Many people choose a point in time (event) when they will start to relax, start enjoying life and be happy. This is Satan’s quiet and gentle recipe that he feeds us. See, when you are happy and full of joy, it is hard for him to manipulate your thoughts. He thrives on, loneliness, depression, anxiety, loss, low self-esteem. When you are upbeat and holding your head high, he losses.

Several events that people quietly peg as their happy points are; promotion at work, when the kids reach x age, when the car is paid off, when I get in shape, when I save x amount of money, when I graduate, when we get that house, have that lifestyle, have those friends, live in that neighborhood, when I retire, and the list could go on for pages.

The problem with planning happiness around future events is, they may come and then they may never come. You turn around late in life and realize you kept putting off happiness and now it is too late. Go home tonight and turn your phone off and have a family dinner together or go surprise your loved ones by dropping in. lead the conversations and really listen and watch their faces and eyes as they talk. Bank those moments into your hard drive. Tell them you love them with all your heart and really look them in the eyes when you say it. Kiss them even though they may think they are too old for it.

Your life is not your work. Work is not what will define you nor will your success make up for not being there with those you love. Set aside those desires to do this, change that, go there, be that, because whether you know it or not, every time you let yourself go there in your mind, you are pushing off happiness and joy for a future date. KT