Get Into the Driver's Seat of Your Destiny

Life is not a race, it is a journey. It is so easy to rush along life's path, hugging every corner like a Ducati at high speed- but there is no prize to finish first- so why sabotage  the true prize? 

Dieter Uchtdorf said, "Sometimes we get so focused on the finish line that we fail to enjoy the journey."

I once read- life is short so live it; love is rare so grab it; dreams are real so chase it; fear is awful so face it; memories are sweet so cherish it. 
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It seems preposterous that we need to be told to remember to savor the aspects of our lives that make up our life experience- but we seem to forget quite often to stop and enjoy the ride. It's not the destination that brings us joy, it's the journey. 

As the passenger on a trip, be it by car, train, plane, rail, or sail, it would seem we have an advantage over the driver wherein we can take in additional scenery. Or do we? At face value we are not bogged down by focusing on the direction that we are headed or  in steering the machine. We view the experience through a different lens and are provided opportunity to enjoy the ride- that is, if we choose. 

Rushing along and missing the beauty is just as easy from any angle. 

The ride of life is not a missed opportunity for the driver. Just ask an avid Harley rider, equestrian, runner, or surfer. Being in the driver's seat provides full control and the greatest opportunity. The rush of wind in one's face- the beautiful gust filling a sail. We are in the prime position to see what's coming, obstacles and opportunities. We have the power to change direction and slow down or speed up. 

As the wave gains momentum, swelling the sea behind the surfer, the rider quickly springs into position to savor the experience of the wave. The pulse of the rushing, driving, wall of water propels the board and rider into a rush of exhilaration. 

Fear could grip a novice who then chooses not to ride the wave. The choice to savor  experiences, both good or bad, the choice to take chances and to live life as the driver is in each of us. 

We are our choices. Our journey or our race- a choice. Each moment- a choice. Our fulfillment, joy, success- a choice. Our fear, our courage- it lives within us- only as we choose to create it. What we think is what we
create- and it's a choice.

Choose to live your journey- not merely exist. Slow down- enjoy your journey.

Life is really simple. We insist on making it complicated- Confucius. 

Jolene Church is currently working on doctoral research on critical thinking in organizational leadership. She is a mindfulness practitioner and the co-author of the newly released, Thinking 101: Fundamentals of a Successful Mindset- available now on Amazon in paperback and Kindle or at www.successfulthinkingmindset.com