“I think happiness, like joy, is mostly a choice. I see my struggle and want to continue to learn and mature. But I get to choose happiness each step of the journey. It is my choice to believe that I am inherently worthy and deserve compassion and have small gifts to offer this broken world. I make mistakes and sometimes wish I were different. But it is my choice to pull my brain and heart back into this present moment and decide to be happy now. I don’t have to wait”.
Shooting for big goals is perfectly fine but if not having those things is causing you to be unhappy, then perhaps you need to be reminded that the future isn’t guaranteed. We all think we have decades left to live but what if it’s much shorter than that? We’d certainly be wasting a lot of our precious time not being happy and completely missing the whole goal of life. You do not have time to be paralyzed by the thought of everything I want to do. Now is the time to take baby steps to achieve small goals and put big goals into action. Now is the time to go on an adventure. It doesn’t have to be traveling around the world; just something that makes your heart sing. Now is the moment to be grateful and step outside and listen to the birds chirping. Now is the time to let go of fear and allow ourselves to be free. Now is the time to love. There is no arrival point. There is no point in the future where there will be more time for self-love, for compassion, or for service.
It’s difficult to live in the now. In fact, it might be one of the most difficult things there is to do, since the world is practically built of distractions. We always seem to be planning for the next step, or rewinding the tape on things that have long since passed. While sure, everyone wants to know how to live in the moment and be fully present, actually being able to do it is a whole other can of worms. Nothing can disarm a negative mindset and bring you into the present quite like a joke. It is, after all, the best medicine. Regret is not your friend. Thinking about what you could have done differently is a common habit, and can be helpful if you use it to approach things differently in the future.
Having an inspirational sticky note on your bedside table or saying “you’re beautiful” in the mirror every morning might not resonate with you. Same, girl. But that doesn’t mean you need to forget all affirmations. Another way to approach being in the now, and relieving yourself from constantly thinking and preparing, is simply to consider the standards you are holding yourself and others to, and if it’s actually realistic, and if it’s actually worth it. So, my dear reader, if you are willing for a change I think the right moment could be now.
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