In America nobody says you have to keep the circumstances somebody else gave you. – Amy Tan
One of the truly great fictional authors of our time, Amy Tan, celebrates her birthday today. Since I don’t believe that one’s age should define them, I’ll just say it’s her birthday – and leave which birthday it is on the low.
Amy Tan’s celebrated novels include The Joy Luck Club
Born in the US to immigrant parents from China, Amy Tan failed her mother’s expectations that she become a doctor and concert pianist. She settled on writing fiction.
Parents!
The quote at the top of the post indicates the strength that must have seen her through life’s challenges, whether they these challenges presented themselves as a mom with very lofty ideals or an extremely dangerous bout with Lyme Disease.
Granted, we have to play the cards that life deals us. But the moves we make? They’re entirely up to us, after all, they’re in our hands – not someone else’s.
Circumstances, at most, dictate our childhoods. As soon as we are able to define ourselves and our goals with our adult minds we come to a crossroads.
Whether we make our lives our own is entirely up to us. Many of us let ourselves be carried by the ‘human tide’ forever. We do what others tell us to, meet their expectations. We don’t rock the boat.
However, some of us, and perhaps it will never really be clear why, develop the distinction that our life is our own. This might happen in our late teens, or our late thirties, but it does happen. For some of us.
I’ve always been obsessed with happiness, what it is and how to get it. Why are some people are happy with circumstances others wouldn’t tolerate.?
I believe we are all in search of fulfillment. Anyone you see today who is truly happy is fulfilled, or at least some way towards fulfillment.
sahail’s last blog post..Happiness – does smiling help?