Often we find ourselves reaching for things in life without truly knowing why. We are so often concerned with the future that we know no other way than to worry, stress, ruminate, plan and achieve, then begin again. Even during the holiday season, we spend all of our time focusing on one single day without truly stopping to enjoy all of the other days surrounding it. Then the holiday passes, and we find ourselves looking forward to the next holiday.
We ignore happiness that we could experience in the present in order to dream of the future. Instead of settling down to read a book in a beautifully decorated room, we worry about food, parties and preparations. When we could
be sipping hot chocolate and enjoying the weather, we succumb to anxiety about guest lists and gifts.
However, this extends far beyond holiday periods – this constant focus on the future infects every part of our lives, taking the focus off our current relationships and current careers, and creating a constant anxiety about the future. We are so used to reaching for the future and hearing that we deserve more, better, the best, that we forget to take a look
around; we don’t need to constantly reach elsewhere
because we already have wondrous things in our lives!
If we take a look at the friends and family we are surrounded with, the jobs we enjoy or our home lives, often times, we notice that we strive only out of habit. We have forgotten to sit down and enjoy what we have.
We all have little improvements that can be made, but these can be worked on while we enjoy what we have. We do not need to neglect the present in favor of the future. If we focus on the present, we can treat ourselves a little bit better and live more fulfilling lives.
