For your life to get better before you live it.

Over a year ago I was very unsteady at the hairdresser’s. I said, ‘next time I’ll be a lot better than this’. Next time comes round and I’m worse. I’m always saying that, apologetically telling people things will improve, as if I am in control of that. As if I’m embarrassed to be the way I am.

We often wait for things to happen, like seeing the back of school, getting old enough to move out, marry, have children or get that promotion. Once those things happen, we say to ourselves, life will be better.

We often anticipate, even expect, that the future owes us some kind of reward. If that doesn’t happen, how do we carry on through the disappointment?

We look at what we have already and really notice what’s good about it.

I intend to to stop waiting and start savouring the best. The last time I went for a hair cut, the taxi driver drove me right up to the door, telling me he tries to make the most of everything. You and me both, I thought.

Life is a mish mash of bad experiences and good ones. The biggest challenge is to find the good in the midst of the bad. If we keep waiting for improvements, we might miss out on that.

Maybe you’re frustrated that the milestones are slow to come. Maybe you can’t see anything about your life that you’re happy about. Maybe you have waited years for the thing you thought would happen and it hasn’t. Maybe you wished you had treasured something or someone more when they were here. Well. The past is gone but today is a new day for you to make as best you can. Lift up your hand and see if you can find three things that make this moment worthwhile.

Don’t wait for better. You have some of the best right now.