It is so common to hear people complain about what they have or don’t have. Nothing is ever perfect- where they are, what’s happening in their life, how much money they make, I could go on forever. But why? Why is it that it is so rare to hear someone find the good in whatever their situation is and appreciate the moment for that good, however small it may seem? My husband is in the military. He tells me everyday how he can’t wait to get out, not have to wake up at 4 a.m. anymore, not be scraping for money every pay check, not have to live 1100 miles away from our family. But you know what? This is an opportunity for us. Once he is out, we will never come back here. We will never live on an ocean beach again; we will never be alone with just each other to rely on again. Of course there are things about our present situation that are less than ideal, but that is the reality of life. And this is also a temporary situation. Why not enjoy the good aspects of it while we’re here? This is an opportunity for us to grow as a couple and find our own little family, without the constant influence of our parents, siblings, etc.

                I know right now you’re probably saying, “Well that’s not MY situation!” Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t but that doesn’t matter. Whatever your situation is there is something good to be found in it. If you look deep there is something to gain even from the worst situation. Maybe you’re going through a divorce right now and you’re sitting there reading this thinking well that’s easy for YOU to say. But sit back and take a look at your life. You are only in this moment FOR THIS moment. You won’t be here tomorrow, or next year, or ten years from now. It is temporary. So take advantage of it. Learn everything you can from it. Grow from it. This is a life experience. This is something you may not ever experience again, and maybe that is a good thing. But while you’re here take everything you can from it. You might find who you truly are while going through a divorce, you might become a stronger person through losing someone close to you, you may just stumble across an opportunity to start your own business because you lost your job. You never know what is going to come next. If someone had told me just 2 years ago where I would be today I would have laughed. My life has changed so drastically in the past year. I cannot even tell you how far you can go in such a short time. How many things can happen. How different things could be by next summer for you.

                So stop waiting for the future, stop waiting for life to start, to get that promotion, to find the right person, to be financially stable and just learn to appreciate THIS moment. THIS experience. THIS obstacle. Because for right now, THIS is your life. Whether it is good or bad, the best week of your life, or an all-time low, you can gain something from it and one day you will look back on this very moment and not be able to change anything about it, so take advantage of it now.

                Do me a favor. Tonight when you get home from work, or school, or looking for work, or whatever it happens to be, remind the people you love of that fact. Call that friend you haven’t talked to in a year, hug the person you’ve been fighting with in your home, give your cat a treat, just relax. Enjoy this one evening for what it is, good, bad, stressful, wonderful…you cannot ever come back to it. You cannot ever take back anything that happens or erase something you wish you wouldn’t have said or done. Find the good in your life. Appreciate this moment. Whatever the circumstance, there is SOMETHING good, even if it is just a lesson to be learned.