{The Ah-ha Moment}

While doing my homework today, I took a quick break to check out Facebook, and I found a link to an article that I really, really appreciated. It was called 8 Messages to Teach Young Women and Girls about Happiness and I think every young adult woman needs to read it. I agreed to every bullet point, but number 8 really hit me hard.

It was like a wake up call to my own personal happiness.

I didn't realize how much I needed that call!

Avoid happiness traps. Many women (myself included) have bought into one or more of these happiness myths at some point in their lives -- I call them the "I'll be happy when's:"

** I'll be happy when I get married or find that great relationship
** I'll be happy when I make more money
** I'll be happy when I have kids
** I'll be happy when I lose weight
** I'll be happy when I change jobs/get a new job/get promoted
Our culture spins a very seductive story for young women, making it seem as though they're not worthy or can't be happy unless and until they've achieved these milestones.

While I don't like admitting most of those "I'll be happy when's" apply to me, I will be honest and say they do. So many times I find myself saying I'll be happy when I turn in this assignment, I'll be happy when I graduate, I'll be happy when I'm back in Florida… and the biggest one… I'll be happy when I find my husband.

So here I am, sitting in my kitchen, realizing that I am missing out on day to day happiness, because of my tendency to look into the future. While having fantastic butterfly-and-rainbow happy days every day isn't realistic, I should start letting the every day, run of the mill days have some sort of happy glow. I am happy. My days aren't wildly exciting, but I am happy.

I need to learn to focus on the positive.

I need to avoid the I'll be happy when's, because in reality… I'm already happy.

~Courtney