Today my wife and I are both traveling three hours to get home. For her, she’s going to pick up the boys from camp, a three hour drive away from home. For me, I’m headed back home after a short solo cruise on a three hour flight from Florida.
Both three hour trips and both to come home, but totally different experiences.
The reality is we’re all on a journey. We all have different paths to take.
Sometimes they feel like roadtrips, long and winding. We don’t get as far in the same amount of time, but we experience the world around us completely differently. We get to see the faces of those passing by. We get to stop at local destinations around the way. We have time to ponder and take in the beauty of the scenery around us.
Other times it feels like a flight. We open our eyes and our location has drastically changed from where we thought we were in just a short amount of time. It’s quicker and feels a little easier, but we definitely miss some of the experiences the drive would have given us. We might not have time to take in all of the learning, growth and scenery around us.
Whatever type of journey you’re on today, I want to encourage you to appreciate what it gives and understand what it costs. If you’re on a slow, winding path towards progress, own the fact that it’s going to take longer than you want. I get it, I don’t have patience for myself. But on those slower growth processes you’ll learn more about yourself and those around you. You’ll discover who is willing to have the patience for your growth because you’re worth it. You’ll be able to let go of those relationships that were of convenience rather than true mutual appreciation. The cost is time, the value is depth.
If you’re on a whirlwind of a journey right now wondering how you went from one location you thought you’d be at for a long time to a totally different terrain, uncertain of how you got there, how you’ll manage or if you’ll be able to keep your place in your new place, there’s the value of expediency and the cost of insecurity. You’ve arrived at a new location that would take others much longer to reach. Maybe you even find yourself in a place you’re not sure you like and because you got there so fast you don’t even know if you can go back. The cost of insecurity, of wondering how you got to a new place you might not like, or maybe even to a better place you’re not sure you can fit into, is real. Without the lingering journey there wasn’t as much time to understand, reflect and process.
Wherever your journey is taking you today, my prayer for you is this, that you take it all in. Appreciate the value, no matter what path it’s taking. Understand the costs. Reach deep down and know that one is not worse than the other. It’s just the journey you’re on, there’s a reason for it, don’t despise it or fear it. Hold onto it and see what comes next.