The time to be happy is now, the place to be happy is here

"The time to be happy is now, the place to be happy is here, the way to be happy is to make others so."

Do you know anyone who will be happy tomorrow?  You know, as in "when I graduate from high school and get on my own I will be happy."

When I get to college I will be happy.

When I get the job I want -- that will make me happy.

When I get married I will be happy.

When I have children, I will be happy.

When I become a manager or supervisor I will be be happy.

When I get the bigger and better job I will be happy.

When I retire I will be happy.

Do you have a baby?  Maybe a young child.  Are you always wishing for them to be in the next stage?  You know, sleeping thought the night, out of the terrible two's, out of daycare, out of preschool, out of elementary, out of high school . . . And before you know it you have wished away every stage.

There are so many quotes to remind us to not only live in the moment but to enjoy it, love it.  Carpe diem.  Seize the day. Once a minute is gone we can never get it back.

But for many it is impossible to do.

Sometimes we have a tendency to play the victim, and so we defer our happiness.  We start imagining those perfect times in our lives when we will finally be happy.

And then, just as fast as a baby becomes an adult, the days blur by and happiness never comes for some.

The time to be happy is now.  The place to be happy is here. The way to be happy is to make others so.

It is the last part of that quote that is the key.  If we focus on making others happy, then we move off all of the reasons or things in our lives that make us unhappy.

I am lucky.  I have had this quote in front of me for at least the last 30 years.  I have posted it in every classroom I had when I was a teacher, in every office as a principal, and in my wallet.

It has been a wonderful reminder to serve others, every day.  And in doing so, I have learned to never wish away even one day,  even the very difficult ones.  I have loved every day and every stage of my daughter's life, and still do now that she is an adult.  It is such a blessing to be a mother, to be a wife, to have been a teacher, and to be a principal.

I have loved every classroom I had the privilege to hold the hopes and dreams of my students and my families, and I have loved every day of being a principal. even the tragic ones.

For if we can continue to serve others, and make their lives better by living in the moment, the good ones and the bad, then we don't wait for the next minute, hour, day or the next stage of our lives to be happy.

"The time to be happy is now, the place to be happy is her, and the way to be happy is to serve others."

What a wonderful way to live life!