When we are children, we easily dream of our futures. We imagine living wonderful lives with fun jobs and being a part of a supportive partnership, family, or community. Without realizing it, we are imagining both success and happiness. In the human imagination, those two concepts – success and happiness – go hand in hand. As if when you have success, you automatically experience happiness. That isn’t always the case. Success is getting what you want, i.e., Achieving a goal. Happiness is wanting what you have. Some people who worked hard to get somewhere or earn something find they don’t like where they are once, they get there. Goals by their nature are always in the future, but happiness is something you can always have right now – by appreciating the things in your life that bring you joy and for which you are grateful. Each morning, take 30 seconds to feel gratitude for three things. Most likely, you will begin to feel happier.
