Encouragement
Are You Delaying Happiness in Your Life?
By Dan Langerock
Have you ever heard someone say, "I'll be happy when….
I find a new job."
I make a certain amount of money."
Find someone else to have a relationship with."
There are many variations to these sentences, and maybe you have done this yourself. But what are you saying when you have this mindset? You are delaying being happy until that certain something happens, which may never come about. But how do you keep from having this mentality?
Enjoy Your Present Journey
When you are on a trip across country by car, do you stop along the way and sightsee or do you put "blinders" on and just speed on by anxious to get to your destination? The same principle is true in your life. You can disregard the good things that are happening to you right now and just set your sights on your eventual goal. But think of all the blessings you will miss if you do this. You have one objective in mind and that is a blessing that may or may not happen. Instead, you could have many blessings as you work toward something of value.
Look for Blessings
Sometimes we just don't see what is around us because we are so preoccupied with the busyness and troubles of life. As a hospital chaplain, I sometimes have to help people see the good things they are experiencing without realizing it.
A lot of the news we encounter in the media is on the negative side, so our natures gravitate toward that focus in life without perhaps meaning to. There are always going to be bad things happening in life, but we don't have to concentrate on them. Rather, we can acknowledge they are present, but focus on something positive in our lives instead.
While I was going to Bible School my right eye was blinded by a retina detachment. At first, I was upset because I didn't see how it could be fixed. I didn't want to miss any classes but I had to get my eye fixed. I wrote some letters to find some help and by the grace of God I was able to have an operation. It was done in such a way that I didn't miss any classes either. What a blessing!
I could have kept focusing on what was happening to me and become more depressed, which I almost did. But, instead, I focused on what God wanted for me in this situation and it came out okay. I felt so helpless, but God's best work is done when our limits are reached.
We always have the choice to be happy as we go along the road of life, or we can wait for something in the future to happen that will bring us to this state of mind. It is much better to enjoy your life as you go along instead of delaying your happiness until you reach the goals you want. My parents always mixed business with pleasure when they did errands.
You can apply this principle to your life as well. Yes, you have to live the "business" of life, but you can still enjoy what is happening along the way. Get rid of this "tunnel vision" that only lets you be happy later on. There are many things to be thankful for right now, if you want to look for them.
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