Guest Blog Post by Gary Douglas

Have you ever found yourself saying, “I’ll be happy when…”

Most people don’t ever create their “I’ll be happy when…” scenarios as seamlessly as they expect. Instead, they spend their life unhappy, because it didn’t work out how they imagined. Or they continually make the bar ever higher so that happiness becomes an impossible dream to catch hold of.

The great thing is, there are other ways to be happy. You don’t have to wait to achieve your biggest goals! You can literally choose to be happy with everything you have today.

That doesn’t mean you are settling for less, especially if you keep asking yourself “What’s possible beyond this?”

When you ask that question, you begin to create a bigger life – a life where external situations aren’t your only measurement of happiness. Having a bigger life is being willing to enjoy your life more than what most people think is desirable. Have you ever noticed how most people aren’t as happy as they could be? What if happiness is just a choice?

If you’d like to have a bigger and happier life, you can start moving forward today with these three practical tips:

1. Ask for more out of life.

Don’t be afraid to ask for more out of life. I ask for far more than what shows up; but I don’t make myself into a failure if I don’t get everything I ask for. I personally believe that the more I ask for, the more possibilities I allow to show up. If I only ask for what will make me happy, I will always be chasing a limited life. I don’t get bent out of shape when my “perfect” life doesn’t show up. I am grateful for everything I’ve received, and I keep asking for more. The gratitude invites more into my life in unexpected ways.

2. Be the person who can have what you are asking for.

Most people ask for things that are designed to make them feel like they have a bigger life. If you begin to live the bigger life in whatever way you can right now, you will become the person who can have anything.

The only difference between someone with a big life and someone with a small life is who they are willing to be. Whatever you think you are missing – become it. You’ll find your life expanding in unpredictable and wonderful ways.

3. Upgrade your life.

If you looked at each part of your life and asked yourself “What would it take to upgrade this?” then you’ll likely be inspired to create beyond what you have now. You become aware of what that upgrade would be like for you and you start to create it by naturally gravitating towards whatever is greater, bigger and more.

We have been trained to settle for less. What would your life be like if you never settled for less again? If you start seeking the more that is possible, you will raise the bar on what settling for “less” truly is. And your life will expand – it has to. As you choose more, it can come to you. If you choose to only be happy if those things come, you cannot create happiness, simply because things won’t be enough by the time they actually arrive.

Choice always comes before happiness. Your choices create.

What choice can you make today that will create the bigger, happier life that you’ve always dreamed of?