For my birthday, I traveled to Puerto Rico with a couple of friends. It was incredible -- white sandy beaches, warm tropical temperatures, and a lesson in diversity and culture. Probably the best part of the trip was our excursion to El Yunque Rain Forest. From elevations some 3000 feet, we took in breathtaking views of the Caribbean Sea meeting the Atlantic Ocean.
The most memorable moment was our hike along Big Tree trail in search of La Mina falls. The trail was rated moderate in difficulty and steep in some places, so we kept our heads down and our eyes on each wet and slippery step. We rushed down the rugged trail, but about two-thirds of the way down and quite winded, I had an ah-ha moment. I yelled to my friends to stop. It had dawned on me; we were so focused on reaching the waterfall that we weren't taking in the beauty of the journey. We slowed our pace, paused here and there to take pictures, and began to see the beautiful ferns and wild flowers and feel the moist fresh air and hear the soothing serenade of the wildlife and the rushing stream.
Here's the lesson: Sometimes in life we need to change our focal point. Instead of focusing so intently on our destination, we need to enjoy the wonders of the journey. For instance, some people are so focused on retirement that they don’t stop to celebrate the milestones along the way. Others eagerly wait for payday and don’t profit from those valuable lessons between paychecks. Tell me, what has your focus? Is it a better job or a promotion, five o’clock quitting time or the weekend, month end, or are you simply waiting in traffic for the green light? Life is a journey marked with the highest mountaintops and lowest valleys, winding roads, steep hills and slippery slopes. It’s certainly okay to have goals, ambitions, and a destination in mind -- in fact, it’s encouraged; however, it is equally important not to lose sight of the good things offered on the journey.
Click here to view pictures from the journey.
Here are five ways to make the most of your journey to where you really want to be.
- Work on your skills. Learning is fundamental to your ability to grow and reach your destination. And it is during the journey that you learn the most critical lessons.
- Get to know yourself. The journey offers valuable lessons in getting to know you. Examine your own thoughts and feelings, beliefs and values. Reassess who you are and what you want to be. The more you know yourself the better you can understand others and the better decisions you make. Knowing yourself will help you create your future.
- Connect with the people around you. We hurry conversations by completing the other person’s sentences. Interruptions irritate us. We’re slow to respond to phone calls and emails. We try to multitask instead of giving people our full attention. No matter how smart you are, unless you know how to connect with people, you will not go very far.
- Live happily ever now. Don’t wait until you reach your destination to live happily ever after-- live happily ever now. You’ll never reach your destination by living in the guilt of your past or anxiety about your future. Strive to enjoy your “right now” journey. Sure, have goals, ambitions, but make today as good as you can make it.
- Get help when you're stuck. To support them, most top athletes have a coach who encourages them to improve, change, and develop so that they can become better athletes. You deserve a coach to help you improve, change, and develop aspects of your life too (only without the shouting, running, and push-ups!). If you are at a crossroads in your journey or you feel stuck and confused about what you want or how to get there, hire a coach. A coach can help you set far better, more motivating goals, accomplish your goals more quickly, and move up to the next level in your personal and professional life. Sign up for a FREE tele-coaching session and experience the power of coaching for yourself.
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