What’s your happiness waiting for?
This year, 20th March, was International Happiness Day, so I’d like to share something that’s been really helpful for me in finding more happiness, contentment and peace of mind in my life.
It’s nothing to do with stuff, or rituals, or practices. It’s simply about noticing, and realising.
Noticing when I’ve inadvertently tied my happiness to something that has nothing to do with it, and realising that that’s not where my happiness, wellbeing, peace of mind or contentment comes from.
These moments usually come when I see I have an “I’ll be happy when…” thought running through my head. We all do this from time to time. For example:
- I’ll be happy when it’s Friday
- I’ll be happy when I get a new job
- I’ll be happy when I feel better
And sometimes they look like “I can’t be happy unless…”. Here are some I’ve heard from clients:
- I can’t be happy if I don’t have children
- I can’t be happy if my partner keeps behaving this way
- I can’t be happy without being in a relationship
When we wake up to what’s going on, and realise that our ability to enjoy life, to feel happy, content or peaceful or just ‘fine’, has nothing to with any of those things we’ve made it conditional on, we are freed from feeling at the mercy of our circumstances.
What would it mean to you, to have your happiness and contentment now, instead of waiting til later?
What is it you’re waiting for, to be happy now?
I’d love to hear from you — write a comment to let me know.
Take care and enjoy life!
