How about we stop waiting for summer. For the kids to be older. Until we drop the last 5kg. For Friday. For the weekend. Until the exams are over. The reno is done. The mortgage is paid off. The house is bought. The deposit is saved. Until she behaves herself. Until the flights are booked. The work is done. The boss says yes. The campaign is over. The treatment is complete. The project starts. The term finishes. Until we have some space. Until we have some time. Until they sleep through the night. Until he/she says yes. Until we can afford it.
How about we stop with the waiting? If we are not mindful, happiness can be deferred for so many good, and not so good, reasons. Daily life can become a mental ticker tape of things to get done, and days to be got through, before the big ticket milestones fall into place. We can become so focused on the future that we forget to connect to the tiny moments of joy that are inherent in the now.
It is a great truth that as much as there is always something to appreciate in the worst of times (if we dig really deep it will be there), conversely there is always something to complain about in the best of times, if that is where our focus goes. It’s up to each of us to figure out which way we want to habitually look at the world.
Choosing to stop waiting to be happy can be one of the most powerful choices we can ever make. We can miss so many everyday moments of happiness accessible right now this minute when we are in wait mode for the significant jigsaw pieces of life to fall into place.
We can choose to be happy now when we breathe in the aroma of our fresh cuppa. When a small hand slips into ours at pick-up. That we have people to share a meal with at the end of the day. For the nourishing food on our plate. That we have incredible gadgets to clean our home that prior generations spent their whole day doing manually (my granny had a mangle in the outhouse for goodness sake!). That we just messaged a friend 12,000 miles away on the other side of the world in three seconds on our phone. That our sheets smell clean and fresh. That we breathe such clean green air and don’t even think about it. That our body is walking, talking and seeing effortlessly. The sunshine on our skin. The breeze in our hair. The smile of a stranger. The unbridled glee of a child at something so small. The dog so happy to see us home.
When we are waiting for the big jigsaw pieces to fall into place and rushing to the next thing, we can chronically overlook the tiny moments of joy that are only accessible now, now, now. It’s the little moments that light life up.
Look up people, look up. Happiness is right now.
Through her online Happiness programme “Wellbeing Warriors”, life coach Louise Thompson helps people unlock their happiest and healthiest life. Sign up at louisethompson.com and find more from Louise at bite.co.nz/wellbeing