Looking to the future with anticipation can help us feel more happy and alive. Instead of focusing only on the present, make plans for tomorrow, for a year or a decade from now. Find something that adds a little zest to life simply because it hasn’t happened yet.
A widowed grandmother starts anticipating the next event as soon as she finishes with the last. She looks forward to a granddaughter’s birthday party, a summer vacation with her son and his family, even a favorite television program or a phone call from a friend. These things keep her going when life could feel uneventful.
No matter our age or stage, we all feel more enthusiastic when we have something to hope for. A middle-school girl survives the growing pains of adolescence by looking forward to something each day. A college student perseveres in her studies by thinking of graduation day. A husband and wife keep their love alive by making plans for the weekend.
Sometimes the planning can be as much fun as the actual event. When we think and talk about something, plan and prepare for it, it’s as if we experience it over and over again. The anticipation, in and of itself, brings joy and hope.
So if you feel disheartened or bored, think of something you can look forward to. Remember, you don’t have to be on the receiving end of anticipation. You can create cheerful anticipation in someone else with an invitation or a visit. They’ll look forward to it all day long—and so will you.
Program #3962