Enjoy the Journey.

"Happiness is not at station you arrive at, but a manner of traveling."
–Margaret Lee Runbeck

So I saw this movie the other night, The Peaceful Warrior. It's a little cheesy and a little Karate Kid 2006, but the message was great. It's all about appreciating and enjoying the "journey"...that the prize at the end is never as valuable as what it takes to get there. I've always agreed to that premise, but it resonated on another level for me that evening.

I am the first one to think, "I'll be happy when I can pay off my debt." or "I'll be happy when I am working at a fabulous job." or "As long as I stay (thin/young/attractive/smart/funny) I'll be 'okay.'" Well, bullshit. I've been the least happy in any of these scenarios and the most happy when I was just enjoying the present moment. I guess we all (to some degree) live in this state of hyper-anxiety about "what is yet to be." The reality is that none of us know what that will be, how it will look, who will be there...life is an organic, beautiful, experience that is in constant motion. We learn and gain the most from our experience when we yield to the ever-shifting tides of life. We are in a state of fear and anxiety when we struggle against the currents.

It is hard to stay in the place of yielding, though...I think we all have an instinct to control, to manipulate, to force things to be what we think they should be rather than allow them to be what they simply are. And isn't that true on every level...how many times have we gotten angry with a spouse, friend, or family member because they are simply BEING who they are...we get angry because it is not what WE need. But the truth of the matter is that our job is to respect and support people in becoming their most authentic selves...not try to morph them into what we need. Going home reminded me of this lesson...when you view people through their lens of who THEY are, it is much easier to love them unconditionally. It is a gentle reminder that we all need to be loved for who we are...flawed beautiful people with unlimited potential.