Photo: Safe Harbour by Tamara Ward
Zig Ziglar: ”If standard of living is your major objective, quality of life almost never improves, but if quality of life is your number one objective, your standard of living almost always improves.”
What is it that you focus on the most? If you’re not happy with your current circumstances, it makes sense to set goals to improve them. You have to start from where you are, but where should your emphasis go?
It’s tempting to focus on the money. Many of us have done it at one time or another. I know I have. “If only I had more money…” “When I get more money…” “If I had the money that they have…”
But really, is the money an end result, or just a means to an end? We need money to live in a material world, no question. But basically we want peace of mind. Happiness. Maybe having a big house and new car will give you lasting happiness, and maybe it won’t. But doesn’t it make sense to go directly for the end result?
If you want happiness, cut out the middleman and go for it. Focus on it now, plan for it and take some small action towards it. What really inspires you? What would you do if the money was already taken care of? If you can’t find the time and effort to practice being happy now, how will you do it when you’ve got all the “things”, and you’re still chasing happiness?
Don’t forget to appreciate the good things you already have. It’s sometimes easy to forget, when you get caught up thinking about the future. It may be a cliché, but there are so many things that happiness can’t buy. If your focus is happiness, you’re unlikely to have many of the hang-ups about money that stop you getting it in the first place.
Relax and enjoy the good things in your life now. Then get started on being really happy.
Walk the Self-Talk 
I agree. Happiness here and now. After all here and now is all there ever really is.
Hi Steve, I like your posts. Right up my alley. Do you have an e-mail follow link that I have overlooked? Would like following your posts, but there seems to be no way to do so. All the best, Ralf.
I appreciate your positive comments Ralf. I’ve added a ‘Follow’ button on my Homepage. Thanks for pointing that out!
What a great blog! This post is absolute positivity at it’s best. 🙂 I know I’ll be back here again soon. Cheers!
Thanks for your comment. I appreciate it.
You’ve zeroed in on an important Biblical concept: “Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things” (Philippians 4:8). And what is the result? “The God of peace will be with you” (v.9b). Just like you said: “Basically we want peace of mind. Happiness.” And there’s the formula!
Thank you for a great post that points us back to what really matters. And thank you also for visiting my blog, From the Inside Out, and leaving a comment. I’m delighted you found “The Little Apple Tree” to be a meaningful story.
Great post, Steve! I love the “cut out the middle man” analogy. It’s so accurate and I’ve never seen it used regarding happiness before.
What a great post! You are so right about money being a tool to achieve happiness, and not the other way around. Not that money’s unimportant, but that the happiest people seem to use theirs to spread that happiness around.
hi..
great post ! peaceful mind mainly means to have the minimum amount of thoughts, avoiding compulsive thinking.