I’m Not Waiting to Be Happy Anymore

Last week, a coworker said something that hit me so hard I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it: “In 2025, I’m not waiting to be happy.”

What made this so profound wasn’t just her words, but the context. She was recently diagnosed with a serious autoimmune condition and has started treatments that have completely changed her life. Despite everything she’s going through, she has decided she’s done waiting for happiness. She’s choosing it now.

That unlocked something in me.

If she, while facing everything she’s facing, can boldly make that declaration over her life, then what’s stopping me? If she can choose joy in the midst of pain, uncertainty, and change, then I can too.

I realized that I’ve been living in a constant state of “I’ll be happy when…”

• I’ll be happy when I’m able to live out my dreams on Broadway.

• I’ll be happy when I can travel the world with my family.

• I’ll be happy when I have more money.

• I’ll be happy when everything in my life—and about me—is perfect.

• I’ll be happy when I finally become the 5 AM gym girly I’ve been chasing forever.

• I’ll be happy when my habit tracker is all checked off and my to-do list doesn’t spill over into the next day.

But here’s the truth: happiness is not the goal. Joy is the goal.

Happiness is fleeting. It’s tied to circumstances, moments, and achievements. But joy? Joy is eternal. Joy is rooted in the unchanging presence of God. Joy is something I can have right now, even when everything isn’t perfect, even when the circumstances don’t seem to align with what I hoped for.

When I say, “I’m not waiting to be happy anymore,” the true essence of that declaration is this: I receive joy NOW.

I’m no longer waiting for all the perfect conditions. I’m no longer waiting for my life to look like the picture I imagined. I’m not waiting for God to say “yes” to every single thing I’ve prayed for.

I’m choosing joy today.

Because the truth is, joy isn’t in the perfect circumstances—it’s in the little things we often overlook:

• The moments we spend with loved ones.

• The beauty in the sunrise or a quiet evening.

• The opportunity to try again, even after failure.

I hope this resonates with someone else who might be stuck in the waiting. Stop deferring your joy to some future milestone. Choose joy today. Right now.

It’s not easy, but it’s worth it.