I spent the first three and a half decades of my life believing “I’ll be happy when _____ .“
When I grow up, when I get to high school, when I make varsity, when I get my driver’s license, when I date that certain boy, when I graduate from high school, when I get to college, when I graduate with a degree, when I start my first job, when I get married, when I build my house, when I _______________ .
We all fall into the “I’ll be happy when” trap. That’s exactly what it is: a miserable trap. If I’m not mindful, I can easily fall back into this trap.
Here’s what I know: the way I feel right now should not be a result of what I believe is coming down the pipeline.
Most of us spend a lifetime believing that once we achieve success, the career we want, or the milestone we’re seeking, then we will be fulfilled and happy. In the process, we ignore signs of depletion and burnout, we make huge sacrifices, we neglect our needs, we abandon ourselves, we sabotage our ability to be happy, and we miss out on the present moment. As a result, we cannot live life to its fullest.
Happiness will never come when the reward is always in the future.
Happiness is now. Happiness means enjoying every moment: the busy, the chaotic, and all the ones in between.
How are you feeling right now? Are the things you’re doing today bringing you joy, adding energy to your life, or draining it? Are you enjoying the moment or wishing it away as you wait for what you hope will be better?
“I’ll be happy when” is a poison that makes us sick, stressed, and miserable. “I can be happy now” is a medicine that heals, brings peace, and manifests contentment.
Which one will you choose?
We are not guaranteed “when”. We’re only guaranteed now. Now is all we have.
