This blog is of equal value to myself as it (hopefully) is for my readers. As a matter of fact, most of what I write are things that I’ve learned to implement or things that I’m still working on implementing in my day to day. It’s all about learning together and sharing it.
One of those things is on how to enjoy the journey; how to truly live in the moment and be satisfied with the here and now.
We are each unique with our goals and path to follow. Our journeys look as different as we are. There are many things that are out of our control and often times we try to over-control every aspect of our lives, when in reality, a little faith and appreciation of the journey is all you need.
Work on things you can control (ie: exercise and nutrition!). The vision may not be as clear on other aspects of life, but as long as you focus on giving, being in service, thinking of others, working on developing and bringing out your best self each day…you’ll always find where you need to be. It may not be the destination you wanted, but you may just end up with an even better view.
Every day, you have a chance to make an impact in the world. Whether it’s via social media to people around the world, or locally to your co-workers, your kids, your spouse or your friends. Every conversation, every smile and every interaction gives you a chance to make a positive difference.
The destination is just a tiny slice of the journey. Pause to appreciate the great things along the way, the process is what develops us. A marathon runner doesn’t become a marathoner the day of the race. The marathoner is developed during the process of training, of logging in those long lonely miles and of the sacrifices that it took to reach race day.
As Tony Robbins says: “Success without fulfillment is the ultimate failure.” This is one of the reasons why it’s important to link goals with an emotionally compelling reason, not just a reason to satisfy the ego. Losing weight so you can enjoy hikes with your family and feel more energized to live a healthier life has far deeper meaning than simply losing the weight for an upcoming event so you can fit in your dress and look good for pictures.
Having a deeper meaning helps you to appreciate the journey, not just rush through it.
If you’re fixated on the goal, when you attain it, you won’t enjoy it when you get there. You’ll be worried about the next goal, the next destination. When you achieve it, you’ll be like “Ok–what’s next” and the cycle repeats itself.
All our worries and plans about the future, all our replaying of things that happened in the past — it’s all in our heads, and it just distracts us from fully living right now. Let go of all that, and just focus on what you’re doing, right at this moment.
5 Ways to Stay in Moment:
Meditate. Even if it’s just 1 minute in the morning. Find a quiet spot and unplug for that 1 minute. Don’t think of anything, but your breathing.
Take 3 deep breaths daily. Shallow breathing has become kind of a habit in the Western culture. Our day to day stress can be alleviated by the simple act of taking deep breaths.
Eat with appreciation. 70% of the world don’t have enough food to eat. Just being grateful on the dinner table and keeping the cell phone away can create a positive shift in your mindset and help you stay in the moment.
Mindful walking. With all the gadgets nowadays used to track your steps, it’s easy to just pile on your walking with doing 10 other things. Take the time (even if it’s 5 minutes) to walk with no other commitments.
Perspective check. Zoom out of your world and take notice of all the good you have. If you’re reading this from a computer or cellphone–you have it better than most people in the world. About 70% of the world lives on $2 per day. Always maintain that attitude of gratitude.
Make that positive impact, live in gratitude and enjoy the journey.
Committed to your health,
Kendrick Ribeiro