Instead of trying to create high-quality posts right from day one, I’ve decided to simply start sharing my thoughts and ideas, regardless of whether they form coherent posts at this point.

I think the reason for this delay is that I was trying too hard to write content that I believe is acceptable for others to read (or waiting for it to magically happen). Then an amazing thing happened last night. I watched an incredible film called Speak. In a lot of ways, the movie was an amazing catalyst for me. There are many things that I’ve been working out about myself recently, and I’ve spent the majority of the past 3 months holed up inside, thinking about myself and the direction my life is taking. Kristen Stewart’s character reminded me of myself in more ways than one. I am known by my family and friends as a ridiculously quiet (almost mute) person, and yet I have so many ideas that I want to share with them. I simply can’t (at this moment) find the courage to open myself to the possible judgement and criticism that would bring. I don’t know how I came to be this shy, but that’s the way it is, and I want it to change as soon as possible.

A few lessons that I took away from Speak:

1. Nothing will change unless you make it happen.

2. People can’t read your thoughts. You have to speak in order for people to understand you.

3. Every action you take has a huge butterfly effect (also an amazing movie) on the world around you.

This isn’t to say that I had no idea about these 3 things before I watched Speak, but the film really drove each point home for me, and has kept me thinking about them since, and likely for a while to come. Hopefully I will be able to translate each point into a full post soon.

I’d like to hear what you think of the film, and whether it has changed your life in any way.

The title Happiness & The Fish is actually inspired (stolen?) from the title of a song by my favourite Canadian rock band, Our Lady Peace. The name of the album basically explains the message conveyed by the song (and this blog):

“Happiness… is not a fish that you can catch”

By seeing happiness as some future state that we can exist in if we do all the right things (there’s a whole lot of posts packed into that sentence), we deny ourselves the simple joys of living in the moment, and we miss the beauty of the world surrounding us.

Happiness & The Fish is a blog that challenges today’s consumer society and materialism, and the idea that happiness is waiting for you around the next corner, if you just jump through society’s hoops for your whole life.

I hope that this blog can help you move away from the constant need for more stuff, and toward a healthier, more sustainable, enjoyable way of life, even as I push myself toward that same ideal lifestyle.

I won’t bore you with details, but I’ll share a simple list of keywords that Happiness & The Fish will be centered around:

1. Minimalism

2. The Pursuit of Happiness

3. Personal Growth

4. Critical Thinking

5. Learning

6. Atheism

A small blurb about myself might be helpful too: I’m a 19 year old university student, pursuing an engineering degree.

I’m sure that as I grow and learn, my interests will change, and so will the content of this blog. However, I believe those few things will be a constant on Happiness & The Fish, so if you are interested in any or all of the subjects above, by all means subscribe, and we’ll help make the world a little more awesome together!

Thanks for reading!