When I was younger, I remember talking to my friends about how wonderful the future was going to be. We were so excited to grow up and be teachers, artists, and singers. We would have families and pets, and everything would be bright and happy, as all adult lives seemed from a little kid's perspective.
When I was 16, I couldn’t wait to graduate high school and turn 18. Then I would be a real adult, and I would have freedom with a job and a choice to live how I wanted. Now that I’m in college, I still find myself trapped in the bubble of thinking the future will bring a source of happiness as if it’s a destination we are all trying to reach rather than something we can all have right in this moment.
Maybe you’re in college, thinking if only you could graduate and score that dream job, you’d be happy. Maybe you’re single, and you think if only you could finally meet your soulmate, you’d be happy. Maybe you’re happily married, but if only you could have those children, then you’d finally be happy. Maybe you have a family, but if only you could purchase that perfect home you’ve always wanted, then you’d be happy.
It’s a never-ending cycle, and quite honestly, it’s exhausting.
So why not stop?
Stop imagining your future being so much better than the present. (Unless the present is absolutely unimaginably awful, then yeah. Go ahead and think about the better days ahead). But if you’re just going through the different seasons of life, look for the happiness that is present in every single day, because it’s here in this very moment, and you can spot it throughout each day.
Look for those fun conversations you can have in line at the grocery store with the person in front of you. Enjoy the people you sit next to in class and learn a little more about their world. Learn from the elderly, and take everything they say to heart because there is always wisdom there. Smile at everyone you pass by, and go above and beyond in everything you do.
Appreciate a helping hand, and offer one in return. Dance in the rain. Sing to your favorite songs. Eat your favorite foods. Wherever happiness is for you, go to it. Everyday.
Don’t rush through college, because I guarantee we’ll never be next door neighbors to every single friend we have ever again. Enjoy being single, because it’s the only time you get to prove to yourself that you are capable and can conquer anything.
Appreciate relationships, and stand in awe at the fact that you get to be apart of someone else’s story, and them in yours while you support and love each other through every curve ball life has. Love every house you’re in, and always make it a home filled with laughter and memories. Take a picture, write it down, hold it in a special place in your heart.
Life is temporary. Too temporary to be hoping that the best is yet to come, because maybe right now is all we have. Find happiness in today, and then go out and do the same thing for all of the tomorrows.
