Happiness According To Charlie Chaplin, An Example To Follow

Let’s talk about ” happiness “. Do you have good luggage today? Maybe your pockets are empty, maybe you don’t live in the house of your dreams and maybe you have lost those people who once made you smile so much.

But happiness is not found only on a material level, the dimension towards which we usually strive when we set our goals. And happiness is not even an impossible-to-achieve entelechy. It is not a holy grail to be lifted after having accomplished a personal feat. True happiness, the authentic one, consists of a simple attitude. A vision. A point from which to observe life.

Happiness is in fact found within each of us, and must be cultivated day after day, through the easiest, simplest, most elementary things. It is always possible to decide whether to take the steepest road and full of negativity, giving up, or choose to draw strength from oneself, turning our gaze to positivity  in favor of daily motivation, in favor of those simple illusions that make us hope for the future. and enjoy the present.

Happiness is undoubtedly a healthy exercise to be practiced every day. And one of the methods to achieve it is based on the perspective of one of the myths of the history of cinema: Charlie Chaplin. Many of you are certainly big fans of his works, but for others his figure could be nothing more than a name belonging to the past, devoid of luster.

Today we want to show you an aspect of him, of the real man behind the character. Because we are sure it will enchant you.

Charlie Chaplin, the man behind the character

Surely you know unforgettable works such as “The Gold Rush”, “Modern Times” or “The Great Dictator”. They are part of the cultural heritage of all of us, of our history, and have laid the foundations for the evolution of cinema. A humor that speaks of humanity and which is often intertwined with tragedy, and which is capable of making us smile every time. A demonstration of audacity.

According to many, although it may seem an exaggeration, without Charlie Chaplin cinema would not have been the same. No one is given to know, as this industry has always fed on great names and great ideas, always new perspectives aimed at innovating the world of cinema, and with it, our imagination and our emotions. Because the cinema does not cease to be a “dream factory” for everyone.

But let’s go back to the gist of our speech. We were talking about happiness. Happiness seen through the point of view of this icon of cinema, Charlie Chaplin. Do you know what perhaps was hiding behind that odd-walking little man? This British artist was gifted with the arts and the scene. He was an acrobat with a refined instinct for comedy, but seen with eyes that tend towards the tragic. Bitter-sweet.

He was a man of a thousand faces : actor, director, musician, screenwriter, producer, editor, but above all a man who learned to overcome adversity from a very young age. In fact, he grew up in the most absolute precariousness. He survived as best he could on the stages, always immersed in the world of entertainment, but perennially marked by the curse of hunger and malnutrition.

His family was like a destroyed nest, where finding the security needed to grow up was impossible. Devoid of love and values. His father never took care of him or his siblings, and his mother, although she was also a stage artist, suffered from severe mental disorders that forced her to remain locked up in nursing homes for a long time. Away from them.

Behind the character, behind those big shoes, his cane and his dusty vest, was his true story. Those traits that hid him only half, since in reality they were part of his essence, they showed us what he really was. A man who survived and knew how to reinvent himself. A man able to extract a smile from the tragedy and able to communicate with an audience that was well aware of the issues that were being dealt with.

Chaplin was a craftsman of emotions, and as such, he left us a worthy legacy not only in the world of cinema. He did it in his own words. Here is a perfect example, in the hope that it will help you:

Reflection of Charlie Chaplin

Life is a play without initial rehearsals …

So sing, laugh, dance, cry

And live intensely every moment of your life …

… before the curtain falls

and the opera ends without applause.

Come on, smile!

But don’t hide behind your smiles anymore …

Show what you are, without fear.

There are people who dream

With your smile, like me.

Alive! Try!

Life is nothing more than an attempt.

Loves!

Love above all,

loves everything and everyone.

Don’t close your eyes to the filth of the world,

don’t ignore hunger!

Forget the bomb,

but first do something to fight it,

even if you don’t think you can.

Search for!

Look for what is good in everything and everyone.

Do not make defects a reason for detachment,

but of approach.

Accept!

Life, people,

make them your reason for living.

Understand!

Understand people who think differently from you,

do not try them again.

Hey! Look…

Look behind you, how many friends …

How many have you made happy today?

Or have you hurt someone with your selfishness?

Hey! Do not rush…

Why are you in such a hurry?

Just run inside yourself.

Dream!

But do no harm to anyone e

Don’t turn your dreams on the run.

Believe! Hope!

There is always a way out,

a star will always shine.

You cry! Struggle!

Do what you think is right,

listen to what’s inside you.

Listen…

Listen to what other people are saying

They have to say, it is important.

Salts…

Make obstacles on the steps

To achieve your goals.

Never forget yourself

Of those who have not been able to climb

The ladder of life.

You discover!

Find out what’s good in you.

Try to be kind first,

I’ll try too.

Hey! You…

Now go in peace.

I just want to tell you that … I LOVE YOU,

simply because you exist.

Charlie Chaplin