Since I was a kid, I’ve daydreamed. I molded scenes of how social interactions might go or how I could become whatever I wanted to be. As an adult, the habit didn’t change. The only difference was the landscape of my imagination. Those thoughts now pictured all the tangible goals in front of me happening. What would life be like if I finally became a mom? Or if we owned a home in our dream location? Would I be happy and fulfilled and finally get to kick away the I’ll be happy when blues? The phrase started too many sentences for me. It created a mindset for a life in a perpetual state of seeking the next high moment.

There was a place for goals and dreams. They occur to everyone in some form. It was natural to look at the future and crave growth. Reflection helped me remember the present had a valuable lesson on how fast life would go. If you blink, you could miss it. The past year showed the cruelty and gift that is time. The realization provided me with the needed perspective to shift my attitude. I had to ask the hard question of where I could find happiness right now. The search proved difficult. As humans, we could lean toward negativity. It’s the scab we all picked, even though we knew we shouldn’t.

After some thought, I took inventory of the positivity in my orbit. I found happiness in the dog that greeted me with a gallop out the door when I picked her up from daycare. The joy I captured when I was in nature and the calm feeling I cherished. A contentment in the home my little family built together. Our apartment wasn’t all we want, but it gave us the roadmap to find what we needed. The comfort in my wife’s love shielded me from storms, celebrated wins, and grew with each day. When I zoomed out, there wasn’t happiness only in the future ahead, but in the present right before my eyes.

Editor: Michelle Naragon