I have a magnet on my fridge with Ralph Waldo Emmerson’s quote, “Life’s a journey, not a destination”.

A family member bought it for me years ago (I believe it was quiet recognition that I was seemingly always chasing something.) 

The magnet reminds me of one day in particular that my mom came to work with me in my business. I was out visiting a client and when I returned, my office was decorated with tiny little reminders hung in strategic spots. My mom typed out one line repeatedly on a piece of paper, cut them into little strips, then taped them in various places.  They all said the same thing: Life is what is happening when you’re planning.

Developing “presence” became a pursuit.  If happiness is always tied to a future accomplishment, you risk never feeling content. The richness is in the process — the conversations, the challenges, the growth — not just the end result. 

And it took me a while to recognize that if you focus only on reaching an ideal life or perfect self, you might miss the beauty of progress, mistakes, and detours — which I discovered can be the most memorable and transformative parts.

Aha! ~ “The destination is just the reason for the journey” ~ Abraham Hicks

In an interview with Esther Hicks, who channeled Abraham, they explained it something like this: let’s say you plan a vacation.  You don’t plan a vacation to get it done. If that were the case, with the final destination being home – you’re going to return back home – you don’t say, “Well, I’m already there, I’ve already completed this” and check it off your list! You plan a vacation to experience, to learn something new, to have fun, meet new people, taste different foods, become uplifted, exhilarated and stimulate thought!!

Life isn’t a race to the finish line – or even a series of small races - any more than a vacation is a mad dash to the airport. You’re here to wander the markets, dip your toes in the surf, get lost in a side street, and laugh over a meal you can’t quite pronounce. 

The point isn’t to get it over with because you never really “arrive” at a final point where all growth stops.  Even achievements that feel like endpoints are just milestones on a longer path. The point then is to savour the ride.

Life reveals its finest details and greatest joy only to the unhurried.

It gets hammered into us that we need to set goals!  Yes – agreed – we need to have purpose and strive for growth, but the journey is what will make the destination worthwhile.  We’ll talk more in Human U Wednesday at 4:30 pm eastern.  Join us!