Kay:
Well, hello fellow life adventurers! Today is the 4th of July Eve, AKA July 3rd. And, this is Episode 130 of The Mentorship Quest! We’ve got a great quote for you today from Benjamin Franklin. And, he says this about the Constitution,”The constitution only guarantees you the right to pursue happiness. You have to go out and catch it yourself.”
Shi:
Mmmm…This is such great wisdom, and I love the fact that we’re acknowledging that we’ve got this document, the Constitution, that outlined some inalienable rights for the citizens of the U.S. – which were pretty progressive, considering when they came out. And, even to this day, our constitution is pretty amazing. And, so many have been modeled after it. But, you can only do so much with a structure, or a system, or a document, or a law, or a governing structure, around what it is that YOU think your ideals and values are. Because, even with all of that in place, and a system to support it, and a structure to hold it, it still takes action on an individual’s behalf to reinforce it.
Kay:
Yeah! Well, I think Benjamin Franklin probably gets into the mid 1780’s, where the Constitution’s now been written, and we’ve had our Declaration of Independence for almost a decade, and we’re like nine or ten years into this whole independent country business. And, he’s probably looking around at his colleagues and hearing some of them say, “Well, you know, the weather has just been so cold and my feet hurt. And, I’m just so unhappy. And, I just don’t understand why my business isn’t growing and my food isn’t salty enough.”
Shi :
“I thought things would change after that constitution business got ratified.”
Kay:
“I thought after we left the British colonies, that our life would be better and happier.” BUT – just because there’s a rule written in a book, doesn’t make it true for your life….
Shi:
That’s right! You have the right to pursue, but that’s that right to pursue. And, I think that is the crux here. You have the right to pursue it, but you have to catch it yourself. So, “pursue” – “catch” – these are both intentional words that indicate that it’s going to take effort. And, it’s going to take focus. It’s going to take intentional, consistent movement in that direction of what you define to be happiness, in order to quote on quote “achieve” it.
Kay:
How many of us have the right to free speech, but how often do you say everything that you’re thinking, or always speak up for the things that you believe in? You know, we have the right to be happy and to be free, but how often do we find ourselves in negative loops and cycles of unhappiness? And so, although you have the right to do all of those things in this country…just because you have the right doesn’t mean you have the ACTION behind that right. So, what are you doing right now to pursue YOUR happiness? How are you out there helping to create the dream that our forefathers had for this country? Because, as we were putting together this podcast outline, we said, “You know what? Man, our society is flawed. But boy, this sure does beat feudalistic society, or a caste system. So like, we kind of got it made!”
Shi:
We do! We have it pretty good here, especially within the structure and system that we work out of. Which, it obviously needs altering and help. And, we’ve been very vocal about wanting to help change, particularly the systemic racism issue in the U.S…But, as the U.S. has gone into revolt over this, we’re seeing it pop up all over the world. So, it’s really interesting to see that being addressed, and wanting to find that true independence, that true equality, and that true inalienableness for every one of our citizens. But, even when that is achieved, we are still going to have to “catch it” for ourselves in order to find and fulfill in on that happiness. And, I think that’s something that only you can do for yourself. And, by being a Mentorship Quester, you are already on the road to that, which is amazing, and good for you for being here!
Kay:
Well, I think it’s easy for us to lean on the words that are written in books that we respect, and that we love, and say, “Well, that is how things are.” But, for example, The Bible tells you to love thy neighbor, but if every single Christian out there loved thy neighbor all the time, we wouldn’t have holy war…
Kay & Shi:
*(Laughter)*
Kay:
So, what is written and what is done are two different things. So, thinking of this for yourself and your own life, this could be true as well. Are there goals that you’ve written down on a piece of paper that haven’t come true? Are there things that you’ve written in a book that you haven’t brought forward? Or, is there ever anything that you have thought in your mind, “Wow, wouldn’t my life be better if I did this?” but then just never went out and actually DID it? And so, it’s really important to ask yourself: Where have you had the right to pursue your own happiness, but you didn’t take action? And, for a reminder on what the quote for today said, “The Constitution only guarantees you the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it for yourself.”
Shi:
So, in honor of Independence Day in the U.S.A., (whether or not you are here in our country, or somewhere else in the world today), you can ALL partake in this quest, because it is a freedom quest!
Kay:
*(Sings)* FREEDOM!
Shi:
That’s right! So, with tomorrow being Independence Day in the USA, we want you to celebrate your own freedom, and your own happiness, in whatever way works for YOU! Remember, Franklin told us that we have the right to pursue it, but we have to go catch it ourselves. So, we want you to celebrate your own happiness, celebrate your own independence, and have a great 4th of July weekend! Are you ready?
Kay & Shi:
Let’s quest!
