Enjoy The Journey Part 2
In yesterday’s blog I talked about enjoying the journey and not being in such a rush to real goals you may set yourself.
Now there’s an interesting follow on to my having said “Enjoy the journey” and that is one of the
danger of completion of that journey.
What if you get there (wherever there is) and you don’t like it what you see or like what you’ve got?
What if by getting there, there’s no more journey left and therefore and no reason to continue, as there isn’t anywhere or anything to continue too?
For instance, we may all wonder, ‘What if I won the lottery?’
Then I could buy the house of my dreams, drive the cars l always wanted and have all the holidays I could wish for, all with the added luxury of never having to work again.
So you win the lottery!
What happens then?
Well let’s say, one day you walk out onto the luxurious balcony of your amazing house and enjoy the magnificent view with the sea breeze in your face.
Or you go down to your garage to admire your cars, perhaps considering where to go next for your holidays.
Over time not only would you start to feel quite lonely (who else would have that kind of money), but you would no longer appreciate the value of anything, as one sea view becomes just as good as the last sea view and things, just become more things.
Your previous work colleges would no longer feel the same way about you and all contact probably lost.
So what has this SUDDEN fortune brought you?
Isolation and loneliness with nothing left to work for or aim for.
Of course winning the lottery would be great, providing it doesn’t change you as a person, but what I am saying is that it is not always the best thing to get what you want straight away.
If you had worked for these things then that is a different story, not only would you still get along with previous work colleges/friends, but would probably be wishing you all the best for your continued success.
There are many people in China for instance who deliberately give themselves additional hardship and pain, only to be better able to appreciate the little they have already.
So not only should we enjoy the journey but appreciate it for what it is.
Of course the other side of the coin is not thinking of what we need to do but instead appreciate
what we have done already!
You may be living in a house and able to think back to when you just had that tiny apartment.
Or finally having your own apartment after all those years living with your parents.
Or if you’re lucky enough to be still living with your parents but thinking how you are now able to buy steak if you wish instead of just meatloaf (I love meatloaf by the way!).
My point is that there is nearly always something we can look at that has improved over the years, and yes there are things that may have gotten worse, but this blog is about enjoying the positives of the journey remember.
One of the biggest and most common examples of this I see is when playing Chi Sau with a student and they say to me that they feel rubbish and that they do not feel as though they are learning anything.
All of this I remind them, while they are actually playing Chi Sau, rolling with good positions, stepping and turning correctly, AND knowing what the hell I am talking about when I explain these things to them.
There was time when NONE OF THIS would have been understood, so of course you are learning and of course you are progressing.
So in conclusion;
Do not rush the journey, enjoy it, and if you don’t feel like you’re moving anywhere,
take a glance behind you, and if you’re ever offered a pill that will magically make it all happen for you,
ask yourself would it be really worth it?
I say no because you’d have no experiences to share or to talk about and would never have empathy for those on that same journey.
Success can sometimes be a lonely place, so remember to keep your feet on the ground and be nice to everyone.
As a great philosopher once said, “The more a monkey climbs, the more you can see its arse!”
🙂
LOL