How did you finish that sentence? Or rather… did you finish the sentence? Too often, we are waiting for the next (fill in the blank) achievement, raise, holiday, party, job, retirement, work-out… only to experience a rush of feel-good chemicals that are short-lived and leave you feeling empty and ‘blah’ again. Think of something you accomplished or acquired recently that you were excitedly anticipating. After you had it, how long did the pleasure last? Did it last?
Our society is set up to base happiness on outside acquisition… our economy even relies on it. We want convenience, fast, short-term rewards and our brains get wired to crave them, leaving us wanting more. Now, this is not to say that we shouldn’t have desires..life is meant to be fun and I believe very strongly that desires lead us like an internal GPS to where we should go… but let’s not fool ourselves, focussing on the outcome doesn’t last. We want to finish school, get a job, travel, have a family, retire… maybe not all of the above and maybe not in that order. But in the end, what really matters? The moments along the way… none of it goes with you in the end.
True happiness and bliss that lasts is only ever found inside. External factors and circumstances come and go, so it’s a precarious situation! Like balancing on a ball… you’re going to fall off. It’s time to take your power back…
Happiness is also only ever found in the present moment. In the future, it will still be now. So why not look at how you would like to feel… why are you achieving, buying, or whatever it may be. Answer: Because you want to feel a certain way. See if you can find that feeling in some small way today.. if we can train ourselves to find the depth and quality of this moment, you will be far more likely to find it in the future.
Pause, notice the details of your life. See what goodness is already there. Notice the things that bring you joy and fulfillment now. Then you won’t miss them when the future arrives.
Have a great week friends!
Madeleine
