Choices 0r illusion?

On choosing happiness. What’s your choice? After is a self-defeating word. It robs you of the present, and resigns you to wait without taking any action. You convince yourself that life will be better after something: After you get a new job, after you get a better job, after you get more money, after you get a lots more money, after you get out of debt, after the economy rebounds, after your stocks go back up, after you get that big order, after you closed that big sale. You convince yourself that life will be better after an event: After you get married, After you get a raise, after you have a baby, after you get a new house, after you take a vacation, after you come back from vacation, after summer is over, or some other action-procrastinating “after.” After this, after that! And never ending after ….! Are you frustrated that the kids aren't old enough, and believe you'll be more content after they’re in high school or out of high school? Are you frustrated that you have teenagers to deal with? You will certainly be happy after they’re out of that stage. Certainly you’ll be happier after they’re in college, or is it out of college? You tell yourself that your life will be more complete when your spouse gets his or her act together, when you get a nicer car, a new house, a raise in pay, a new boss, or worse, after you retire. The truth is, the fact is, the reality is, there's no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when? After the economy gets better? You may not be able to wait that long. Your life will always be filled with challenges, barriers, and disappointments. It's best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway. Alfred Souza once said, “For a long, long time it had seemed to me that I was about to begin real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.” There is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. There is no after to happiness Happiness is now.