#19- A Recipe for Unhappiness

One of the surprises after 40 for me has been an increased appreciation of life.  When I was younger I would have told you I was happy, but in actuality my journey was one of unmet expectations: the more I achieved the more I wanted to achieve; the more I made, the more I wanted to make.  You get the idea.  Harmless, you may say: it’s human nature to be unappreciative of what we have.  Human nature, yes.  But harmless?  No.

In fact, a mindset of scarcity can lead you on a marathon in pursuit of God knows what.  It might mean the unnecessary pursuit of professional degrees: get one and you want more.  Or else, you may go through an army of mates and lose ‘the one’ in the meantime.  Other folks end up frozen to death at the top of Mount Everest in their pursuits.  However you add it up, we’re talking about the disease of MORE.  

There’s nothing sadder than the fact that some people are never satisfied with what they have, right up until their dying day!

The golden years do not come when we are retired and lacking in health.  The golden years are now.  We each have only 24 precious hours a day and it’s up to each one of us to decide how we’ll spend them.  Let’s be honest, it’s amazing how long the seasons of discontent in our lives can last if we let them.  Decide to be happy now.  Sometimes our unhappiness is the result of an endless pursuit of the unattainable.  Maybe the best time to execute your plan is today.  Don’t wait until all of the stars are perfectly aligned and all of the lights in the universe are green at the same time- it’s not going to happen!  

Let’s face it, when we wait to celebrate later when there’s more time, we often miss out. In reality, our children will never be this old again; we’ll never pass exactly this way, and today’s date will only be a historical event come tomorrow.  The only thing we have right now is the PRESENT!

So, what will you do with your present today?  Are you going to continue looking forward to the future and miss out on now?  Why not make the choice to savor what you do have?  Enjoy the now.  It’s like a friend of mine once said: “Wherever you are, be all there!” 

Wherever you are, I hope and pray that you will make the most of today.  Rejoice now, don’t wait until you’ve got IT altogether, whatever IT may be.  Sit and have a cup of coffee with your spouse- the dirty laundry will still be there ten minutes from now.  Take an extra long walk.  Spend some time looking at old photo albums.  Take a nap.  You get the idea: most of us are over achievers who just need to take it easy once in awhile.  When's the last time you went for a joy ride without an actual destination in mind?  Sometimes making the most of today means taking it easy.

Please be sure to comment if this post has resonated with you  today!