We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married，have a baby，then another. Then we're frustrated that the kids aren't old enough and we'll be more content when they are. After that，we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with.【小题1】

We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when we get a nicer car，when we are able to go on a nice vacation，and when we retire.

【小题2】If not now，when?

Your life will always be filled with challenges. It's best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway.

One of my favorite quotes comes from Alfred D. Souza. He said，“For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin—real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way. Then life would begin.【小题3】”

This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness.【小题4】So，treasure every moment that you have and treasure it more because you share it with someone special，special enough to spend your time with...and remember that time waits for no one.

So，stop waiting until you finish school，until you go back to school，until you have kids，until your kids leave the house，until you retire，until you get married，until you get a new car or home，until your car or home is paid off, until you're off welfare，...until you die，until you're born again to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy.

【小题5】

About six years ago I began my job as an IT consultant. I had always been quite good with computers. It was a great move for me, as I quickly learned a ton. Every day was fun. It was one of the best and most challenging jobs I’ve ever had.

Flash-forward a few years and things started to taper. I wasn’t learning as much as before. I felt a desire to try something different, to strike out on my own. I couldn’t get up the courage to make any moves. The job paid very well; I had a lot of freedom, and great benefits. I had grown comfortable and accustomed to an easy life.

Last year things came to a head, I was having a particularly stressful month, overloaded with work that was neither challenging nor interesting. I had enough. I reached out to my boss and let him know that I was done. We had a meeting about my decision. He didn’t want to lose me. He addressed my concerns and we agreed that I could change my job and begin working on some new internal organizational systems. I decided to give this new role a chance.

Now, a year after my role change, not much is different. Senior staff did not adopt the new systems I built. The work is still uninspiring and unchallenging. I’m comfortable, but comfort to me has become terrible. Change can be very difficult for some and after spending time trying to carry out new solutions, I’ve realized that you simply can’t change other people if they don’t want it.

I’ve again quit my job. It’s both liberating and frightening. I need a greater challenge. I’ve learned a lot

One of the biggest complaints I hear from people is that their friends just aren’t there for them. More than that, sometimes friends are downright rude or even mean. You can’t change people, but you can surround yourself with more positive people. Here are some benefits that spending time with positive friends can provide.

With positive friends, you don’t need to beg for help when you need it because chances are that they will be there for you without asking. Positive individuals want others to be happy, and will go out of their way to help you when you’re feeling down. As About. com’s Guide to Stress states, “Ideal friendships provide support when you’re down, fun when you’re up, wisdom when you’re lost.”

Compare that to toxic friends, who might snipe at (诽谤，中伤) you or even laugh at you behind your back. Negative people celebrate the downfall of others, and as a result you’ll end up feeling worse about yourself or the situation you’re dealing with. Friends who aren’t positive will add to whatever amount of stress you are feeling.

Your positive friends will not only help you recover from negative hits you take in life, but they will also inspire you to be the best you can be. For example, perhaps you always wanted to be a writer. The negative people in your life will probably tell you all the reasons why you won’t succeed. But who needs that? Chances are you have already gone over the reasons why you might fail and this is what has prevented you from trying. But with positive people in your life, you’ll feel more comfortable sharing these types of goals because your friends will give you the emotional push you need to go after what you want in life.

You naturally attract the kinds of friends who are most like you. So if you’re a downer, you’ll probably find that negative people come to you. The same is true for being positive. The more you are able to keep a positive attitude, the more like-minded people you’ll attract in return.