Very often, many of us think: Once I lose weight / make a million / move into my dream house / find my dream job / buy a cool car / get married / etc., only then will my real, fulfilling life finally begin! I used to float in similar naive clouds, but in the end, I realised that you don’t have to live in some distant, unattainable future — you can live here and now, and you have to be happy here and now! Yes, you need to have goals, and no one has cancelled them, but having a goal does not mean that you cannot be happy until you achieve it.

Any small joys — a massage, a swim, a delicious healthy treat, watching your favourite film, a hot bubble bath, meeting friends outdoors, and other similar pleasant moments — everyone has their own — add colour and positive sensations to your life. This is a direct path to permanent and real, rather than temporary and unattainable, joyful emotions, which are the true markers of a full and happy life.

You need to understand and accept that if you place yourself in a position of dependence on a certain condition — only in which you will allow yourself to be happy in the future — then when you achieve it, a new, different benchmark will instantly appear. Ultimately, you may never experience a true feeling of happiness.

I would like to mention a recent interview with Alla Pugacheva, which, incidentally, has garnered millions of views (27 million at the moment). Alla said: “I have had many different periods in my life. And there are people who only have three periods in their lives: they were born, they suffered their whole lives, and they died.” So, in order not to be like these people, let’s start colouring our real everyday lives with bright colours, without putting off precious moments of joy until a distant tomorrow that may never come.

There are many strategic steps to do this, so let’s start figuring them out today. First, we need to say goodbye to the internal mindset that the current situation is just a rough draft of a wonderful future life. We need to start treating every day as full, real, and interesting, filling it with pleasant and joyful emotions. With desire and the right attitude, you can bring a ray of sunshine even to the most tedious routines.

Secondly, stop betraying your true self by denying your current self the right to happiness in favour of your improved future self. You are beautiful and worthy of respect right here and right now, and that is an indisputable fact!

Thirdly, even if you are still far from achieving your goal, allow yourself to enjoy the process of moving towards it, because movement — especially in anticipation of the desired goal — can itself become something special and joyful with the right attitude.

The next step is to understand and accept the fact that ideal circumstances will not come to you now or later. After all, there have always been, are, and will be nuances that can be tweaked, improved, or awaited for some incredibly wonderful circumstances. Later, later… But when will this alluring “later” come, and will it come at all? Real life is here, right now. It is our most precious Present, and we need to understand and accept this.

Time is priceless. And the most wonderful thing is that everyone has this exceptional treasure, but that does not mean that we should waste this pure diamond on unproductive waiting instead of living the moment to the fullest. Try to shift your focus away from the words “When I have …, then …” to “What good can I do for myself right now, based on my current circumstances and opportunities?”

If you have already incorporated these small but important principles into your life, that is wonderful, and I sincerely congratulate you. If not, then gather your courage, reread this text, and start applying the above recommendations — thereby allowing yourself the luxury of living a full, joyful, and fulfilling life right here and right now!