It’s so easy to become unsatisfied and restless. All it takes is one moment of comparing your present to a past moment and your sweet moment of nastalgia snowballs into envy of the past.
I have to keep reminding myself in moments when this happens that God always has me where He wants me so I am always in the perfect place at the perfect time. I also have to remind myself that I only remember the good times and not the struggles of the season that I’m looking back on so fondly. I’m sure I wouldn’t want to repeat some of those things I overcame during that time that got me to the current place I am at.
This is just a thought that I had the other day: “If you aren’t satisfied with where you are at right now you wouldn’t be satisfied when you get to the next place you are going.”
If you want to move but aren’t satisfied in your current city or home you probably wouldn’t be internally settled at the next. If you want to be in a relationship but aren’t happy while you are single, the person you meet probably wouldn’t bring you peace. If you want kids but aren’t happy while you are independent, you probably wouldn’t be once you have that responsibility.
I bet that if you made a list of all of the things that you truly want in your life (not shallow things) and compared it to where you are in life right now, that you would actually probably have more of what you want then you thought. I did this a few weeks ago and this exact thing happened to me. I realized that I had almost everything I really wanted and I didn’t even realize it. When I became aware of this, it opened my heart to be thankful for the moment instead of restless and wanting change.
When I realized this I made a mission statement that wouldn’t keep me wishing for the future but that could be obtained in the present moments, no matter what I’m doing. If I realize I’m not doing those things, I will reevaluate and include the things I am set on doing in my life. But I decided that as long as I am doing the things in my mission statement that I will be determined to be happy with my current position in life.
If we create attainable goals for the place we are at in life instead of goals that make us reach for the future we will probably be more satisfied in the present moment. I’m not saying don’t make big goals for the future (I’m a HUGE fan of big future dreams), I’m saying that we should each find ways to be satisfied with the present because it’s a precious gift that we should learn to value more.
ELLIE LACEY 