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I quote, in the next paragraph, a sentence I came across somewhere. It was a moment in time that left as quickly as it arrived.

“The idea that happiness is somewhere else will ensure it will never be where you are.”

It’s an interesting starting point for reflection.

I try to find happiness and joy in the moment. If I miss my bus, my immediate reaction is anger, self-pity, sadness, and more. But I try to move past those feelings quickly to something that will serve me better. 

I confess that at -35 it is hard to whistle a happy tune.

I’m grateful for the bus shelter, for another bus that will arrive soon, and for another person in the shelter to share my misery with. Weather is always an easy conversation starter. Very quickly, I find an interesting life story beside me. Sometimes the bus arrives before I’ve finished listening.

I turn walks with my grandson into adventures. He’s not into walking even the 10 minutes between our houses, but he’s always up for an adventure. One spring day, he reluctantly agreed to walk with me. Along the way, we discovered half a dozen ping-pong balls emerging from the snow. What a find.

That made the walk worthwhile, and we used it to reframe future walks, imagining them filled with ping-pong balls or even bigger and better things.

Most mornings, I read my daily newspaper on my iPad while sipping my favourite coffee. Across the room, in her corner, my wife is working through the latest crossword puzzle in her hard copy of the same paper. There is happiness in the serenity of those moments.

But there is always a but, and I don’t want to ignore the sentence I referenced at the start of this Blog. I’ll rewrite it so it applies more to me.

“The idea that happiness is where I am at any given moment does not exclude greater happiness in the future.”

Reframing a bad situation as a positive helps me be resilient. Taking action and making decisions in the moment about the future increases the likelihood of happiness I experience.

Maybe that bus trip at -35 should be replaced with an Uber or cab ride. I make lists of what I need to take with me for various trips, including out-of-town trips, day picnics, outdoor music, and vacations. Having everything I know I need for an adventure with me every time is sure to bring happiness to my heart. And when I still manage to leave something on the kitchen counter as I rush out the door, there is always the reframing technique I can use in my back pocket. 

Please give this a bit of a think. How are your reframing and planning-for-happiness skills?

Please comment: Send me an email with your bit of a think. I am curious about your thoughts.

Photo by Felix Rostig on Unsplash

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