“Life is about the journey, not the destination.”
Blah, blah, blah.
But wait. Let’s not skate over this because I just realized that lately I’ve been focusing on the wrong thing.
I’ve been so focused on what’s next, I forgot to live in the moment…to be in the now. Can you relate?
Maybe you’ve missed the past month. Or year. Or even the past 5 years because you’ve been too focused on what hasn’t happened yet.
It’s kind of like when you drive to work. You are on autopilot. And oftentimes, I bet you don’t even remember the drive once you’re there.
We miss life.
It’s because we aren’t present. Our minds are thinking about what is next or we are living in the past, suffering over what was.
Either way, we aren’t living in the now, which is where our life is actually happening.
What would happen if you decided right now to stop focusing so much of your energy on what you think is ‘your big destination’ and instead just enjoy today?
It’s a simple idea, I know. But it’s critical to creating a joyful life.
It also changes your experience with time.
When we are constantly living in the future….on things that haven’t happened yet, we are speeding up time.
When we live in the present moment, really sink into it, we slow things down.
And that makes life less stressful. Calmer. It injects meaning. And we typically get better results because we are actually paying attention to what we are doing right now. We aren’t mentally somewhere else.
We’re pouring our heart and soul into today.
Now I want to be clear here….I’m not saying you shouldn’t have a destination you are driving towards. After all, you need to know where you’re headed. Otherwise, we’re just aimlessly going through life.
What I’m suggesting is when you are so locked in to the destination, you don’t leave space for it to change, expand and get even better.
➡️ Maybe you aren’t meant to end up where you think you are headed.
➡️ Maybe you are supposed to do something you aren’t even aware of yet.
➡️ Maybe your journey is meant to take you to a specific place or to a specific person that will be revealed along the way; after you begin.
Sometimes our need to control the outcome can be our biggest enemy. Having faith that everything will work out exactly as it should is a good start.
And afterall, our joy comes from the day to day little things. Not just from “making it”.
And I think we’ve all felt that moment — you hit the goal, celebrate… and then a few days later, the emptiness creeps in. You’re already looking ahead to the next thing.
It is an ongoing process….this thing called ‘success’ and ‘happiness’.
Yes, we all want to conquer our path. To be successful in a worldly way. But does that bring you the same joy as watching your kid win his baseball game? Or belly laughing with your bestie?
Just a simple reminder to stop and enjoy your day. And to enjoy it tomorrow. And the next. And before you know it, you are enjoying your life.
Life is definitely not about the destination.
It is about living authentically moment to moment. Connecting with your people. And loving yourself along your journey.
As we step into the final quarter of 2025, let’s stop waiting for the arrival of a prize — and start living the joy that’s already here.
Is this something you’ve been feeling too? I’d love to hear how you’re working on staying present. Just hit reply — I read every one.
You can Emerge Positive!
Positively,
deanne
