The Myth of “I’ll Be Happy When…”

It’s one of the oldest myths we’ve been sold:

“I’ll be happy when…”

When I land the promotion.

When my bank account hits a certain number.

When I meet the one.

When my body finally looks the way I’ve been told it should.(Perfect body? Is that even real—or just the latest algorithm?)

This myth is quietly—and powerfully—woven through our culture. It teaches us that joy lives somewhere in the future… just beyond the next goalpost. And so we chase. And strive. And perform. And compare. And push.

And for what?

For a sense of enoughness that always seems just out of reach.

Here’s the hard truth: this myth is not rooted in personal failure—it’s rooted in profit.

If we believe we’re not thin enough, successful enough, rich enough, lovable enough—then we’ll keep buying, hustling, proving.

It keeps the machine turning.

It keeps us small, distracted, and disconnected.

But as a leader—of your life, your family, your team—what if you called this out for what it is?

What if, instead of seeking happiness out there, you chose to come from happiness?

What if you stopped searching and started settling into the truth of your worth?

Not when you hit the goal.

Not after you fix that flaw.

But right now.

Because here’s the truth I’ve learned again and again—in the wilderness, in the boardroom, and in the mirror:

You don’t become “enough” someday.

You already are.

And when we lead from that knowing, everything shifts.

You stop trying to win love or approval.

You stop outsourcing your joy.

You stop running.

You start leading from the inside out—with heart, presence, and wholeness.

And ironically? That’s when success actually starts to flow.

Because it’s no longer tangled up in desperation or proving energy—it’s coming from alignment, from grounded power.

I’ve worked with so many brilliant, high-achieving leaders who’ve checked all the boxes and still feel empty. Why? Because they’ve been climbing a ladder that was never theirs to begin with. They’ve believed the myth.

Until they didn’t.

Until they paused.

Breathed.

Looked inward.

And remembered the truth.

Let this be your reminder:

You are not a project to fix.

You are a human to love.

Right here. Right now.

With heart and truth,