How often have you heard someone say, or even said yourself, "I cannot wait until that course is over", "Boy, will I be glad when this project is over", or "I will be so glad when all of this planning is done"? Only to find that once the finished line is crossed, that the feelings of exuberance just do not measure up to what was expected. This is a very common occurrence. Why does this end result often leave us feeling like there should be more? The answer is best explained by the simple phrase of "Joy is in the journey, not the destination." Ahh, does the answer strike a chord?
Sandra has spent almost two years planning her wedding. She is now in the homestretch and is frantically trying to get all of the loose ends tightened up. The day of the wedding finally arrives, she is nervous, but satisfied that she has done all she can do, and leaves everything else to those she has hired. The wedding is beautiful, the reception is gorgeous, the guests are impressed and she is not experiencing any mishaps. She and her new husband are supposed to leave for their honeymoon the next day. Wonderful! Sandra awakens thinking about her wedding and although she is pleased, she feels a little let down. She cannot put her finger on it, but something feels missing - like she should be doing something, sort of like she has been cast adrift.
Sam has spent the past two years building a new development complex. He has put in sixty plus hour weeks for almost three years through pre-planning, planning, development and clean-up. He was thrilled to be selected for this multi-million dollar project and could not wait to see it actually standing. Now, as he walks about his site, he is not experiencing the euphoria that he expected. He is proud of his accomplishment, but is looking around feeling as though he is holding the brass ring and does not know what to do with it, now that he has it in his hand.
Sandra and Sam both got what they wanted, but are in the process of realizing that reaching their desires resulted in their life-purpose, or goals, having been fulfilled. Not their overall life purpose, but the one that they decided to focus on for a predetermined amount of time. They both lived their lives focused on their goal: the wedding and the project. Once they reached the goal the excitement of the months of planning, the hordes of minute details, and the precise timetables that they had been working on for months were things of the past. They were experiencing a letdown, almost a grieving process to the lives they left behind. In fact, since many goals conclude with a huge celebration, such as a wedding, graduation, ground-breaking or grand opening, it is understandable why sadness can result.
Sandra and Sam were in their element when they were in planning mode. They were being productive, imaginative, enterprising, and resourceful. Their eyes were full of possibilities and wonder. They were grooving on life. Now that the ride is over they need to move on to the next task and open their eyes to new possibilities. Getting from Point A to Point B requires action. Be it physically moving or putting our thinking caps on, either way it is a call to action that requires mobilization. They need to identify their next journey and they will again ignite the passion within.
Are you on idle? Is it time for you to move on to the next journey? Do you need to reevaluate your life and rewrite your purpose? If the joy is in the journey, inaction is like condemning yourself to unhappiness. So, if you've grown roots, it is time to redefine your life purpose, establish your goals, and start moving towards the future.
Joyous Journeys - To learn more about this author, visit Eva Gregory's Website.
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