We start out in life with high hopes, even higher expectations, and the knowledge that everything in life will go as planned. We make decisions based on our hopes and dreams around our lifetime goals – schools, spouses, employment, and retirement.
But somehow life has a way of dashing our game plan. Education may not be what we thought it would be. Marriages, fail. Jobs come and go. And retirement somehow wasn’t the cruise we signed up for…but it IS the ship we’re on!
Don’t let disappointments pollute your mind. We must be aware that our outside circumstances have nothing to do with our inside happiness – what really matters.
Our happiness is not a goal, attained once and for all. Happiness is finding that joy in the present situation on our journey to fulfillment. There is no one way to happiness.
Sometimes we put off happiness until…until we are out of school, until we are married, until we have children, until the children leave, until the divorce is final, until you pay off the house, until you get a promotion, until you retire…
Alfred D. Souza put it in perspective, “For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin – real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, or a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.”
These situations, for better or worse, are the building blocks of our lives. And as soon as we accept them, acknowledge them, and learn from them, we will be finding the joy that we seek. It may not be “easy street” and our lives will always be filled with challenges. It’s best to admit and decide to embrace the happiness offered no matter the situation.
I’ve always loved this adage: Bloom where you are planted.
Yes, we are all called to bloom in the garden of our own lives. Right here ….Right now…”Remember:
“Work like you don’t need the money,
Love like you’ve never been hurt,
And dance like no one is watching.
