Reblogged from Smorgasbord:

I have been a nutritional and life coach for the last 19 years.  Having given myself a severe kick up the backside at age 43 to make the necessary changes in my own life.

I had mindlessly eaten for most of my adult life, and either starved myself or binged, depending on whims rather than well thought out decisions.  It was only when I was studying nutrition, that the light went on, that the food on my plate had more purpose, beneficial qualities, and determination to thrive than I did.

That is just one example of how we can drift through life. 

Great at some things, particularly those we enjoy, good at other skills that we have learned along the way and applied to keep us fed, watered and under a roof. But perhaps a bit slapdash when it comes to things that we neither enjoy or feel apply to us, even when they might be essential to our health and survival, such as deciding what food to eat.

The reality is that when we refer to happiness we tend to put the word ‘when’ in front of it.

When I have 10,000 in the bank I will be happy!

When I have lost a stone I will be happy!

When I meet the perfect man I will be happy!

When I have a bestselling novel!

Trouble is that we often find that when we reach what we consider to be that ‘happy’ moment it is not quite as fulfilling as we expected.

Which brings me onto expectations.  We are encouraged today to think big.  Naturally our parents will usually have some plan in place for what they perceive is the right path in life, and their expectations are usually the first that we will succeed or fail to meet or surpass.

Continue reading: Something to think about! – Stop putting restrictions on your Happiness | Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life