Stock Doc: The Pursuit of Happiness

I remember sitting at the back of the boat thinking about how little time I had left before I had to take on responsibility and the workload of a real psychologist. These would be the last moments of complete freedom and indulgence and I wanted to freeze them in my mind almost like a snapshot from a camera. I allowed myself to step out of myself for a few minutes to objectively take in everything around me.

I recall the laughter between friends, the serenity and color of the water, and the lyrics of Bob Marley. I doubt very much that any of my friends on the boat that day would remember that ride with the same imagery that I do to this day.

This quintessential moment made me think of that burly truck driver in Pennsylvania and how simple his request was that day at the coffee shop. For him, it wasn't about yachts, condos or filet mignons. To make him happy at that single moment, all he needed from the waitress was a piece of cherry crumb pie.

Learn to Appreciate

We often forget how simple it is to please ourselves because we are constantly looking out at the world and sizing up our self-worth against other people's accomplishments.

What happens to us in our maturation that prevents us from appreciating things the way we used to when we were younger? I believe the answer to this question lies in our perceptions of things and how our pasts color them in the present.