When my noisy neighbor shuts up, then I’ll be at peace.
When I lose 20 lbs, then I’ll wear that swimsuit and finally accept myself.
When I get that promotion, then I’ll finally go on vacation and enjoy some time off.
This game has got to be one of the biggest deflectors and killers of happiness, joy and fulfillment. The game relies on a specific mix of external circumstances to produce states of being that can only come from within. The playing field seems like it’s “out there in the world” (in media, amongst competitors, etc.) but the game is all really happening in our minds.
I recently realized that I had inadvertently subjected myself to this game. I signed a lease on a new place about a month ago and was super psyched to move in. Then I encountered a hiccup with the digs. This little speed bump began to take its toll on me emotionally and for about two weeks I wasn’t a happy camper. As that bump began to flatten out, another hiccup emerged in the form of a leak. “Aw hell no, you’ve got to be kidding me. I just moved in!”
:::PAUSE:::
This is when I caught myself. I was playing that damn game: When hiccup #1 goes away, then I can finally enjoy my place. When leak is fixed, then I’ll be at peace. I knew this game could go on ad infinitum because the mind can find endless things to be dissatisfied with. The mind can also find endless things to appreciate. It was my choice to get deliberate about shifting my outlook. And shift is what I did. Immediately. I looked for all the aspects of my new abode that I was thrilled with and I focused all my attention on that. I focused my attention on feeling good NOW. (Do you know that within an hour, the leak just stopped?)
The initial hiccup is on its way out, but I ain’t waiting until it’s completely gone before I allow myself to feel joyful, happy and fulfilled. I have access to happiness and all that good stuff here and now.
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