Hard Journeys To Great Destinations

Many of us complain about the inconvenience of modern travel. The long lines, security checks, lack of meals, cramped airplane spaces, increased customs and immigration checks and processing, waiting at the gate, the limited weight and suitcases we are now allowed to carry, finding space in the overheads, flight delays and rushing to make connecting flights. It is a pain. It almost takes the fun out of travel, but we put up with it because we want to get to the destination.

Our lives are just like that. We dream about and plan for having kids, getting married, looking after our wives, husbands and families, being recognised as a man or woman, having a certain type of job, getting recognition and promotions, having a particular type of car, possessions, being able to maintain ourselves comfortably. Our destination in life is #happiness and #success, however we define them. We dream of arriving there and we want to get there by the smoothest and shortest possible route. But we rarely think of the journey we’ll have to take to arrive at where we want to be.

If we want to get to the destination, we must take the journey, with all its inconveniences, pain, discomfort, delays, betrayals, setbacks, adjusted expectations, put-downs, insults, shame, hurts, failures, challenges, diversions, and all the other difficulties that are part of our journey. There is no other way to get to the destination.

The only way to get to our destination is to take the journey. If we do not take the journey we do not grow from the experience of travel. If we do not take the journey, we remain exactly where we are, longing for change, new experiences and new destinations. We get to those destinations only by taking the hardships and inconveniences of the journey.

Prepare yourself for the journey. Learn and grow from its lessons. And once you get to your destination, celebrate yourself for taking and surviving the journey.

#LizNspirationals