Waiting for Happiness

24 Apr Waiting for Happiness

Too many of us are living life just waiting for “one day” to suddenly be happy.

I have heard from too many people in groups/workshops that I was leading, as well as in conversations with friends, that indicated that they were living life on hold. They appeared to be just trying to get through today so they would be one day closer to obtaining the elusive state of happiness that they believed that tomorrow will surely bring.

That magic day, when many believe that happiness will suddenly descend upon her life, will come (and these are real examples!)

• When she loses ten pounds
• When she gets her dream job
• When she falls in love, gets married (or gets divorced!)
• When she buys her first home
• When she finally has a baby!
• When the babies are (finally!) out of diapers
• When she gets her (much deserved) promotion
• When she loses fifteen pounds
• When she finally pays off her bills
• When she gets a degree (or another degree) in what she REALLY wants to do
• When the kids graduate high school, graduate college or get a place of their own
• When she is able to buy/build her dream home
• When she has time to take classes, write, paint and exercise as much as she wants to
• When she loses twenty pounds
• When she can finally leave her job, slow down and retire! (For many, the day they are waiting for was retirement!

They believe that they will magically be happy then! They are 25, 35, 40 years old and waiting for the day that they will be 67~ because THEN they’ll be happy and life will be all that they have always wanted it to be!)

In all of these conversations, workshops and groups, nobody appeared to believe, or indicated in any way, that they thought there was anything that they could do to own happiness right now.

Too much time and energy was spent waiting…for something that they believed they didn’t control…for a day that may never come. What is that about?

The woman in this picture appears as if she is truly enjoying her life. That is amazing and something everyone absolutely deserves, but does it have to be put off?!

I am going to offer the possibility that you don’t have to wait to achieve that feeling in your own life. You don’t have to dream about a day that everything will finally come together. You can decide that you are going to own your happiness today, and all of the tomorrows that are waiting for you…because it’s your life and you deserve to fully live it.

ACTION:

1. Write down what you believe needs to happen in your life for you to feel happy/fulfilled.
2. What do you want…in all areas of your life?
3. Why do you want those things?
4. What are you doing to reach your goals?
5. What is standing in your way?
6. How do you plan on getting around or over those obstacles?

Happiness is not going to descend upon you…you must define what you need, and then go out and get it….