
"Life is a journey, not a destination"
This quote has been used to encourage many who either find themselves in the midst of a struggle, or are merely struggling to wait patiently to obtain what life has for them. The question, however, is whether it is true? Is life about the journey?
When I hear the word "journey", I liken it to an adventure. With an adventure being chalked full of excitement, curiosity and even a twinge of fear. Throughout all the twist and turns that an adventure is sure to bring, it typically has a happy ending. Consider for a moment the adventure that young Dorothy Gale embarked on in her quest to find the great and powerful Wizard of Oz. In the 1939 film, viewers meet Dorothy after she has had an unfortunate run-in with a contentious neighbor, Mrs. Gulch. Dorothy is upset by the distressing encounter, setting in to motion a series of events that lands her, quite literally, in a strange place, far from home and all alone.
Dorothy's journey, like many others, originated from a place of distress and ended with the experience of joy and gratitude. While The Wizard of Oz is a fictional story, it depicts a theme that can commonly be witness in everyday life circumstances.
As humans, we tend to do what is working for us, until it isn't. Then we seek out change. Whether the change we seek is prompted by our favorite jeans fitting too tightly or feeling deeply alone in a relationship with a spouse. Discomfort often precipitates change. In fact, we embark on journeys when we become dissatisfied with our current position or situation, and go in search of something new or better.
Ironically, in the quest to find "better", we also find ourselves facing new obstacles and challenges that stretch us to tap into resources we did not know we had. Many of those resources can be found within. Yet, some resources present themselves in the form of a person who travels alongside us on our journey. These "allies" that we meet along the way are not required to join us. However their mere presence can make all the difference when facing the road ahead.
Considering the allies in your life, ask yourself whether you have learned more, grown more and gained more along your journey having a trusted ally by your side. What valuable experiences and lessons have you picked up along the way, even if you have yet to reach your destination? Because, let’s face it, the "destination" is really the start of a NEW journey.
Be Well my friends, and Live Loved
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