiness. Firstly, I am certainly not one who dares to take risks. I feel that I am happy in my comfort zone and there is absolutely no need to get out of it in order to pursue true happiness. Indeed, with an attitude like this, I may miss out on a lot in life. However, I do not think that the means of pursuing happiness whilst jeopardising my safety outweigh the ends. In the end, if I lose my life, there will be no more happiness to look forward to. I feel that sacrificing my life just for the sake of happiness is simply not worth it at all. Secondly, I feel that I have many responsibilities too. If I were to forsake my life just for happiness, I am not being fair to those whom I have a duty to fulfil my role. For example, everyone has a family and everyone has to play a part in making their family is a closely-knitted one. In event a member leaves a family, the grief the family members have to go through is immense. I do not think it is fair that others have to suffer the consequences of my actions, especially when I am pursuing something I want for myself. Thus, in order not to hurt anyone around us, it is best to stay within our comfort zones. I am sure that within our comfort zones, happiness can be found too and we can, as the fairy tales go, live happily ever after.
August 20th, 2012 at 1:48 am
I would not jeopardise my safety in pursuit of true happiness. I feel that the reason why people would want to search for true happiness is because they feel that their life would be greatly improved if they have true happiness. These people feel that the grass is greener on the other side, thus they step out of their comfort zones in search of this greener grass.
However, I feel that it is better to tend to our own grass. Over time, the things we cultivate is sure to give us true happiness, rather than going out in search of true happiness when the result is not guaranteed.
By doing this, I do not take away what may be the happiness of others. Instead I choose to place effort in cultivating my own happiness. The cultivation may take long, and that stepping out of our comfort zones in search of happiness may yield faster results, but I would rather take the method that guarantees results than one that may be faster, but does not have guaranteed results.
This shows how determined I am in the pursuit of my own happiness that does not jeopardise my safety.