Learning to Enjoy the Journey

Sometimes it's the journey that teaches you a lot about your destination. - Drake , from BrainyQuote.com

Have you ever become so engrossed in reaching a destination that you failed to enjoy the journey? My poor family had to deal with my ill tempered attitude and hyper intensity whenever we prepared to leave for a vacation. I was no fun to be around. It came to me later in life that my attitude was fueled by my own perfectionism and fear of not performing correctly. What if I forgot something important for the trip? What if I failed to check the oil in the engine and the car blew up on the road, and my family was stranded in the sweltering heat ? I have found that the “ what ifs” know no boundaries. They are fueled by fear, and fear is a bottomless pit ! If allowed to, the “what ifs” can rob us of the joy of the moment. We can become blinded to the present, because we are consumed with speculation of the future.

I'm not saying that we fail to plan for the future. We just don't let the planning consume us, and when our plans go ray, as the usually do in some way; we find the good within the situation and not let the changes steal our joy. The moment as well as the journey , should be like making fresh orange juice. My dad used to pick Valencia oranges from the trees that he planted in our back yard in Tampa . I could always tell when he was preparing to juice, because he would place newspapers over the kitchen counters and floors. The 280Z F 150 juicer would come down from the cabinet, and a five gallon bucket would appear from the garage. Dad would have another large bucket full of ripe oranges. After washing them, he would slice them in half and crank up the juicer, which sounded more like a jet fighter launching from MacDill Air Force Base. He would palm each orange half, after placing a bowl under the F 150 to catch the fresh juice. Then he would work each half - holding it down on that juice paddle until every bit of pulp was extracted from inside the oranges. He left nothing but an orange colored exoskeleton, fit to be thrown on the compost pile. Out of the juicer flowed liquid gold - a juice so sweet and fresh, it make the supermarket ‘s version pale in comparison. My mom and I always anticipated, watched, and waited like a hungry dog parked at an empty bowl , waiting for my dad to pour out some samples. It was a taste of heaven on earth ! This, my friend, is how we should live life- extracting every good thing that we can from the present; being intentional and engaged within the journey. Staying connected to our loved ones, friends, relationships; and savoring every last drop !

As business professionals, we can also become so consumed with hitting our goals or quotas, that we lose the value within the process. Both Bilbo and Frodo Baggins changed and developed into different hobbits because of what they experienced during their adventures. Good and bad. It is vital for us not to miss the lessons learned and the small joys along the path to success. We might arrive at our destination only to discover that much happiness was lost during the journey, because we failed to engage in the present. Be intentional at enjoying the journey !

Aim for the sky, but move slowly, enjoying every step along the way. It is all those little steps that make the journey complete. - Chanda Kochhar

Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome. - Arthur Ashe