Source:
http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/happiness-without-the-hype-
what-it-really-means-and-how-to-find-it/
When people think about their lives and what
they want to change, it’s natural think in terms of
what we have and what we don’t have.
In reality, our happiness is largely determined by what we expect.
To paraphrase John Adams:
The vast majority of our pleasure and pain is caused,
not by the reality of our lives, but by our hopes and
fears for the future.
Do you recognize this truth?
When we face uncomfortable conditions they are
generally bearable. When our suffering is concrete
we can manage it and take action to alleviate it.
But when our pain is caused by fear of the future,
it feeds on itself. We imagine the worst possible
scenarios and are powerless to change them.
The opposite is true of hope. Even the most miserable
conditions can be endured, even relished,
if the mind expects a positive reversal.
