Day 26: Enjoy the transitions

My family is spread out across the country. So, if I travel domestically, it is almost always for the purpose of visiting someone I know. And even more specifically, dropping into their world as quickly as possible because 'time is finite and time together is even more limited.'

Sheesh, there's a limiting belief!  

Why is the idea that 'time is finite and time together is even more limited' a limiting belief? [Despite containing the same word]
Because it:
- inhibits my ability to experience life fully
- focuses on lack and scarcity
- prevents me from even considering that there might be other ways to view traveling to see family

I bring all of this up because, in my conscious investigation of where my thoughts actually come from, I discovered the even deeper rooted core belief of "you can't really enjoy a trip until you reach the destination."

I think this idea is something everyone can relate to. Have you ever heard the saying, "Life is about the journey, not the destination"?

Mostly likely you have.

But have you really, honestly believed that for your own life? 

Take ANY life category - work, health, relationships, etc. Have you ever fully bought in to the idea that the time, process, and learning that occurs as you're:
- working hard on that stressful project at your job
- building up that new fitness routine
- trying to find a good match for yourself through dating
or countless other examples, is MORE important than the achievement itself? 

Is the struggle to complete the project more valuable than a job well done?
Is the effort to create a new habit and lifestyle more valuable than the habitual routine and transformed physique?
Is the experience of meeting new people and being vulnerable more valuable than the established committed relationship?

That's tough to say, because it depends entirely on your perspective. There is no 'right way' to think about or approach life. But there is a way that works and feels best for all of us, individually.

For me, I think I'd like to work on some perspective shifts so I can enjoy the journeys and transitions I encounter in life more. Starting with something small, like the way I view traveling to visit family.

What if I gave myself permission to turn off autopilot so I could actually take in and, dare I say it - enjoy, the process of traveling to a different location?

It think a lot might change for me; experiencing way less stress, being the most obvious.

There's definitely value in practicing this - checking yourself and how you are perceiving the transitions in life. The good stuff isn't reserved only for accomplishments and destinations, it can be found everywhere.