A psychologist speaks candidly: “The best stage in a person’s life is when they start thinking this way”

If you were asked to pinpoint exactly when the happiest stage of your life was, how would you respond?

Many people would likely look back to their childhood, largely free of responsibilities, obligations, and worries. Although there are plenty of exceptions, for many children, especially in earlier generations, the main concern might have been when their next playdate was or whether their parents would buy them the toy they wanted.

Alternatively, adolescence may be the time people remember most fondly. Often described as a period full of opportunities, the excitement and novelty of discovering new things are strong emotions that linger long after the events themselves.

Rethinking the “best phase”

But while nostalgia has a powerful emotional pull, what if the “best stage” of your life isn’t about looking back, or even looking forward?

“The best phase of life comes when you start thinking clearly, stop complaining, and truly appreciate the incredible, magical, and even spiritual moments happening around you every single day,” says Spanish psychologist Rafael Santandreu, emphasizing that awareness can transform our lives far more than longing for the past ever could.

“When you make this shift, when you do it with focus and intensity, it begins to reshape your mind. That’s when the happiest, most fulfilling stage of life starts, far richer and more intense than your childhood or teenage years,” he adds, claiming he may have discovered the key to genuine happiness.

So stop pining for the good old days and start living in the present. It might just make this the best time of your life.

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