Today’s Word Prompt-After
Since I can remember, it seems like “happiness” occurs just after getting something or reaching a goal.
Only it really doesn’t.
Christmas of 1980-something– I wanted a Barbie townhouse. It seemed like it took Christmas FOREVER. (Yeah, I don’t know what happened, but now I blink and it’s Christmas again. Christmas is exactly 295 from now..if you were wondering.)
But I digress.
So, I wanted the illustrious Barbie townhouse with the cardboard backing and plastic elevator. Christmas came and my parents had the Barbie townhouse already put together and sitting in front of the tree. Y’all…I was over the moon excited. For months, I pulled the string and rode my Barbie dolls up and down in the elevator.
I’m not sure when it happened but eventually, the Barbie townhouse became a storage unit for random stuff. The cardboard and plastic eventually gave way under the weight of all the junk on it and it was thrown away.
After getting the Barbie Townhouse, it became…”just ok”. What I really needed was the Barbie Van! It had a removable moonroof!
This cycle became a pattern.
When I was in high school, I couldn’t wait to go to college. When I was in college, I was eager to graduate and “get on with my life”. Then it was getting a certain job, marriage, and starting a family.
Once the realization of adulting set in, winning the lottery or at least making it to retirement seemed to be the “sweet spot”.
But we’ve all seen people win the lottery and then afterward say it ruined their life. I’ve heard retired people say they missed their daily routine and would love to go back to work. (Say what?)
A recent study about people playing the lottery suggested it is not actually winning the lottery that makes people happy.
What makes people feel happy is the excitement and expectation leading up to winning.
Wooooow.
We hardly notice all the other amazing things in our lives while we are looking expectantly towards getting something or going on a fabulous trip.
God has given us everything we need right now.
When I turned forty-two, I wrote the following words in a blog post on my lessons learned:
While I waited on the perfect circumstances for happiness to occur, God sent amazing men and women into my life who came alongside me and prayed, cooked meals, completed home projects, ran errands, you name it.
I had all the ingredients for the “happiness recipe” in my cabinet but I kept going to Wal-Mart…aimlessly walking up and down the aisles without a shopping list.
We must stop waiting until “after” and be happy RIGHT NOW.
His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him… 1 Peter 2:1:3a
This post is part of a ten-day writing challenge. Each day, writers are given a one-word prompt to write about for five minutes. (Of course, we can go over five minutes, but the point is to encourage writers to WRITE!)
Wanna join the writing challenge? Go HERE.
(You don’t have to have a blog to join. Pen and paper still work and writing is therapeutic.)
Thank you Father God that You have given us all the ingredients for the “happiness recipe” that is needed for each and every day. Although the ingredients may differ from day to day, You the Chef never change. Help us to be aware of them, cherish them, honor and love them, and not take them for granted. Help us to truly understand the true meaning of happiness and celebrate it.
Katina, I am soooooo grateful for you and your gift! Thank you for making us more aware and for helping us to remain grateful and present in the now.
❤️❤️❤️❤️
WOW… Memories… I had that same Barbie House! I have learned that happiness is fleeting, but gratefulness is eternal!