The Blessing is in the Journey

There was a time when I was a believer of “destination happiness”.

Ever heard of it?

It’s the phenomenon of thinking you’ll be happy or better only after you achieve a certain goal.

“Oh, I’ll be happy once I make X amount of money. I’ll be happy when I get married. I’ll be happy once I move to that place”....the list goes on.

And then it happens. You're happy for a moment—until the moment passes.

Now don’t get me wrong, there are definitely some commodities in life that can bring you to a new level of joy and contentment, but if we are always delaying our happiness for the next great thing or ignore what that experience is trying to teach us, I believe we can stifle ourselves.

Years ago, I learned a critical lesson about managing and appreciating what I had before seeking more and recognizing the lessons the journey toward ‘that thing’ can teach you.

I was working at an organization, and although I really enjoyed what I did, I was not making the salary I thought I deserved. I was soooo frustrated.

And while I certainly needed to be making more money, I came to the realization that I needed to become a good steward of what I currently had, before I could expect to be blessed with more.

I wasn’t careless, but I wasn’t tracking my finances in the way I could have been. So I became pretty disciplined and learned about some financial planning apps I could use, ways I could cut back on my spending and what I could sacrifice for the short term. (Goodbye cable😅)

Also, instead of immediately jumping into a new job, I attempted to ask for a promotion at my current one. I researched and put together a proposal to present to my company.

Basically, I did everything within my reasonable power to be a good steward of what I already had.

This taught me two important lessons.

First, it’s an act of obedience to God to manage and appreciate what he’s already given me.

As Philippians 4:11-13 says, “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things, I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Second, I gained confidence in myself.

If I could navigate an uncomfortable situation and create a plan forward, I could trust that I’d be able to do it again.

I think of it as building a resilience equity bank.

When (not if) I am faced with another challenge in life, I can go into this bank and pull on the resources that I’ve already implemented before.

I now have trust in myself and proof that I can handle and get through it.

Now I did not get that promotion, but what I did get was another job with a significant salary bump. And 8 months into that job I got ANOTHER job paying even more, essentially doubling my salary within a year’s time.

I received even more than I thought I could.

Appreciating where I was, doing what I could within my power and then seeking more, allowed me a blessing I couldn’t have imagined! If I had not practiced the discipline before receiving more, I feel I would not have been a good steward of the blessings that eventually did come or been as appreciative of it.

The blessing was in the journey.

I noticed a similar trend when I was planning my sabbatical.

The thought of traveling for months around the world, learning new cultures and having new experiences sounded amazing and something that would uplevel me into a new and greater understanding of myself and my own perceptions on the possibilities in life.

While the experience itself was everything I hoped for, looking back, what had an even greater impact on me was the preparation that led up to it.

I was so extremely locked into this thing I wanted for myself. I had tunnel vision. I did anything I needed to do to make this dream a reality.

I cut back on careless spending. I became hyper focused on shifting my mindset. I listened to all the travel planning podcasts I could find. I read all the money saving books I could get at my local library.

I made an inventory of what was actually important to me. I sold things that didn’t hold value. I prioritized only attending events and spending time with people that were very important to me.

I limited my engagement with anyone or anything that I felt might discourage me from pursuing my dream.

I essentially “cut out all the fat” in my own life.

It was also challenging and anxiety ridden.

The ‘what if’s’ were constantly echoing in my mind. What if it doesn’t work? What if something happens? What if, what if, What if?

Want to know the truth? The “what if” thoughts did not go away. But I decided my dream was bigger than my fear.

My confidence skyrocketed.

I remember waiting at the airport for my flight to Italy, thinking to myself, 'I wish I could bottle up all the happiness and pride I feel right now into a reservoir to save for a rainy day.’

I was truly on a natural high.

And this all came before the thing I was actually preparing for.

I had essentially just made a new agreement with myself. If there was an aspect of my life I didn't like or wasn’t satisfied with, I had the power to change it.

Remember that resilience equity bank I mentioned? I had just made a HUGE deposit.

I had decided I wanted a new experience for myself and now months later, here I was on a one way flight to Rome.

I also think about how it might have been different if I didn’t plan it myself, had relied on an external influence to dictate my plans or if I had not gone at all.

Don’t get me wrong, my sabbatical was amazing but that 'high' I felt eventually level set, and it became a new baseline for me.

The actual magic was in the preparation and journey of it all.

It truly rewired my brain and my ability to reimagine what I hold the power to do.

The blessing was in the journey.

And now as I navigate new dreams and desires, I hold these lessons close to me.

I, of course, have new destinations and goals I am striving for, but reminding myself to still enjoy the journey and the lessons along the way.

What about you?

What next step or place are you looking to get to right now? Is there something you can take greater appreciation for that you have right now, while you make your way there?

What is the blessing in your current journey?