Learn to enjoy now…

Where does the time go? I was going to try to write at least one blog a month, seems I’m skipping months. This does lead me nicely to my next topic though. Which is to make the most of every moment you have. None of us know what’s around the corner, it might not even be a direct personal event, it might happen to those around us and it spills into our lives. We then have to run with this and it alters whatever plans we might have had.

Do you make the most of now? The most of your life as it is? Or are you wishing it away? Are you discontent and hoping that the future will bring with it change and more enjoyment? More purpose and more fulfillment? Are you playing the lottery hoping that it’ll bring you riches and therefore happiness?

By all means keep playing the lottery, you never know, it could be you. In the meantime though, see if you can make the most of what you have. I’m pretty sure more money probably won’t make your experience of life better, here’s an example to illustrate my point.

I was playing basket ball in the back garden with my son and having a brilliant in depth chat about Psychology and Philosophy (probably not a great shock to discover the topic!). He’s in his late teens and starting to look at what he needs to do to make his way into life and meet his and his cultures expectations of what a “good” or “successful” life is. We were chatting through if more money really can make things better. I made the point to him that we were playing with a pretty cheap basketball, into a pretty old and ramshackle hoop in our back garden and yet I couldn’t have been having a better time. If you had instantly transported us to LA onto a top basketball court and given us the most expensive ball going it wouldn’t have made my (and it turns out his) experience of that evening together, in that moment, any better.

This is the secret, loving what you have and getting the most from every moment. Money doesn’t buy happiness, time spent doing things you love is what often brings happiness. It turns out a lot of the things we love doing don’t cost that much if anything either. I want you to feel what you want to do in a given moment and do it. Go for a walk if you want, chat to your friends, cook, watch You-Tube clips, do whatever you feel you want to do. Because if you do that, those minutes spent engaged will feel good, if not excellent. If you can then extend that further and further into your life, your life will start to feel far more fulfilling. It’s amazing what you can get done in a short space of time, especially if it’s something you really want to do.

To return to the pursuit of money, now I agree a certain level of income does let you do the things you want to do without constraint. But there is a limit to how much you really need, there are studies to show that after a certain level of income it doesn’t appear to “buy” any more happiness or contentment. It can also become an end in itself and this is when people get lost in making money rather than using it to better/enjoy their and other peoples lives.

If you can be happy and truly enjoy your life as it is now, then you have pretty much got it made. As to live without the need to constantly attain more will reduce stress and envy. Buy those things you’ve always wanted, treat yourself, these can be rewards for hard work or sacrifices made. Make sure though, that you really treasure and enjoy them, not think to yourself, “well I’ve got this version, but what about the model above it?”. Stop and think what will actually make you happy, you may discover it’s time that needs spending, not money. Time spent with yourself or with those you love and care about. If you’re going to spend that time, then do it now, don’t wait for the “right time”, as there isn’t a right time. There really is only now…