When you are young, you believe you would be happy if you have what you want; when you are trying to get a job, you think you would be happy once you get the job you want; when you meet someone you love, you think you would be happy if you get married; and when you have to move often from one rented house to another, you think you would be happy if you own your own house.
Focusing on one part and believing that you would be happy when such a condition is met is called a focusing illusion. But the thought, ‘I would be happy or my life would change if I just . . .’ is truly an illusion. Even if you have what you want, even if you get the job you want, even if you get married, or even if you own your own house, you cannot always be happy.
The happiness you enjoy after getting what you want lasts only for a moment. It soon wears off as time passes. Then you will focus on another thing and put off happiness until you will be satisfied with it. As long as you put conditions on your happiness and keep putting happiness off as something you can get in some distant future, you can never have that happiness.
Feel the happiness of this moment! If you want to have an illusion anyways, it would be rather better to think, ‘I am happy now. I will be happy from now on.’ Don’t you think so?