I want to snap my fingers and have it. What is IT, you ask? IT is: a slimmer body, a degree, a meal, and the list is endless. I am not always as patient as I should be. I simply want IT.
Very few things in life yield immediate results. Yard work is a perfect example of an activity that provides instant gratification. As soon as you are finished for the day, you can see a noticeable difference in the appearance of your yard.
Bigger life events do not provide the same level of instant happiness. For example, losing weight is not done quickly.
Renovating a boat is not a speedy process. Making a baby is certainly not done overnight (well...maybe the 'making' part...but not the 'growing/developing' part.). Growing veggies, planning a wedding, buying a house...these many things have led me to believe that I need to rethink my ideas about satisfaction.
Last night, for example, I took my 5 & 7 year old daughters dress shopping. I was so busy watching them as their little minds cycled through the vast array of fabrics, cuts, colors, ribbons, and lace. They each selected three dresses to take with them to the fitting room, a place they had never visited for their own purchases. I sat back and watched as they tried on each dress and expressed their likes and dislikes for each one. One was not twirly enough, one didn't fit right in the shoulders, another was not long enough. Then, they made their final decision. Each girl picking a dress that had originally been picked out by her sister! If I had simply focused on getting the dresses and finishing that
daunting task, I would have not been able to enjoy the experience of
dress shopping with two little girls.
I have learned that gratification is not merely found in the final
result. Gratification, and in turn: happiness, is found each step toward
achieving the final result. If the goal is to lose 45 pounds, then by
all means celebrate every 1 pound loss. Every week of a pregnancy brings
new joys and fears and a precious baby so much closer to birth. The gratification comes in every instance, if you allow it to do so.
