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Do You Have Time to Be Happy?
Or, do you have time NOT to?
Benjamin Franklin said, “Time is money.” But he also said, “Lost time is never found again.”
Ben was on to something.
Enjoying the present takes a lot of practice. We are consistently disrupted by work, social media, obligations to others, and more. To sink in and enjoy the moment is difficult.
Notice how many people at a rock concert have their phone up in the air, recording the experience? Why? Perhaps they are thinking it will be more enjoyable the second time, but they’re spending precious collateral focusing on the lens of the camera-phone than on the lived experience. Maybe it’s for social media sharing and allowing others to see what they’re doing, to cultivate a persona, demonstrate their connection to the world. But then, what happened to telling all of your friends about how great the show was? There’s no need. Connection lost.
It takes real mastery to move from focusing on what you want to wanting what you have. But it’s likely worth the time.
Consistent happiness with the overall depends upon appreciating the details of now. That’s a huge challenge for many of us, myself included. Pausing to appreciate a leaf changing color, the temperature of the air, the smile on a baby’s face in a stroller we pass by — all of these may…
