Pumpkin Pie and Kitty Snuggles
I heard recently that “Happiness is reality minus expectations.”[1] That quote had me pondering over how many happy “now” moments are missed because we are consumed with our expectations of a future “now.” For me, being present in the “now” can be challenging since I’m a planner and like to have a list of goals to accomplish in order to feel less stressed or so that I can have the time to actually relax once all the tasks I’ve set out to do are completed.
While I think it is good to set goals (which in turn, create expectations of an envisioned future) and work toward accomplishing them, if we become too focused on everything we need to get done and ignore the present, we can feel overwhelmed, frustrated, and unhappy. Finding gratitude in the chaos can be as simple as choosing to focus on the now and being present in reality.
For me, focusing more on the “now” this past weekend meant staying up until the wee hours of the morning playing a board game with family. Even though I was exhausted and struggling to stay awake on the second round of the game, we had so much fun and it was refreshing to “unplug” from technology for an hour or two and just enjoy some friendly competition.
Some of my other “now” moments have been lots of snuggling on the couch with my kitties and watching Netflix with my husband. Thanksgiving week also makes it a great excuse to eat pumpkin pie for breakfast and lunch. Why bother cooking when I have gluten-free, dairy free (well, almost dairy free—I had to top it with whipped cream, of course!) pumpkin pies to enjoy?
Sitting at my desk to do more research regarding a couple of household items we’ve been considering getting (a mini freezer and a new vacuum cleaner), I felt a little overwhelmed as there are so many different options to sift through and weigh the pros and cons on. However, a welcome interruption of my cat Lilac jumping up to snuggle on my lap reminded me again to focus on the “now.” Instead of becoming irritated that my cat was interrupting me and begging for affection, I chose instead to just sit for a moment and pet her and to be happy in the moment of enjoying some kitty snuggles while I finished my lunch of pumpkin pie.
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[1] Adam Grant quoting Tim Urban in Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History podcast. Quote is found at approximately the 37:02 marker in the episode from 05/10/2018, titled: Bonus: Malcolm Gladwell debates Adam Grant.