Finding Happiness Before the Goal Is Reached

Author

Srikar Karra
October 16, 2024

Welcome to the Letters of Wonder, where I explore insights on wealth, fulfillment, growth, and mastery—sharing lessons and reflections to help you live a life filled with purpose.

Quote of the Week:

"Anticipation of happiness can often be as valuable as the happiness itself."

- André Gide

It's easy to think happiness comes at the end of a journey. But sometimes it’s the anticipation that is the real happiness. This week’s story reflects that.

Story of the Week:

Once, there was a traveler named Arun, who had heard about a legendary feast held once a year in a distant village. People said it was the most delicious meal one could ever experience, and just thinking about it made Arun’s mouth water. He set out on a long journey to attend this feast, filled with excitement and joy at the thought of tasting the legendary dishes.

As Arun traveled, he dreamed of the rich flavors, the warm bread, and the spiced fruits he would soon enjoy. Each day, his anticipation grew. The thought of the feast made every step lighter, every mile feel shorter. He was already happy, even before reaching the village.

After many days of travel, Arun finally arrived, but to his shock, the feast had been canceled. The village had run out of the ingredients needed for the famous meal, and the feast wouldn’t happen for another year. Disappointed villagers sat around in despair, shaking their heads. Some had traveled even farther than Arun and were crushed by the news.

While others sat in despair, Arun felt something different. He thought, "I’ve been happy for days just thinking about this feast. Why should I let this one moment take that away from me? If I was happy before, why not stay that way?"

And so, while others mourned their lost meal, Arun smiled, turned back home, and carried the joy of anticipation with him. It wasn’t the feast that made him happy—it was the excitement along the way.

This story reflects 2 powerful lessons:

  1. Anticipation can bring as much happiness as the event itself—sometimes even more.

  2. You get to choose how you feel about any moment. If anticipation made you happy before, why let whatever the outcome is change that feeling?

One thing I’m trying to do more in my life is building anticipation. This allows me to bask in more positive, excited emotions at any given point. If we get to choose our emotions, why not choose to increase excitement?

Well, here’s the real kicker. It’s equally as important to be detached from the outcome. This is the tough part to comprehend because it almost seems like a paradox. I especially enjoyed reading this story because Arun didn’t allow the change to affect his mood and he remained detached (was excited from anticipation, but stayed excited when the event was cancelled).

As great as it is to have things that keep you excited, it’s also equally as important to try to remain detached from the outcome. Just something to keep in mind.

Now without getting too philosophical, let’s take a look at how you can start building excitement.

Reflection of the Week:

Try to think of the times you were most excited. Chances are they were when you were anticipating something. Whether it was a wedding, vacation or birthday party, it was probably the anticipation that made you the most excited.

Life goes by quick and it’s easy to lose this state of excitement. And why wait months when you can make it happen weekly or even daily?

The truth is that you can create continuous excitement in your life. It’s just up to you to make it happen.

Start by identifying one thing you can get excited about on a recurring basis.

A great way to do this is by creating weekly energy rituals. This can be anything that brings you more energy and that you look forward to (like anticipating the end of a work week - more creative though!).

One of my energy rituals has been long-walk Mondays. I’ve made it a point to make sure to take long walks with my dog on Mondays. I love walking my dog and I try to do it any chance I get. So to keep Mondays fun and interesting, I take him for an extra long walk. And now it’s his weekly energy ritual too (and I’m guessing Monday is now his favorite day of the week as a result).

Your energy ritual can be anything. I’ve found that having them on the days you dislike the most (for most people it’s Monday or Tuesday) can really improve your week. But you can also stack them on your favorite days to make the anticipation go nuts (like Pre Workout Fridays).

So my question to you is:

What’s an energy ritual you can incorporate into your life?

Idea of the Week:

Neuroscience says that trying something new releases dopamine, which is linked to feelings of excitement and reward. So I’ve been playing around with this by creating little novelty boosts throughout my day. And they’ve been a game-changer.

Here are a few novelty boosts I’ve tried that keep life exciting:

  • Read a book on a random subject.

  • Text a contact in your phone and catch-up with them.

  • Workout with someone new and follow their routine.

  • Head to a different coffee shop to work out of.

  • Travel to new places (can also be within your city).

  • Make friends with a stranger (bonus points if opposite gender).

  • Learn a completely new skill.

Question of the Week:

What is currently getting you excited?

Hit reply and let me know—I’d love to hear your thoughts and learn from your experiences.

Thanks for reading!