“I’ll Be Happy When…”

“I’ll be happy when we sign that deal with Apple,” I said as I swept past my assistant heading back into my office.

Her words trailed closely behind me, “You realize you say that all the time, right? It never ends.”

I stopped dead in my tracks. My assistant had just called me out BIG TIME. And the worst part of it all, she was right.

“I’ll be happy when…” was my painful excuse not to be happy now. There was always another level to achieve, a bigger deal to sign, another shiny object to obtain. I continually found reasons to dismiss and discredit all that I had accomplished until I was running off to redefine the next “I’ll be happy when” benchmark.

Achieving was not the evil here – the destruction came from my lack of seeing, appreciating, and savoring everything that was right in front of me. Self-loathing had become a favorite pastime as I compared myself to all the other sports agents, destroying myself for not being “as successful.”

Happiness tied to success in business was obviously fleeting for me, as my track record proved. So when it came to happiness, what were the moments that led to lingering serotonin boosts?

I closed my eyes and began to feel: The first sip of coffee, volunteering at the horse rescue, spreading kindness to strangers, cuddling with my dog, cooking for friends.

These micro-joys were not only continually releasing dopamine in my brain, the cumulative effect they had throughout each day led me to feeling more happiness more often.

here it was, my true happiness: every day moments and experiences that had nothing to do with accolades or achievements.

So instead of being "happy when," I made the choice to be happy right now.

That's what ultimately led me to my current life, where I spend most of my days on MEA's Rising Circle Ranch working with our amazing horses and the other animals, and helping our amazing workshop participants live their best lives.

It all started with the recognition of the things that truly bring me joy – and the decision to bring my life into greater alignment with them.

If you're searching for greater happiness and meaning in your life, I invite you to do the same. 

Close your eyes and begin to feel. What makes you happy? And what can you do to bring more of it into your life?