Listen to the Rain…

There is something soothing about sitting and watching rain fall outside the window. For many people it’s hard to be alone – the endless race called life so often interferes, leaving next to no time for reflection. And even if we can find some time to relax, our heads usually fill up with day-to-day problems, worries, unfulfilled desires and dissatisfaction with oneself.

As we grow older we forget what real happiness is – being comfortable with who you are now, being unashamed of who you were then, and looking forward in anticipation to who you could one day become.

For ambitious people, those who want to achieve it all, perhaps the most difficult thing is failing to achieve goals. At some point, conquering new heights or earning the next million becomes routine. The size of the sums or the scale of your success does not matter. Buying the next Range Rover or taking another trip to the Maldives with a beautiful woman doesn’t quite bring the same happiness you once felt holding hands with your school crush, or dreaming of that incredible and unreachable first kiss. Getting your first job, winning the school football tournament – these are unforgettable emotions, but with every day you make it further into adult life, those feeling fade a little further into grey.

To embrace and enjoy our achievements, it is necessary to maintain a piece of your childhood – those precious memories that are carefree, naive and dreamlike, with no place in the adult world. You must be able to disconnect from that highly strung grown-up with bills and baggage and responsibility, and surrender to those innocent recollections.

Remembering is important. To be able to look into the past without fear or shame is one of life’s vital skills. You can mentally apologise to those whom you’ve offended, and forgive those who have hurt you. Anger and desire for revenge are the most destructive of emotions and harbouring these feelings will only eat you away from the inside. To thank those who intentionally harmed you and taught you a lesson is a skill practiced by few.

The fireplace is warming up the room, the rocking chair sways and the raindrops continue their steady plod. It’s nice to dream – and not necessarily about the big things. Looking forward to the release of your favourite director’s next film, the possibility of a football win, the reaction of your lady when she receives that present, or just the happiness that comes from having loved ones nearby. Whenever you dream a little dream, it becomes more real. And I will reveal a terrible secret: big dreams do not become reality by themselves. They always consist of many small ones.

The childlike ability to enjoy the little things and not be upset by bigger things is one we often lose. The world around is becoming bigger, and success becomes more frequent, but it doesn’t necessarily bring more joy. It’s the trap of adult life – everything is available and at hand, but simple happiness becomes unattainable.

To return to this childhood joy is not impossible – just don’t forget the little dreams. Surprise a loved one, call your mum just to tell her you love her, take that fishing trip you’ve been talking about with dad, take a bike ride with that friend who’s been pestering you or make a donation to a charity that means something to you. Only in this way, creating your own moments of solitude in a cruel and unjust world, can we truly be happy within ourselves.

For successful, alpha males it’s easy to forget how important the little things are, and the importance of distracting yourself from thoughts of world domination. Stop and give someone a balloon just to make them smile.

The rain ends, like everything else in life. We must wake up from our microcosm made up of armchairs, a fireplace and raindrops, and go back to adulthood. But so long as we retain those little dreams, those big dreams become more possible, and that special kind of true, unadulterated childhood happiness remains within us.

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