It seems, at least to me, that we have been programmed to believe that life is some kind of journey. A journey that leads to some great destination, to some kind of great ‘success’.
At an early age we enter school and kindergarten. This is great because we are now on that great path of life! (or so we are told).
We graduate kindergarten and then we enter first grade. Then we go to second grade and so on until we get through grade school.
Eventually we go to high school where we again graduate. At that point we go to college and we get that so sought-after degree!
With that in hand we get that entry level job that we have been ever anticipating. We work hard and do what we are told with our sights set on that next promotion!
That day comes and we continue to work hard! We focus ahead because that great thing is coming! It’s almost here! That thing that we have been working towards our entire life!
Then we hit 40 and gosh darn we have made it! We have that big house, nice car, and that ‘dream’ job.
And you know what? You don’t feel any different…
In fact, you feel sad and cheated because looking back half your life has gone by in the blink of an eye.
You were so focused on getting to that ‘end’ as quickly as you could that you missed out on so much along the way
If my 41-year-old self could tell my younger self something it would be this.
Life isn’t a journey at all. It has no real goal or destination. It is rather just something that was meant to be enjoyed in the moment all along the way.