Here's to the journey
Goodbye summer, hello fall - back to my Patagonia fleece stash, pumpkin spice lattes, and my smash hit blog. Hello again :). (I checked with the blog association and 1 emoji per post is acceptable).
My overthinking was in hyperdrive (or is it overdrive?) this summer, as a simple lesson kept popping up.
It is a dangerous game to place our happiness on a particular outcome, especially one that isn't entirely in our control. "I'm going to get this job", "I'm going to win this award", "I'm going to put away my laundry this week".
It's simply not possible to know if that will happen. And it actually doesn't matter as much as we think it does (or as much as we might believe it does based on LinkedIn posts). I know it is cliché, but it's not about the destination, it's about the journey.
By all means set a destination. I'm a goal setter and a DREAM BIG kind-of-girl. But I also don't think it's wise to place all meaning on whether we arrive at the place we set out towards before we took our first steps on the adventure. Every step is an opportunity for change. Every step is an opportunity for growth. And most importantly every step has the potential to lead us in a different direction.
Life changes on a dime. Circumstances are out of our control and suddenly we find ourselves in a situation or destination that we didn't anticipate. But if we take time to enjoy what we can, while we can, that's where the magic happens.
I know it's easier said than done. Sometimes that next step is more of a stumble. What helps me is, well, other people.
I'm not going to preach to do it all on your own. In fact, I'm going to say, find someone to share those experiences with. I have discovered that I am a relationship-oriented person. You might think, "Duh, Marissa" (if you have attended one of my famous pub crawls - that is all I am legally allowed to say about them). But it is a new realization for me. In my early 20s, I had always pictured myself as a lone wolf (a wolf who loves cats). But here I am, sharing an apartment with a man (cough, cough my husband) and I love it. Although I am not entirely hyped on sharing a bathroom, sharing a journey has been a gift.
I am not just talking about romantic relationships though. Reaching out to our wider community is something to consider. Everyone has something to offer and something to teach- friends, family, your dinnertime DJ (although if you're looking for live music, I might know someone).
This advice may not be for everyone and not for every situation (classic scientist qualifying my point), but if you are like me, then talking things through, or asking for advice, or trying to learn from others, is a motivator to take that next step forward.
So here's to the journey, not the destination. Where the only reason we're going to make it through is because that is the only way through. And perhaps the best way through is with each other.
Until next time, dream big, love fiercely, laugh often, and sparkle.
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