A SAILOR once said: “For a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin – real life.
“But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be overcome, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin.
“At last, it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life. This perspective helped me see that happiness is not the destination but the journey.”
Our experience always tells us to postpone our happiness, even though we do not consciously set out to do so, but we keep convincing ourselves, “someday I’ll be happy”.
We tell ourselves we’ll be happy when our bills are paid, when we get out of school, get the first job, a promotion, a family, and so on.
Then we are frustrated that the kids are not old enough and we tell ourselves that we will be content when they are.
We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we have a nice car, are able to go on a vacation, when we retire.
The truth is that there is no better time to be happy than right now! If not now, then when?
Happiness is not tomorrow, it is now. Happiness is not dependency, it is a decision.
Bridget Menezes is the author of Second Edition of Self-Empowerment and Spiritual Counsellor. Readers can email her at lifestyle.bridget@thesundaily.com.
