Don’t Wait to Be Happy: How to Use the Present to Shape the Future

Have you ever thought the path to a better life lies in the future? After you leave the job you’ve come to resent, move to a new city, or finally get through a tough phase.

But what if what we’re seeking is already available to us? Author Pema Chödrön, in her book “When Things Fall Apart,” offers a different perspective: how we relate to the present moment creates the future.

We don’t have to wait for perfect conditions. We can begin creating the future we want by working with what we have right now.

Join me as I share what I’ve learned from practicing that mindset. From journaling through confusion to meditating even when it feels pointless, I’m learning how to stop resisting the present and start using it. Not as a detour but as the actual path.

How the Present Creates the Future

What we do accumulates. The future is a result of what we do right now, says Pema Chödrön.

Our present situation, whether angry or sad, has always something to teach us. It isn’t something we tolerate to get to a good place. It can be a foundation for the future we want to create.

So, we need to open our minds and hearts to see what our present situation teaches us. But how do we relate to the present moment? How do we train ourselves to see what’s happening with our present? Over time, I have developed a few practices to be more present.

Journaling to Understand Myself

In my own journey, journaling has helped me not run away from difficult situations. Instead of ignoring challenges by distracting myself with work or drowning in intoxicants, I ask difficult questions that make me more self-aware and provide clarity.

Writing about tricky situations helps me reflect and observe situations like an outsider. Over time, I’ve noticed that things that I once felt overwhelming me no longer had a hold on me after some time passed.

The journal reminds me that I don’t need immediate answers to challenging situations. The solutions come up gradually when I stay present.

Meditation: A Daily Investment in the Mind

How we relate to the present sows the seeds for what our future would look like.

When I meditate daily, I am sowing the seeds for a clear-thinking mind. It’s an investment for the future. I am not worried if I had a good session or if I was distracted more than usual. With each practice, I am learning the art of letting go and returning to the present moment.

I am also not waiting for everything to be better before beginning meditation, but I am practicing it little by little and creating the state of mind I desire each day.

The Violin’s Lesson: Finding Growth in Discomfort

Practicing my violin, I learn from my mistakes in each session. Whenever I get frustrated—when my fingers won’t move fast enough, or I misplay the notes—I remind myself that all I can do is stay open and learn from where I am.

Instead of giving up because I can’t see how quickly I’ll progress, I focus on each session. I have to go through many such uncomfortable sessions to become the violinist I hope to be ten years from now.

Each practice becomes valuable in its own right, reinforcing Pema Chödrön’s message that the path is the goal.

The Future Grows from Now

Anyone who has learned to be wise, Pema Chödrön reminds us, has done so by learning from what is happening right now.

Can you pay attention to what’s happening right now in your life? What is your present situation—challenging or joyful—trying to teach you? The questions you ask yourself don’t need to solve all your problems immediately. They need to wake you up to notice what’s actually happening instead of what you wish was happening.

If the future grows from the present, what seeds are you planting today? What small practices are you incorporating to cultivate the future you desire?

The next time something messy happens, remember that you have a choice. We can make ourselves miserable by resisting what’s here, or we can make ourselves strong by learning from it. As Chödrön notes, “The amount of effort is the same.“