Happiness Is a Moving Target

                                                      Happiness is a moving target

I’ll be happy when ___________.  I wonder how many times we give up on enjoying the present and place our happiness and contentment somewhere in the future. I challenge everyone who reads this to come up at least 5 answers to fill in the blank. What I discovered as each event happens, I’m not happy because another when simply takes its place. Here’s what the process looked like as  I was writing I Left My Prostate in San Francisco-Where’s Yours?

I’ll be happy:
1. When I finish writing my book
2. When it is published
3. When I receive good reviews
4. When I sell my first 5,000 books

There’s no doubt in my mind, after 5,000 are sold I’ll feel happy maybe for a day, then the line will move to 10,000.

The same holds true with relationships. I’ll be happy:
1. When I meet Mr. or Mrs. Right
2. When I marry Mr. or Mrs. Right
3. When I have Children with Mr. or Mrs. Right
4. When I fix Mr. or Mrs. Right so we can enjoy our marriage
5. When I divorce Mr. or &Mrs. Right to find someone who loves me the way I deserve to be loved
6. When I meet the new and improved Mr. or Mrs. Right
7. When I marry the new and improved Mr. or Mrs. Right

There is a Bible verse and a biblical truth that can take off this endless cycle. It’s a difficult lesson to learn and not everyone is interested in learning it. They’d rather put their hopes and dreams on the next when.  Here’s the lesson given to us by Paul:
 Phil 4:11-13
Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:  I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

It’s a lesson I’m still learning, because I’ve grown weary of chasing a moving target.