"Okay, and then what?"
I've been asking myself this question lately when my mind leans toward the future. Whether I'm imagining my happiness being in my next job, home, relationship, milestone, or desired financial circumstance, I ask myself after achieving future goals - what next?
It's an interesting thought process to engage in because when you ask yourself, "Okay and then what?" your mind will try to conceive of another goal to accomplish that will bring you "more" happiness, peace, well-being - whatever it is that you're attaching those outcomes to. When I do this, my mind struggles to come up with another goal or happiness milestone because it's already so set on its one trajectory path that it can't think of an alternative to what it hopes will be the end-all be-all of my future contentment.
For example, I currently believe when my book is finally published and I can go on a book tour, sign copies of my books to readers, work on a second book, expand my reach, become involved more public speaking engagements, that everything will magically fall into place and like waving a wand - voila! - all of my problems and issues will be wiped clean and I won't have to deal with anything troubling anymore.
Well, unfortunately as we're all well aware of this by now, we are ALWAYS going through something. Once we hit our target goals, there are going to be more desires right behind it and with those desires, a new journey to embark upon with a new set of difficulties and challenges that come along with it.
I write about this a lot, but it's something that I still forget even when writing and discussing it as much as I do.
My question for you today is, "Okay, and then what?" Where do you plan to go after you achieve your next goal? What is your next desired outcome? What are you attaching a future happiness to with your current dream for your life? And most importantly, where can you find the happiness and comfort in your current state of being - a state of being you most likely longed for years prior?
Because if you can't be happy and grateful for what you already have in your life right now, then even when you get to the next stage of your journey, you're not going to appreciate all of the beauty that next chapter has to offer. You must start cultivating the mindset of peace, gratitude and happiness for ALL that you currently possess or even when you do land your next dream job, house, car, partner - whatever it is - you will already have been in the process of looking for the lack rather than the gifts.
Begin a daily practice of focusing on all the good, all the grateful, all the love, and watch as your life's blessings rise to the surface, as you probably have a lot more to be thankful for than you think.
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