When you achieve happy-ever-after: what comes next?

The less time you spend dreaming up a world of happily ever after, the more time you’ll have to actually live… ~ Abby McDonald

When you achieve a dream or a goal, do you ever consider what comes next? Predictably, in fairytales and modern-day romances, the two love interests ride off into the sunset. Yet what about the “ever-after” part—when Cinderella’s blonde tresses turn silver and Prince Charming’s hair thins? Does this mean our dreams were misguided? Or that it’s time to come up with a new ambition? Because the truth is: each dream or goal we achieve leads to a caveat—or trade-off. For instance, if our dream is to shed the break-necked pace of suburban life for the slower pace of mountain living, we may need to sacrifice everyday conveniences—such as high-speed internet or next-day delivery. I think the key to what comes next is acceptance: that happy-ever-after is simply a single stepping stone toward a lifelong journey.

What does your happy-ever-after look like?

Photo by Timothy Dykes on Unsplash.