If I asked you right now what would make you happy, what would you say? A raise at work? A better relationship with your spouse? A nicer car? If you got it, would that really be “the thing” that makes you happy? I can almost guarantee that it would not. Here is a poem that was written by a 14 year old back in 1989. Take this poem to heart.
Present Tense
~ by Jason Lehman
It was spring, but it was summer I wanted,
the warm days, and the great outdoors.
It was summer, but it was fall I wanted,
the colorful leaves, and the cool, dry air.
It was autumn, but it was winter I wanted,
the beautiful snow, and the joy of the holiday season.
I was a child, but it was adulthood I wanted,
the freedom, and the respect.
I was twenty, but it was thirty I wanted
to be mature, and sophisticated.
I was middle-aged, but it was thirty I wanted,
the youth, and the free spirit.
I was retired, but it was middle-age, that I wanted,
the presence of mind, without limitations.
My life was over,
but I never got what I wanted.
That is a powerful life lesson. Are you spending your life wishing for something else, or are you finding happiness in the things that you have? No, you probably don’t have everything that you want. Are you going to give up happiness for whatever those “things” are? I have known wealthy people that are miserable, and broke people that are happy. How can that be? It is because happiness is a choice. You decide if you are going to be happy with what you have, or if “that thing” will make you happy. Chances are that when you get that thing, you will want something else.
Don’t spend your life longing for what is next, or for what has already passed. Make the most of each day, be thankful for what you have, and decide to be happy. It may not be instant, but the more you tell yourself that you are happy with what you have, the happier you will be with what you have.
