Bittersweet Symphony

                I’ve heard people talk about how it’s too hard to move up in the world because the competition is so far ahead and so ruthless in its tactics.

                But looking at the competition of the late 1800s and early 1900s, it’s clear that moving up is possible.

                You may say something to the effect of “business now isn’t like it was in the past,” but did you consider that maybe you aren’t like the Americans of the past?

                During the time these men were advancing to power, the United States was fairly fresh out of a Civil War that tested “whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.” Those would be the words of the Gettysburg Address.

                According to Lincoln, what was that nation dedicated to?

                It was “dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”

                All men are created equal.  There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it.  “Created equal” does not mean that the government sees them as equal.  It means that they are created equal by their Creator,  who, according to the Declaration of Independence, endows each and every man “with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

                “Pursuit of Happiness.” Read that again.  I’m pretty sure it still says “Pursuit of Happiness.” If you haven’t caught the message yet, read it again, and I’ll help you out this time; “Pursuit of Happiness.”

                Now let’s look at the synonyms of pursuit.  They are as follows, according to the results on Bing: “striving toward, quest after/for, search for, aim, goal, objective, dream.”

                I’m fairly certain that “lack of adversity,” “being provided happiness by the government or another power,” and “everyone being cordial and nice and helping you to happiness” were not in there.  Did you want to read through the synonyms again?

                “striving toward, quest after/for, search for, aim, goal, objective, dream.”

                Hopefully you got it the second time.

                If you haven’t noticed, we will all face adversity in our lifetimes.  The rich of the Industrial Revolution certainly didn’t go without it.  The women who fought for the right to vote and the blacks who fought for equality and the men who founded the nation that gives you the right to pursue happiness certainly didn’t have it easy.

                I don’t have it easy.  I’ve got an immune deficiency that may prevent me from fulfilling my dream of serving my country. 

                Nearly every single day I can hear someone complain about an insult from a person who honestly won’t matter to them in the long run, or about how they’re depressed because they never seem to be able to get what they want, or some other complaint relating to how the world doesn’t provide for their every whim.  Maybe we’re just a bunch of pansies now.

                We all face adversity.  Throughout history and up to the present there have always been obstacles.  Those who succeed are the people who overcome those obstacles.  You have to have the courage to overcome the obstacles.  Sometimes life will suck, but you can overcome, just like the Americans of the Civil Rights movement. 

                “It’s a bittersweet symphony this life.”-The Verve