“Life is a Journey, Not a Destination.”

“Life is a journey, not a destination.”
                                                          ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

For many years now, I have spent a lot of time focusing on the past; everything that I had done wrong and what seemed to be the very few things that I had done right. I spent so many hours focusing on exactly how things had gone awry, things that I could have done different, and if I had made different choices, wondering if I could have had a different outcome. In my head, I could spin each situation a million different directions and come up with just as many possible outcomes. What I have come to realize is that now I understand for the most parts all of the facts, the key players and the variables that accompany the situation. I didn’t have all of that information at the time, so I made the best decision based on what I knew and felt.

I also spent time focusing on ways that I feel other people may have helped influence the path that I took, things that could have been different and things that should have been different, if only I had made my own choices and not given so much credibility to the opinions of others. I had people that I really feel gave me a crappy deal, people who said and did things that made a negative impact on my life and things that I am still paying the price for today. How could this happen? How can they say and do such things and just continue to go on and not care about the devastation they’ve caused other people? But guess what? Spending so much time focusing on my past was taking precious time from my present and my future. I had to forgive those that I feel hurt me, forgive myself for the mistakes I feel I made and come to terms with my past. I needed to realize that through that pain, I gained strength and I learned from those mistakes. Traveling those roads and learning along the way, I feel that in some ways I have become a better, more understanding, and more compassionate person.

What are you focusing on? What is taking up space in your head and keeping you from enjoying everything that is in front of you, just ready and waiting? Your past is your past and your future is your future. The only moment you should consistently live in, is the one we are actually in — the present. If you want to appreciate and enjoy life to all of its fullness, you have to live here. Leave the past behind, focus on where you want your future to go, but don’t fixate or become obsessed with it. Make a conscious decision to live in awareness and appreciation; be present in the moment because you are never going to get it back.

If you spend all of your time looking in the rear view mirror or too much time looking for the finish line, when you finally reach it, you’ll be left empty and wondering if that’s all there is. You will have missed out on great opportunities, amazing people and happiness you will never have the opportunity to get back. While having goals and reaching them is a very positive experience,  its not that rewarding all by yourself, when you have no one to share the victory with.

How do you think your life would change if you reminded yourself of this message every single day? How much meaningful would your life be and how much more joy would you experience? This moment — this one, the moment right now — this moment is your life. I hope we all realize how special it is and take advantage of it.

In all of your growing, in your entire discovery, in all of your planning, in all of your day-to-day living, try not to lose sight of the journey you are on. Life is meant to be enjoyed. Life is a journey, not a destination.