The Importance of Something to Look Forward To

One of the biggest lessons I've learned in San Diego is just how vital it is to have something to look forward to each day. Maybe it's something small like a new episode of a favorite TV show, date night on a specific day of the week, or going home to see your family pet. Maybe it's something big like family vacation, birthday, or a big holiday celebration. Having these items are what fuel us through the bad stuff, which can often be the majority of our days.

Having these items be far away is the biggest struggle. This past year I had my "big item" happen in May, and now I've got another year to wait, which is torture for someone as impatient as I am. It was actual a two-part this year; my husband came home from deployment, and I got to get out of CA for a week to see the family.

But what is a person to do in the meantime, while waiting for the next year to pass? This is the question I'm working to solve. This is the reason I am Stuck on a Bad Idea of going home for Christmas this year. I am just too impatient to wait until May, 2014 to have my big item once more. I want it now!

Part one as to why is because the days between drag on, and the event itself goes by way too quickly. So my theory to help is focus on those "little" things to get by until I can enjoy the "big" one again. But my little items are dwindling. My husband is only home for a few hours, and most of that is not quality time spent. Might as well be gone. TV show entertainment only goes so far, and I have read so many books in the last 2 years to escape this reality that I'm starting to get burnt out on reading for fun. What I used to find enjoyable to distract myself just isn't cutting it these days. I've relied on that stuff so much that now it's becoming a bore.

The second part of this problem is that I remember my life when I had lots of things to look forward to. The holidays, weekend plans with friends, extra time with family here & there; my years were full of entertainment and excitement. It wasn't big-scale excitement, but it was enjoyable. Knowing that I had it once makes me want it again. Yet another example that ignorance is bliss.