We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.
Friedrich Koenig
Our minds are designed and hardwired to be goal-oriented; we constantly need a purpose in our lives to keep going. While this may not be something undesirable as such, making our dreams the be-all and end-all of our existence is a sure shot recipe for unhappiness, dissatisfaction and misery in the long run.
Let’s be honest, we all have plenty of things to be thankful for in our lives. We all have something that our best friend or next-door neighbor does not. It could be a caring family, a cuddly pet, or even a room where we can just be ourselves. However, more often than not, we start taking these little blessings in life for granted. Generally, the culprit is the stress born out of our near-crazy obsession with our dreams. We make our goals the ultimate purpose of our lives, committing the cardinal sin of pinning all our happiness on their fulfillment. Ask yourself this: how often have you forced yourself to not watch the movie you have been dying to watch, just so you could work on a project that is critical to your aspirations?
Unfortunately, every opportunity we put off to be happy is an opportunity missed. As mentioned above, human beings, by nature, constantly need a purpose in their lives. Once one objective is achieved, a higher goal springs up, and this goes on until our last breath. It does not take an extraordinarily wise man to tell how this impacts the peace of mind that hinged on those targets – it just keeps eluding us.
It is perfectly normal to dream big. After all, dreams are the bearers of hope for an even better future. However, nothing – not even our dreams – should stop us from appreciating whatever little we have in our present. Remembers, things could have been so much worse, and for many others, they actually are. We are all blessed in our own ways, and that is something we should be grateful for.
Friedrich Koenig (also known as Frederick Koenig) was a German scientist credited for the invention of the high-speed steam-powered printing press. He once said: “We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.”