This Happy Moment is Enough

Unfortunately, or fortunately, this is all there is.

The Siesta by Van Gogh

“True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future, not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears but to rest satisfied with what we have, which is sufficient, for he that is so wants nothing. The greatest blessings of mankind are within us and within our reach.” — Seneca

You forget how rich the present moment is because life keeps calling you forward. We spend our days preoccupied- always moving, always thinking, always trying to get somewhere. There’s work to finish, emails to answer, groceries to buy, deadlines to meet, and diets to follow. We tell ourselves we’ll reflect on our blessings later, we’ll notice beauty later. We don’t even think much of peaceful and joyful moments when they come. That “later” becomes a moving goal post- or it never happens. And the moment we finally reach it, the mind tries to busy itself with something else. Locked in that groove, we forget to look- really look- at what’s right here.

You have blessings now that you once dreamed of. You have a life that past versions of you prayed for. You don’t have a flu. Yet, we forget the magic of what’s happening, of what’s already in motion because we’ve gotten used to it or are too busy. The routines that sustain us, the faces we see daily, the small freedoms we take for granted- all these get thrown into the background when we’re too focused on the horizon, on the new thing. The mind says, “More.” But in this minute, and the happiness you feel within it, doesn’t have any more. This is it. It’s enough as it is- if only you’d stop and take it in.

Happiness isn’t hidden in the grand events we anticipate at year’s end or the milestones we tick off. Those are great for sure, but do you have to be sad and discontent the whole year or until you get what you want? If you’ve enjoyed the smell of morning tea, the sunlight on your face after a cold night, the yearning kiss of your lover, the way a canopy looks against the horizon, the way a one year old kid laughs, the satisfaction of doing your work well, then you’ve felt all joy and contentment there is- for simplicity is purity of essence. Nothing more needs to happen for life to feel complete.

The tragedy is how easily we postpone joy. We wait for perfect timing, when we’re alone, for better circumstances, a quieter mind. But time doesn’t wait. Death doesn’t delay so that we can finally experience what we keep promising ourselves. If you died tonight, would you have truly seen the beauty of your life, truly felt happiness- or kept thinking there was more waiting?

You also realize that the art of living is not in controlling how long beauty lasts but in savoring it while it’s here. When you treat this moment as enough, the neediness ends. You stop wishing for more time, with your loved one, with your car, at your vacation. You stop trying to re-create past highs. You stop postponing joy to some imagined future. The idea is that when you have tasted happiness, known its texture and its margins- all else is extra. The idea is to get to the mental place where if you died today, having experienced this happiness- however short the period, it would be alright. And that’s how you get to really enjoy your life.

So take stock of your sublime moments- the quiet evenings, the laughter that made you cry, the walk home under a violet sky, the post-workout endorphin rush. And when life feels heavy, remember those fragments. They are proof that happiness has visited you before and can visit again- without an expense.

The good life is always within reach, hidden in the ordinary, in your awareness, waiting for your attention. The present is the Mona Lisa you’ve been rushing past. And when you finally pause long enough to see it, to experience it, you realize you were standing in paradise all along. There’s nothing more you need for life to feel complete. Unfortunately, or fortunately, this is all there is.

---

Did you like this entry? Here are some you might have missed in the last month,

I. On Revenge

II. The Cure to Anger

III. On Praise & Recognition

IV. The Power of Habit

V. On Real Self Improvement

VI. Create Meaning

VII. Take Full Responsibility

VIII. Fix Your Bad Attitude

IX. Against Complaining

X. On The Perils of Hope

---

Join 76,500 other Stoics,

P.S: Annual & Patron members get all my books with their subscription. The bundle includes, ‘The Best of Marcus Aurelius’, ‘The Tools’, with over 40,000 words of bonus content + a free copy of ‘The Stoic Manual Vol. 1’ dropping next year. Patron members also get Lifetime Access to the publication, all bonuses, and all future benefits- at no extra cost. Featured,

Support The Stoic Manual and access 225+ premium in-depth essays: lessons & mini-courses in the art of living, consolations for difficult times, Relationship Mini-courses, The Wealth Playbook, Leadership Skills, Social Skills and Health Tools for a virile and distinguished life.