The Curious Case of "I'll Be Happy When"

Lately I've gained a greater appreciation for all those around me who manage to be content with what they have. It seems to me that a great many problems could be avoided if we could all be a little more content with what we have instead of focusing on what we want all the time.

I see it in all aspects of life: "I'll be happy when I have a new car." "I'll be happy when I get married." "I'll be happy when I have a six-figure income at a job that allows me to sit on my bum in an air conditioned office." "I'll be happy when the weekend finally gets here." "I'll be happy when we get a puppy." "I'll be happy when my boss recognizes what an incredibly awesome and invaluable asset I am to the company." "I'll be happy when summer gets here to warm things up." "I'll be happy when autumn arrives to cool things off." "I'll be happy when winter comes along with a blanket of snow so I won't have to go to work." "I'll be happy when spring finally comes and the flowers start to bloom." I'll be happy when summer gets here so some of the pollen will go away."

I see absolutely no problem with seeking a more comfortable life/job/whatever. In fact, I think it is good and even healthy to desire a better way of life for yourself and your family. Money in and of itself is not evil. Air conditioning is not poisonous to your soul. Enjoyable work is not a bad thing. It would be swell if we all had careers we loved that allowed us to live however we saw fit. Seeking opportunities to achieve self fulfillment is a great thing.

However, when you take it too far you end up losing the contentedness that allows you to make it through the day without becoming hopelessly miserable. When you are always looking to some future point when you will be happy, you can't be happy now. The worst part I see for those who "will be happy when" is that when they achieve the thing that they think will make them happy, within a couple of days, maybe weeks, they realize that they aren't actually happy with it, and the cycle starts all over again.

Let's all try to be content with what we have. Even if it's not much, it's better than being miserable about what we don't have.