“When you let go of what your life ‘should’ be, you are free to focus on what your life ‘could’ be right now.” – Happy Women Live Better
I posted this quote from Happy Women Live Better on my FaceBook fan page last week, and it seemed to resonate with a lot of people. A major turning point in my happiness came the day I decided to quit lamenting all the things I thought should be present in my life, but were not. I held tightly to the belief that if I could just have some of the things in my life that I didn’t have, then I could really be happy. That’s when God whispered in my spirit: Be happy right now. Happiness is an attitude we choose regardless of our circumstances. It isn’t always easy, but it is possible to notice and appreciate what you have rather than feeling sorry for yourself over what you don’t. What unfulfilled desire in your life tempts you to feel sorry for yourself? One secret to getting more of what you want is to stop insisting you must have it in order to be happy
When you let go of what you think your life “should” be,” you can then focus on making your life what it “could” be. Stop noticing everything wrong with your spouse or kids, and start building on what’s right. Quit complaining about the job you want to leave, and start celebrating some aspect of your job that you actually like. Refuse to mope about not being in a relationship, and start having fun and creating adventures that make your life exciting – partner or no partner. Take what you have and make the most of it. When you do, happiness follows. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy – a circle of good. Happiness causes success, not the other way around. So be grateful, enjoy life, and let the good things that follow delightfully surprise you. As you let go of the need to be in control and embrace the good all around you, it is amazing how those unfulfilled desires begin to unfold.
My challenge to you this week:
Let go of what “should” be and take a step towards what “could” be.
Journaling question:
What do you think “should” be in your life right now that isn’t? How has that “should” impacted your happiness? What good could you do in your life if you embraced your life exactly as it is?
