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Happiness is in the moment you are in

“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” — Buddha Life is sending me little messages everywhere I look. An inspirational email spoke of the topic of happiness.
Colleen Crawford

“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” — Buddha
Life is sending me little messages everywhere I look.


An inspirational email spoke of the topic of happiness. If you cannot be happy in the moment you are in, you will not find it when you stumble across a financial windfall or when you retire or when you go on a vacation. Happiness is now, within you, every moment. It is not what happens to you, it is how you choose to react to life's little surprises.


Another message was short and sweet. It said, "Stop worrying. Yes, 'you'!" It was as if someone read my mind at that very moment. I was letting everything pile up. I was worrying. I know worrying is a waste of energy, but I was doing it anyway. It was time to do what is within my power to do, and to stop worrying, now!


I found myself wallowing in the negativity of the moment one day. It was a half hour after lunch.
In my role as a daycare provider, clean up and after lunch digestion takes extensive time and energy. More so, when you have a two-year-old in the mid-phases of toilet training. I read the signs and knew he “had to go.” He didn't. After some time we gave up on that moment. Then minutes later, he “went.” And it wasn't where he was supposed to go. Aaaack!


I plunked myself down in the middle of the living room floor and started picking up a few toys before I put the kids down for their naps. I was quite likely pouting. I was not exuding an aura of happiness.


Then my little one-year-old sat down beside me and twisted her body so she was face to face with me and said, "Hi!" This little girl lights up my world. Her heartfelt, eye-to-eye "Hi!" changed the way I saw the world at that moment. Then? She leaned in and gave me one of her famous bear hugs. Then another. And another.
There is nothing like surrounding yourself with one- and two-year-olds to remind you that happiness is in the moment you are in. And of the magic of a hug.
Be present in each and every moment today. See what wonder you can find in what you already have. Live your day with childlike wonder and rediscover why a child’s smile lights up a room.