When

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27 ESV). “When…” and you complete the sentence! All of us have made statements like that in our lives. We convince ourselves that life will be better after something, or some event takes place. We tell ourselves that we will be better when we finish school, or when we get married, or have our first child, or when they reach adolescence, or when they leave home to find their own way in life. We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, are able to go on a nice vacation, when we retire. The truth is, there's no better time to be happy than right now. The real question to answer is “If not now, when?” Your life will always be filled with challenges. There is no better time to decide to run the race before us than now! Once we come to the conclusion that happiness is not something to be gained in the future, but a gift to be received now, then we will begin to truly live the life God intended for us. We all have various challenges before us at different times in life. We ought to decide to be happy anyway. Alfred D Souza said, "For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, or a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life." This perspective has helped me to see that happiness is not a future event. Happiness is a state of mind I may enter whenever I decide. So stop waiting until you finish school, until you go back to school, until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten pounds, until you have kids, until your kids leave the house, until you start work, until you retire, until you get married, until you get divorced, until Friday night, until Sunday morning, until you get a new car or home, until your car or home is paid off, until spring, until summer, until fall, until winter, until the first or fifteenth, until your song comes on, until you've had a drink, until you've sobered up, until you die, until you are born again to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy! Someone has said, “Happiness is a journey, not a destination; therefore, work like you don't need money, love like you've never been hurt, and dance like no one's watching!” Listen to the Apostle Paul again: “Remember that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize. You also must run in such a way that you will win.” You can, if you will decide to do it today!