3. If You’re Enjoying The Present, You Can Always Be Happy
Some might react negatively when they hear, “If you’re enjoying the present, that’s all that matters.” But if you think about what you want out of life, it’s happiness. Happiness is looking back at the past and feeling that you were happy. I don’t think anyone looks back at painful, difficult, or exhausting times and feels happiness. Instead, they might think, “Even during tough times, there were enjoyable moments,” or “There were moments of joy even when it was hard.”
Life is long, and there will always be times of hardship, suffering, and difficulty. Unpleasant things will never disappear completely. However, in any situation, all we can do is find something enjoyable within our reach and spend the present moment in as good a mood as possible.
It’s essential to focus not on what’s “missing” or “unpleasant” in our current situation or environment but on what’s “there” and “enjoyable.” If making an effort to adopt this perspective is what we call “hard work,” then I believe we should wholeheartedly strive for it.
Here, I want to define “enjoyment.” It’s a state of mind where emotional fluctuations are minimal, where emotional highs and lows are small―expressions of joy, fun, and amusement that are subtle, without getting overly excited or loud. I use the term “deeply enjoyable” to describe it, though I’m not sure how else to put it.
Does this make you want to try enjoying the present?
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