Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness

Certain things of late, pumpkin, have made me begin to question the nature of success.

Thinking in this case more specifically about what it is that makes us successful people, I think it’s important that I outline for you precisely what it is that I think that means.

When you look around at the your friends and relations, pumpkin, you should think about what it is in their lives that you admire. I’m not talking here about cars and amplifiers, I’m talking about the ways in which they live their lives. The tools and methods that they use to ensure their happiness.

Because success, pumpkin, is not involved with your finances. Sure, it’s nice to feel like you have some money to do nice things and to buy nice things, but the pursuit of wealth in and of itself is not a virtue that I hold to be good and right.

In examining your parent’s lives, my sweet punkling, you should know that we do have good jobs and exciting careers. Those careers, pumpkin, were not built on a foundation of acquiring wealth for its own sake. Rather, if you think about it, you will see that both your mum and I (and your grandfathers, all three of them, and your grandmothers, all four of them, and your uncles and aunts and assorted hangers on, one and all) all of them, pumpkin, have chosen fields that excite them. That stimulate their brains. They are all successful, pumpkin, because they live their lives to the full. They are all successful, pumpkin, because they get up in the morning knowing that their day is going to be interesting. The amount of money they make while doing that is, inevitably, a secondary concern, and it is that which I am most trying to get across.

Don't get sidetracked, pumpkin, into beleiving that money will make you happy. It's great relationships, good food and better red wine that do that.

Love you.