Life is a journey – enjoy the drive!

How is your life journey? We often hear the saying coined by Nissan, “Life is a journey – enjoy the ride.” While that is true, we prefer to say, enjoy the drive, because you are not just a passenger along for the ride, you are actually in the driver’s seat. You get to make choices and be in control of where you go and what you do on your life journey.

We all hope our life journey will be on a smooth road. However, there can be events, big and small, good and bad, that impact our travel plans. Sometimes the road is straight and the view is clear. Other times there can be sharp curves with possible hidden dangers and fog hinders the view. Just as you can’t always predict the road and the weather, you may experience unexpected life events. There may be losses of health, loved-ones, a job, finances or other things that cause you to feel discouraged and distraught. You may find it difficult to go on. When loss or tragedy strikes you and you’re weary, it’s good to pull into a “rest stop” and get some “roadside assistance”. In other words, contact family, a friend, an expert and consult your Higher Power to help you navigate the difficulties you’re encountering.

There are some detours and roadblocks on every life journey. At times, you might just feel stuck, you’re not getting anywhere and you can’t see your way. It’s like when you’re driving down the road at night and your headlights shine ahead. You can see only so far. When you continue driving and reach that point, your headlights shine even farther and then you can see more. The life lesson we learned is that driving farther on the life road journey leads to more choices and more opportunities. If you are willing to explore, there could be some wonderful adventures around the next bend. We agree with Apple CEO Tim Cook who said, “Let your joy be in your journey – not in some distance goal.”

As the driver, you want to be taking good care of yourself so you stay well and have energy for your travels. Your life journey is not a race. Take time to breathe, rest and renew, and decide where you really want to go. Also, who are the other people you want on your life journey with you? Decide what is most important to you to make your journey pleasurable and meaningful.

Even though we would like a smooth drive, the difficulties we encounter, the roadblocks and detours, can provide valuable life lessons. When difficulties occur, ask yourself what you can learn from these situations. If you’ve made it safely past the difficulties and back to smooth roads again, reflect on the past and recognize the strength and wisdom you gained. These life lessons, even though they can be hard, will serve you well in the future so you can avoid some of the bumpiness and celebrate a more enjoyable drive.

We asked some people what they liked along their life journey and what they would like to be different. We met Nora Stacey and she told us, “What I like about my journey now is that I’m at least healthy and my family’s healthy. What I’m looking forward to most is, I want my children to graduate from high school and college and have a successful career with whatever they decide to do.”

Next we met, Dr. Edward Requet, D.C., a chiropractor, who shared, ”I think the best thing in life’s journey right now is seeing my children grow – one graduated from college, one is graduating from high school and one is in between. They are all doing very well and excelling at their passions.” We asked if there was anything he would like to be different in life and he answered, “Not really, everything has been pretty good. I just wish that everyone has good health and longevity.”

What we noticed is that how family members are doing contributes a lot to the enjoyment of people’s journeys. What about you? How’s your life journey?

Here’s a challenge: Prepare to have an enjoyable life journey by taking good care of yourself so you are a healthy, alert driver. Then you can make the necessary changes and best choices as you encounter challenges and opportunities on your life road. Remember, don’t drive through life like you’re in a race. We encourage you to live more, love more and relax more. Life is a journey – enjoy the drive.

Chanhassen residents Doug and Lynn Nodland are Success Coaches and owners of The Balance Center. They can be contacted at WeCare@SharingLifesLessons.com

© Doug and Lynn Nodland 2018 Articles and videos may be shared in their entirety with attribution.