Hi, this is Monique Rhodes. Welcome to the In Your Right Mind Podcast, where we're learning how to be happier by working with our minds.
If you'd like to know more about what I teach, come to howhappyami.com and let’s see how happy you are.
“I Should Be Somewhere Else”
I got a message from one of you that really stayed with me.
You said:
“I keep catching myself wishing I was somewhere else. Somewhere further along. Somewhere better. What do I do?”
And I thought—yes.
That’s such a human feeling.
Because a lot of our suffering comes from resisting what is.
This moment.
This feeling.
This version of life right now.
We’re Addicted to Comfort
We live in extraordinary comfort.
- Comfortable beds.
- Comfortable cars.
- Running water, electricity, convenience at every turn.
And yet—we are more afraid of discomfort than ever before.
We push against uncertainty.
We rewrite reality in our heads.
We wish the moment was something else.
Right Now, Things Are Hard
I’ll be honest—
I’m going through some deep difficulties with my adoptive family.
It’s chaotic. It’s painful.
But even in the mess, I see that I have a choice:
- Treat the moment like an obstacle.
- Or treat it like a companion.
When I choose to welcome it—even the hard parts—something shifts.
The pressure to escape softens.
The anxious undercurrent quiets.
And I become more available—to myself, to others, and to the joy that still lives here.
The Moment Isn’t the Enemy
Welcoming the present doesn’t mean you have to like it.
It means you stop fighting it long enough to learn from it.
Maybe the moment is asking me to be:
- Honest.
- Kind.
- Brave.
But I can’t know unless I meet it.
This discomfort? It’s not here to defeat me.
It’s here to teach me.
The Peace of Having Your Own Back
There’s power in saying:
- “This isn’t what I wanted.”
- “But since it’s here, I’m going to be with it.”
And in that space, I find peace.
Not the peace of everything going right—
But the peace of no longer fighting reality.
Escaping the Present Moment
We all escape in our own ways:
- Scrolling.
- Daydreaming.
- Starting over—again and again.
But no matter how far we run, we always end up back here.
In this breath.
In this moment.
In this imperfect, beautiful life.
Maybe the Moment Isn’t Wrong—We Just Aren’t Used to It
We’ve been taught to measure life by productivity and pleasure.
So when a moment is quiet, uncertain, or uncomfortable—we reject it.
But those moments aren’t a waste.
They’re wise.
Shift From Resistance to Curiosity
Ask instead:
- What’s this moment teaching me?
- What’s it showing me about my needs, my fears, my longing?
Become a collaborator with the moment—not an enemy.
Because it’s not here to trap you.
It’s here to reveal you.
What If This Is Where Life Actually Lives?
I want you to ask:
“What if I’m not supposed to be somewhere else?”
What if this is it?
This breath.
This pause.
This version of you.
Not because it’s perfect.
But because it’s yours.
I hope this has been helpful.
As always, be kind, take care, stay with the moment, and go gently in the world.
