For Immediate Release
HUMANKIND ALERT: ‘I WILL FEEL BETTER WHEN’ SCAM
Seductive Fraudsters Rob Years, Decades, Even a Lifetime of Contentment & Happiness
SAN DIEGO, April 27, 2017 – The Imperfect Best Institute is alerting ALL living, breathing human beings to be on the lookout for internal scam artists who are trying to get victims to believe that they “will feel better when” they reach a future destination or goal. According to reports and complaints the IBI has received, this scam can be deeply seductive and mimic rational thought.
The scam begins when the victim convinces him or herself to trade the happiness they could feel in the moment for an even greater level of happiness at an unspecified future date. As mentioned above, this sham can be deeply seductive and can rob those who are unaware of years, decades, even a lifetime of contentment and happiness. The scam masquerades as common sense, motivation and just plain “how life works”. In addition to unhappiness, the scam can cause numbness, disillusionment, stress, stress and more stress.
EXTREME CAUTION! The scam is virtually unavoidable and has been known to sneak up on even the most vigilant human. In most cases, this happens practically everyday. In many, many cases it occurs multiple times a day.
Don’t be fooled.
True story- April, one year ago- I had a fine website, but I wanted one that was substantially updated and truer to my brand and vision. Given, I had no idea what my brand was supposed to look like or really, even what my brand vision was. In addition, I was chasing around an exceedingly, exceedingly rough draft of a book. I had no clue what direction it would go in or even if that direction was capable of becoming a book.
In spite of all this rip-roaring confusion, I comforted myself by repeatedly telling myself that I would feel better once I had a new website and my book was launched. When I would find myself worrying about the website and book in the shower / while driving / while working / while eating / while trying to have fun / while trying to go to sleep, I would imagine that golden day when my website and book launched simultaneously and how AMAZING it would feel!
Do you ever tell yourself, “I will feel better when […]?”
I will feel better when [that certain person says that certain thing to me].
I will feel better when [this challenging project is done].
I will feel better when [it’s time to go home from work].
I will feel better when [it’s Friday].
I will feel better when [I get to go on vacation].
Or maybe, I will feel better when [I return home from vacation].
And here’s the BIG one…
I will feel better when [I make more money].
Surely, one or more of these phrases sound familiar?
Personally, I fall for the ‘I Will Feel Better When’ Scam so many times a day it borders on ridiculous. In fact, right now I’m thinking, “I will feel better when I have this blog written, so I better type fast!” I feel my shoulders rising and my stomach clenching, as I try to move faster so I can feel better once I’m “done”. It’s very motivational and seems, oh, so normal!
So what’s the big deal? Thinking “I will feel better when [enter a goal or outcome of any size]” is as natural as gravity and as assured as death and taxes, right?
Underneath this facade of naturalness, what is the ‘I Will Feel Better When’ Scam actually costing us?
The sobering reality is that if we reach our ‘I Will Feel Better’ summit, the happiness we so sought after usually only lasts for about 10 to 15 minutes. Maybe a whole hour and twenty-two-and-a-half minutes, if we really hit the feel good jackpot. After that we scrutinize the accomplishment that was supposed to make us feel better. Why did it not deliver what was promised? Maybe we get depressed. Or, maybe, we convince ourselves to press on to our next ‘I Will Feel Better When’ scenario, you know the REAL ONE that will REALLY make us feel better for months, decades, or a lifetime when reached!
My NEW Website and book ‘Awkwardly Awesome- Embracing My Imperfect Best’ launched simultaneously on April Fools Day of this year. It was actually the best April Fools Day I’d ever had!
BUT it wasn’t long until I started to think, “I will feel better when the book hits #1 on Amazon and a ton of people are visiting the website each and every day.”
WHAT!? %^!!!#!!!
Jason, you’ve been waiting to publish a book like this for 20 years and you’ve been anxious for a new website for over a year. But you couldn’t even wait ONE WHOLE DAY before you fell for another ‘I Will Feel Better When’ Scam!!! ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?!?!
YEP! That April Fools joke was on me!
One thing we human beings love to do is accomplish our goals. This is an amazing quality to have because as we accomplish goals we grow and often have more to offer the people around us.
At the same time, I’ve found that I experience the most happiness when I don’t trade it for tomorrow but instead focus on retaining it each-and-every day, independent of whether or not I accomplish my goals or reach my destination. For me, happiness seems to come most easily when I focus on being in the moment. I focus on my breath, the feelings in my body, my immediate surroundings. In short, I focus on discovering happiness in the now.
Is this a constant practice! YES! Am I perfect at it? No, No-No! And Nope!!!
No goal is worth waiting to be happy for. STOP this scam in it’s tracks folks! Practice allowing happiness in the moment. Don’t stop pursuing your goals and dreams, but do your imperfect best to connect to and honor your happiness no matter where you are on your journey.
I love how simply Kyle Cease states this concept in his book, ‘I Hope I Screw This Up – How Falling In Love with Your Fears Can Change the World‘:
“It’s not, ‘When something happens, I’ll be happy’. It’s, ‘When I’m happy, things will happen’.”
Go do your imperfect best, human-people!
P.S.- Please go to my website- JasonWFreeman.com and buy my book on Amazon! I will feel better when you do.
WAIT!
That’s opposite the point of the article! See how sly the ‘I Will Feel Better When’ Scam is?
Instead, if you find yourself on my website (which you likely are if you’re reading this) or Awkwardly Awesome’s Amazon page, let it remind you of this article. Breathe. Savor the moment. Allow yourself the happiness you deserve. Thank you!
‘Awkwardly Awesome’ is available on Amazon!
Click Here to Get It!
Learn more about ‘I Hope I Screw This Up – How Falling In Love with Your Fears Can Change the World’ by Kyle Cease
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