What if you already have everything you need to be happy right now?

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We all have to-do lists of things to accomplish and ways we want to improve our life. Sometimes we may think, If only I can get that raise / take that vacation / have more time . . . then I can finally be happy.

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But here's the thing: when we always look forward, we place our happiness in the future. However, when we take time to acknowledge what we're grateful for right now, we not only feel more joy in our life, but we also find more things to be grateful for, which in turn elevates our happiness again . . . and so on.

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Because the truth is that joy already exists in our messy, imperfect life. Joy loves nothing more than plopping down next to you on that tired couch in your living room that hasn't been vacuumed in waaaay too long and saying, "Well, isn't this fantastic?"

 

Because in that same moment, joy hears the laughter of your loved ones echoing down the hall. It relishes the sense of peace as you rest your weary bones. And it simply delights in the arc of golden light bending all the way across the world from the setting sun to land, sparkling, on your coffee table.

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So how do you tap into that cycle and increase your happiness?