Happiness is a collection of moments, not a destination

Ralph Waldo Emerson says life is a journey, not a destination.

It’s so important to remember this in terms of our happiness because our happiness is made up of a collection of moments in time. It's not the end result.

So often I hear people say, when I lose 20 kilos, I'll be happy.

When I meet the man of my dreams, I'll be happy.

When I buy the perfect house, with the pool and the four bedrooms and the three car spaces, I'll be happy.

If we believe will only be happy when something big happens (something which is usually out of our control!) or when we strive and achieve a time-consuming goal, we are setting ourselves up for disappointment. 

Happiness occurs when we take the time every day to reflect on the small moments of joy and happiness, because that's what makes a life.

My friend Rebecca has a big jar with a sticker on the front saying, “happy memories”. Every night she writes down something that happened that day that made her happy. It might have been a simple as the sound of her child’s giggles, or it might have been spending time with a close friend or going for a walk and watching the sunrise.

Whenever she is feeling a bit sad or sorry for herself, or needs a boost after a difficult day, she opens the jar and reads some of the happy memories. Reading through these moments in time always makes her smile, and sometimes cry happy tears. It always gives her the lift she needs.

What are you doing to build your collection of happy moments? 

I'd love to know.