There is no happily ever after, and the pot of gold will never be shiny and satisfying enough to keep us going, so the best we can do is have fun along the way. That means we have to figure out which journeys we’ll enjoy the most and not depend on the destination to bring us lasting happiness. We have to be okay knowing that our journey is ours, and ours alone, and if need be, we may need to abandon one rainbow to have an adventure on another.
Focusing on the rainbow instead of the pot of gold isn’t just one of many philosophies we can adapt—it’s the most sustainable way for us to keep going. The present is all we have, and we can promise ourselves only so much contentment before we realize that the story doesn’t end until we take our last breath. Once we accept that, we can enjoy the journey, celebrating every baby step we take, not toward a treasure on a map, but in a direction that steadily improves the way we feel about ourselves, our lives, and the world around us.