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Today is not meant to be something to be endured until tomorrow comes. Today holds an undeniable right to be thrilling, exhilarating, and inspiring. And so it can be—once you choose to embrace it.So, why postpone the joy for an un-promised tomorrow? Be happy now. Just as we did when we were children.
Do not say, “I’ll be happy tomorrow.” Let your happiness begin today. Because happiness tomorrow is too late for happiness.
Table of Contents
Happiness Tomorrow Is Too Late
Stephen M. Pollan, a personal finance strategist and author of It’s All In Your Head, says:
Happiness doesn’t come from tomorrow, it comes from today. Your life is what’s happening right now.
The poet and traveler Alastair Reid wrote:
The principal difference between childhood and the stages of life into which it invariably dissolves is that as children we occupy a limitless present.
So, here’s how we can look into this day, and spot our pockets of happiness:
1. Happiness is living in the now. Tomorrow will be too late. Our happiness is our own responsibility; be happy today.
2. See the wonders of today. We fail to see the wonders of today, as we busily plan a fulfilling future life.
3. The present isn’t just a time. Instead, it is an experience of living. Live today in fullness.
4. Make a written list of the things you’re grateful for today: the ones you love, places you enjoy, and things you relish.
5. Even if you’re sure that tomorrow will take away all your troubles, let yourself be a little happier today.
Happiness Tomorrow Begins Today
There is science behind it—it is called Mindfulness. It has come down to us from the monks but has been thoroughly tested in the laboratories using MRI, fMRI, and PET scans of the brain.
Mindfulness, that is, living in the present moment while non-judgmentally observing the events unfold, reduces how much people focus on the past and future, and this psychological shift leads to fewer negative emotions.
In 2010, Hoffman et al. conducted a meta-analysis of 39 studies that explored the use of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT).
They concluded that mindfulness-based therapy may be useful in altering affective and cognitive processes underlying multiple clinical issues.
These findings are consistent with evidence that mindfulness meditation increases positive affect, and decreases anxiety and negative affect.
Mindfulness also activates the brain region associated with more adaptive responses to stressful or negative situations (Cahn and Polich, 2006; Davidson et al., 2003).
Activation of this region corresponds with faster recovery to baseline after being negatively provoked (Davidson, 2000; Davidson, Jackson, and Kalin, 2000).
Proper breathing is key to successful mindfulness meditation. Read this guide on various breathing techniques.
Final Words
Science says, when it comes to memory, the past is the last to go. Those with Alzheimer’s disease remember old memories while being unable to form new memories.
When tomorrow comes, sometime in the far future, you can have happy memories if you created them today. But if you don’t begin your happiness journey today, what will you remember in the last years of your life?
So, if you want to be happy tomorrow, start today. Happiness comes from today. Happiness starts today. Your life is what’s happening right now.
Check out this Happiness Formula.
Listen to (and watch) this post below:
Finally, do you know people with a positive mindset have these 6 traits: 1. Mindfulness, 2. Optimism, 3. Gratitude, 4. Resilience, 5. Acceptance, and 6. Honesty.
Did you notice the first letters of those form a flower’s name—MOGRAH!
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Author Bio: Written and reviewed by Sandip Roy—a medical doctor, psychology writer, and happiness researcher. Founder and Chief Editor of The Happiness Blog. Writes popular science articles on happiness, positive psychology, and related topics.
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