Permission to be Happy

My 97 year-old mother-in-law died in her sleep this week. I wish I could write "peacefully in her sleep this week". But I'm not confident that she was peaceful. She fiercely wanted to be independent, and she was dependent on an oxygen bottle, wheelchair, and people to assist her.

Now that I'm fifty-something, my family, friends and colleagues sometimes tell me that they used to be happier. "I was happier when I was independent", or "I was happier when when I was ten (or twenty) years younger". "I was happier when I had my younger body (or face, or hair)." "I was happier when I lived ______." "I was happier when I was able to ______."

At the same time, many people believe that they will be happier when they meet a particular goal:

• Lose twenty pounds
  
• Have one million dollars in the bank
  
• Clean out the basement
  
• Get that promotion
  
• Slow down and enjoy life
  

Instead of remembering when you used to be happier, or looking forward to when you will be happier, how about being happy now? What would happen if you accepted yourself and your life are you are today? If you took away the conditions for happiness? What would the consequences be if you gave yourself permission to be totally, completely and ecstatically happy now?