Be Happy Now

I feel that I have found the answer to all my troubles in one statement. Be happy now! I used to think that my happiness resided outside of now, always out there. Einstein once said, “There is no out there, out there.” It’s has been called, “chasing the white rabbit.” If you ever watch a dog race, there is a mechanical rabbit that leads the dogs around the track. It is always out of their reach, and they never catch it. I would think to myself that I would be happy when Friday rolls around, or when school is on a long break or summer. I would often think when I was young that maybe I would be happier when I got to graduation or become an adult with a career. I have even thought, quite recently, that I cannot wait to retire, then maybe I would be happy. A shift happened. I signed up for a program that taught me to go inward and discover who I really am and who I am meant to be. One of the most recent practices was to envision a future I would truly love. I was to feel the emotions of me doing whatever that was, take it in with all my senses as if it was happening at that moment. With my eyes closed and visualizing this amazing future I felt something extraordinary. In that moment I was content and elated with feelings of great joy and happiness. I was happy now and I was doing it without chasing something. In my mind and even in my body, I was experiencing the feeling I thought a future would provide. I came to a very strong realization. I can be happy now! Any time I wanted to feel happiness and joy of that moment, I could create it! Why is this so pivotal? Because I don’t have to wait for that future thing to be happy. I am not even promised the time that it would take to get to that event, let alone, feel great happiness once I arrive there. The thing about that white rabbit is that we can never really catch it, but there is good news. We have all that we need to be happy in every moment we desire it. If what I visualized does come to a reality, and I am confident that it can, I will have been fulfilled every day leading up to it. It will then just be another experience in my life when I can choose pure joy and happiness as I desire it. If it never comes to pass, then my happiness is not tied to the outcome, it is always tied to my choice in the present, the only place in time that ever truly exists. I choose not to waste one more moment chasing something I can already feel and receive. I will choose to be happy now!