You might not make it to the top, but if you are doing what you love, there is much more happiness there than being rich or famous.
Interpretation
Pursuing what you love brings more joy than wealth or fame.
Tony Hawk emphasizes that the true essence of happiness lies not in achieving wealth or fame, but in engaging in activities and passions that one genuinely loves. He suggests that the fulfillment and joy derived from doing what you love far outweigh the superficial benefits of popularity or fortune.
In practice
In a motivational speech about pursuing your dreams.
The pro skaters I know are responsible members of society. Many of them are fathers, homeowners, world travelers and successful entrepreneurs. Their hairdos and tattoos are simply part of our culture, even when they raise eyebrows during PTA meetings.
I believe that people should take pride in what they do, even if it is scorned or misunderstood by the public at large.
If I can stand up when I'm 80, I'll be happy to cruise around on a skateboard. If I feel like my skills are fading, I just won't do it publicly.
When I started skating, it was such a small community. You didn't aspire to be rich or famous or make a career out of it because that wasn't something anyone had done yet.
I consider skateboarding an art form, a lifestyle and a sport. 'Action sport' would be the least offensive categorization.
My definition of success is doing what you love. I feel many people do things because they feel they have to, and are hesitant to risk following their passion.
The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself.
Joy is our goal, our destiny. We cannot know who we are except in joy. Not knowing joy, we do not know ourselves.
Gratitude is the state of mind of thankfulness. As it is cultivated, we experience an increase in our "sympathetic joy," our happiness at another's happiness. Just as in the cultivation of compassion, we may feel the pain of others, so we may begin to feel their joy as well. And it doesn't stop there.
To me, the most important part of winning is joy. You can win without joy, but winning thatβs joyless is like eating in a four-star restaurant when youβre not hungry. Joy is a current of energy in your body, like chlorophyll or sunlight, that fills you up and makes you naturally want to do your best.
When we adopt a dog or any pet, we know it is going to end with us having to say goodbye, but we still do it. And we do it for a very good reason: They bring so much joy and optimism and happiness. They attack every moment of every day with that attitude.
Happiness is working with Jack Lemmon.
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