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Do You Postpone Happiness?

As you read the title of this article, what emotion comes up for you? Do you feel annoyance at what seems to be a silly question? Are you saying to yourself, “Why would anyone postpone happiness, even deliberately?”

Surprisingly, millions of people throughout the world do postpone happiness every day!

Let’s explore the following:

  • What is happiness?
  • What are some key factors to happiness?
  • How could you postpone your own happiness?
  • Being mindful

Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present.

—Jim Rohn.

What is Happiness?

Happiness has been defined as an ‘ongoing state of well-being’ which implies that there is no destination for happiness as if once you get there you’re perpetually happy.  Instead, happiness is a journey that you embark on following a set of principles or guidelines.

It has been established that people who are generous and content are generally happier than those who are always pursuing the ‘next big thing.’

Key Factors to Happiness: Money vs Generosity

There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving.

Acts 20:35

Many people conclude that having lots of money will allow them to enjoy ultimate happiness.  There is nothing wrong with having money as money allows you to have choices and do good for others. However, the Journal of Happiness Studies noted that once we’ve met our basic needs, more income has little effect on improving our overall happiness or sense of well-being.

Instead, being generous, even if it’s with your time and energy, results in greater happiness as you develop lifelong friendships and goodwill, as well as the feeling of intense satisfaction that you’ve enriched the life of another person.

Key Factors to Happiness: Resilience

Life doesn’t get easier or more forgiving, we get stronger and more resilient.

― Steve Maraboli

The practice of resilience is also referred to as grit.  It’s also called bounce-back-ability.  Resilience is not something we’re born with, but it’s something that can be cultivated.

According to psychologists, grit is the ability to commit to long-term goals and see them through despite the adversity we may face along the road to accomplishing our goals. It is tenacity, perseverance, and a meld of other qualities like optimism, self-motivation, and self-discipline.

How Do You Postpone Happiness?

In essence, you postpone happiness when you add a future time to your ability to be happy.

Imagine you’re traveling from Florida to California in a beautiful camper with your family.  Along the journey, there are many delightful sights and places to visit, but you barely give them a glance.  Your focus is, “When I get to California I will do this and that.”

Remember we said earlier that happiness is a journey, not a destination.  Hence, instead of finding enjoyment in little things each day, many people postpone happiness by saying, “I’ll be happy when…[I get a better paying job; have my own home; get a nicer car; retire, etc.]

Become More Self-Aware

You can easily fall into mindlessly thinking that happiness will result from tangible things, with a ‘more is better’ philosophy.

When you become mindful and fully self-aware, you’ll appreciate that happiness is not a result of tangible things.  It’s a state of mind that allows you to further your progress in both your personal and professional life so that every day, you’re achieving goals and reaching new milestones toward a better life.

Qualities like love, compassion, empathy, forgiveness of yourself and others, as well as knowing your purpose, are things you can practice each day. By doing so, you will avoid postponing happiness and enjoy the journey.

Over to You, Dear Reader

What are some ways that you have experienced more happiness? What advice would you give to a friend who is postponing happiness?

Yvonne A. Jones
Yvonne A. Joneshttps://50andwisercoaching.com/
YVONNE is a Personal Business Coach | Relationship Marketing Strategist| Amazon Best-Selling Author| International Speaker. She is the Founder of the 50 and Wiser Community on Facebook – a Group of women who want to DO more, GIVE more, and BE more. As a certified Strategy and Accountability Coach, she helps Entrepreneurs, Coaches, Consultants, and Small Business Owners eliminate limiting beliefs, create a business they love, and have fun doing so. Her favorite client is a highly-motivated woman 50 and Wiser who has been in business for approximately one year and is ready to empower herself and move to the next level. Yvonne’s background is in banking, Human Resources, administration, and Customer Service. At 52 years she handed in her resignation and walked away from Corporate America to start her own business full-time. She has experienced the joys and challenges of owning multiple businesses. She was listed on HuffingtonPost.com as one of the “Top 100 Most Social Customer Service Pros on Twitter” and on GetApp.com: “One of the Top 15 Most Influential Customer Service Experts to Follow on Twitter.” Despite the recognition and promotions received while in corporate life in Jamaica and America, she now considers herself “unemployable” due to her love of being her own boss and inspiring others to pursue their passion and dreams. Yvonne’s mantra: “Focus on relationships; the money will follow.”

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10 CONVERSATIONS

  1. It is a tendency that can compromise personal well-being, that of never being satisfied with one’s goals and of indefinitely postponing the conditions for feeling happy and at peace with oneself, waiting for external circumstances that then, when they actually arrive, leave space. to new expectations.
    Some advice? You can start by trying to indulge in some transgression, some unscheduled entertainment, accepting the fact of not being perfect and being able to enjoy moments of relaxation for their own sake. Furthermore, meditation and relaxation techniques are useful for learning to live in the present and to free oneself from both past conditioning and anxieties for the future; mindfulness, in particular, helps you become more aware of present experiences and be more grateful for what you have.

  2. Yvonne, great share!
    Happiness is accepting it un the current moment there is always something good in everything.
    Thank you for this added awareness. It’s beautiful.

    I recently posted a poem.. “ What Really Matters”…. when we see what Really Matters… we can appreciate what we have and not what we want or think is going to make us happy.
    That appreciation is truly giving …someone else wants what you have.. health, family, food, clothing…

    Things aren’t breathers.. and there will always be something to chase…

    Excerpt,,,
    “ What you pine after
    Is something for later
    Why spend time
    Being a chaser
    ….

    What matters first
    Not what you want
    But what you have
    Without the flaunt

    If you let things
    Control your journey
    You lose the way
    And stay hungry

    And my favorite line..

    True happiness lies
    When life is pleasing
    Nothing else matters
    If it isn’t breathing
    …”

    So I just had to share a few stanzas with you as it shows I’m quite agreeable with you! 😀😀😀

    So true…love this…
    “There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving.”
    Acts 20:35

    Thank you my happy lady.

    • Thank you, Charlotte, for reading and sharing the Ted Talk. I will listen and share my take-aways with you. Just wanted to acknowledge your comment and appreciate you right away.

  3. Thank you, Laura, for sharing your awesome thoughts on the topic. There’s nothing wrong with planning ahead and looking to the future, yet it should not be to the detriment of enjoying the present moment. And after being on 5 Zoom calls/Teleseminar/FB Lives today, I’m about to do exactly what you mentioned making time for and that’s to take a walk and enjoy looking at flowers in my neighbors’ gardens and exchange a Hello or two, all of which make me happy.

  4. Yvonne,
    I enjoyed reading this article about the pursuit of happiness. I can relate, and I am a firm believer that we create our joy each day. For me, it’s making time to write or going for a walk or a chat with a friend. It’s any number of moments that enable me to live in the present. While it is good to look forward, it is so beneficial to seize the day also.

    That’s for sharing this great piece!

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