It is all just a Journey......

I want you all to just picture what I am saying, well typing, rather, as you read this. This is important for you to read, especially if you are dealing with any type of loss. Loss of a life, money, home, job, pet, health, friends, memory......any type of loss. I need you to read this. This is a story about life, and it starts like this......

I can't take credit for this story. One of my good friends that passed away from cancer told me this story, and whenever I feel like life is overwhelming, I remember this story. It isn't a story of a happy ending, but it is a story about looking at life not as "good" or "bad" but a journey, and if you look at it as only a journey, well it seems life doesn't need to be labeled. So here is the story.....

One day you decide you want to backpack across the country. (Pick the country you live in. If you live in a tiny country, well pick two countries.) You decide that you are just going to bring a backpack and some necessary items. You gather up what is necessary to you. Now, before you say you don't have enough money to do this, I forgot to tell you, you decided that you were going either way, with just a little bit of money. If you currently have no money, you are leaving with no money. If you currently have $50, well you are leaving with that. The point is, you are leaving regardless of how much money you have. Now I want you to think of the things that will be necessary to bring, since you will be on foot, backpacking. You may get rides from strangers on the way, but most of it is all on foot, because you are going to walk out the door on foot. I want you all to picture what you would bring. Would you bring a pot to cook in? Matches? Something that makes music? Paper? A journal? What is necessary to you? Maybe you still have a teddy bear from when you were small, and you are not leaving it home, so you stuff him in the bag too. Because, what is necessary for me to survive and cope, may not be the same for you. Now, before you say you are not healthy enough to walk across country, I want you to picture just for a moment, that you ARE. Now keep reading.....

So you gathered your stuff and you walk out the door to walk across country. And If you forgot why you are doing this, it's because you wanted to see new things, and meet new people. You wanted a journey. You are excited about this journey. You say to yourself, "This is going to be exciting!" So you just start walking. I live in NY, so for the sake of this story, I am headed to California....on foot. Now adjust it in your own mind where "across the country" would be for you.

The first day was awesome. You walked many miles. The weather was nice, it was not too hot, it wasn't too cold, and you felt good. You were excited. You met some strangers that were camping and they gave you a huge breakfast, and you sat around their campfire and talked with them. They told you a few stories, and you shared a few of yours. They were really nice people! They even gave you food to take for at least 3 or 4 days. You felt great, but tired. You went to bed and you said good bye to your newly met friends, and off you went backpacking. However, today is hot. You feel dehydrated and you ran out of water and you are now looking for a place that has water. You don't have a cell phone with you, but you do have an old paper map that one of your family members gave you. If you have no family left, let's pretend a good friend gave you the map. No good friends? You found the map. So lets continue.....

You keep on walking and your feet begin to get sores, and you need to stop and rest. So you do. You find a big oak tree and put your pack pack down, exhausted tired and hungry. You take off your shoes to find that the sore on your foot is now bleeding. You have a first aid kit, but no band aids. Why? you were rushing. So you just wipe your foot with an alcohol swab and fall asleep feeling really defeated.

The morning comes and there is a man standing next to you, and he asks if you are "ok." You say yes, but you tell him about the sore on your foot. He invites you to his home for breakfast and he tells you he has band aids, and he just points across the way. You use your vibe and accept because you are in pain and you are very hungry. You have a wonderful breakfast, and the man that invited you to his home has the same Birthday as you! The sun starts to beam through this mans kitchen window. Your sore on your foot feels better. The man gave you a foot wrap, some Betadine and you are now on your way. You think to yourself this is going to be a beautiful day!

So instead of continuing on and on with this story....do you get the jist of this? That life is not really about what happens, but more about the JOURNEY. We focus so much about what is happening....and happening..... and never really saying....."What is this teaching me? What am I learning? Even if the situation brings you to your knees.....stand up, brush yourself off and say...this is NOT about what is happening.....this is about my journey and I alone own it. Remember, in the end it's just like this story, sometimes it will be sunny, sometimes you will be dehydrated. Did I mention a Journey always involves mountains to climb?? But don't ever forget you climb mountains to get to the peak. LIFE....It was and has been always about the Journey.