At least once a day I hear someone say, “When I lose that 10 pounds I’ll be happy” or “When I get one more attorney-client for my legal nurse consulting business I’ll be happy” or “I’ll be really happy when my husband finally cleans out the garage.” Seeking happiness or anything else we desire outside of where we are now, or making our happiness dependent upon some extraordinary incident occurring, pins those expectations on the future.
The problem with that mindset is we don’t live in the future we live in the now, simple ordinary times filled with simple ordinary events. Sometimes extraordinary incidents (like being the CLNC® consultant involved in a $20 million verdict) will happen, but those moments pass and their resulting happiness will pass too. It’s in this very moment that we must find our happiness, in our day to day living, such as interacting with a CLNC® subcontractor or doing the research on a case.
Life isn’t a journey to happiness; it’s a journey in happiness. Some of the career benefits of becoming a CLNC® consultant are being able to set your own hours and have more time with your family. It’s within those extra hours that you’ll find plenty of opportunities to experience the happiness you deserve: the sound of your children laughing, working really hard on a challenging case for your favorite attorney-client or simply prepping dinner.
Certainly extraordinary incidents will bring you joy, but on a daily basis you’re more likely to experience an ordinary one. Take a moment to enjoy them now. For the moment, this moment is all you’ve got.
One of the strengths of the human condition is the inability to gauge our future happiness. While I definitely see the importance of not missing out on the present by constantly focusing on the future, sometimes my discontent leads me to better things.
My son will soon be 28 and I frequently tell him I wish he was still a little boy. But I also know that when he is 40, I will wish that he was just 28. I don’t always succeed in “living in the moment”, but every time he has a birthday, I try to think of how great it is just to be in that particular special space in time.
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The National Alliance of Certified Legal Nurse Consultants (NACLNC®) is the largest and oldest association of legal nurse consultants.
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*The opinions and statements made by Vickie Milazzo, the founder of Medical-Legal Consulting Institute, Inc. are based on her experiences and expertise, should not be applied beyond the specific context provided, and do not guaranty or project actual results. Vickie Milazzo is no longer involved in the operations or management of the business, but is involved as an independent education consultant.
One of the strengths of the human condition is the inability to gauge our future happiness. While I definitely see the importance of not missing out on the present by constantly focusing on the future, sometimes my discontent leads me to better things.
My son will soon be 28 and I frequently tell him I wish he was still a little boy. But I also know that when he is 40, I will wish that he was just 28. I don’t always succeed in “living in the moment”, but every time he has a birthday, I try to think of how great it is just to be in that particular special space in time.