I appreciate the journey. I have too often rushed to destinations. Especially on holiday. Get there as fast as possible. Stressed. Irritable. Even more in need of a rest. Taking days to unwind. Of course I had heard of people who make the trip part of the vacation. It sounded like a good theory. Somehow I couldn’t do it. I realise now there was something deeper happening for me.
The Lotto Mentality
My whole life had a mindset that was about destinations. One day when I’m disciplined. Slim. Better with money. Less up and down. More stable. Fixed. I even have a name for it – the lotto mentality. But what if it was all based on two false assumptions?
1. Destination Fixation
I’m discovering that life is about journeys not destinations. Sure there are milestones. Reasons to celebrate. Reflect. Pauses to acknowledge and redirect. But life is not only lived in those moments. Making it from milestone to milestone in a zombie state. The walking dead. Only allowing ourselves to be fully alive at the destinations. No. The whole process is life. The journey is life. Life is found in all the moments. That is being fully alive.
2. Solution Fixation
I also have a newer thought. What if nothing is wrong? What if I’m not broken needing to be fixed? What if I’m not a problem waiting to be solved? What if all that I experience is ok? The highs and the lows. The successes and the failures. What if there is nothing to fix? Maybe this would bring freedom. Liberty to engage with the journey alive and not dead. To explore possibilities. Be more creative in finding my way. Embrace the learning adventure. Notice more. Be present.
So, Which Journey Now?
So now I can engage with vacations differently. Make a road trip of it. Make a road trip of it all. The road trip of life. Enjoy the journey. Fully alive. Free. Always.
Love it. The last paragraph could also say: “now I can engage with my vocation differently..”. That’s what I will do.
Indeed, so true. May your journey be rich, fun, and fulfilling…