Enjoy The Journey

" Of course it's good to have things to look forward to. It's good to have goals in front of you. But don't put your life on hold until those things happen. Enjoy each day along the way...Some spend their whole lives trying reach a goal, only to find out it's not what it was all cracked up to be. My friend, the real joy is in the simple things. It's in being with your family, getting up early and seeing the sunrise, taking a walk through the park, taking your daughter to lunch, going on a bike ride with your spouse. Of course, the goals and accomplishments bring us satisfaction, but they are only temporary."  - Joel Osteen

It is true that in life the journey is more important than reaching goals.  Many people who are very goal/success/money oriented forget this. They want to achieve what they want to achieve without considering  how they are living their lives to get there. Think about Scrooge from The Christmas Carol.

I would have been much further ahead in many areas, if I maintained laser focus on my goals and ignored the other roles I play in my life such as mother, sister, friend, etc. I actually was going for my goals at full speed when I realized that if I had achieved all of my external goals, but the cost was not being there for my son and as a result he ended up with a bunch of issues, I would never have forgiven myself. This would not mean success to me at all.

There are people who sacrifice their families in order to get a promotion or pursue their career goals. They may or may not achieve the goals, but will lose their spouse and children if not physically, emotionally for sure. See the movie The Descendants for an example of this scenario.


Others pursue weight loss goals abusing their bodies and ignoring their real needs.  They sacrifice so much in order to be thin, not understanding that how they got there determines if they will be able to stay thin and at the same time be healthy, mind, body and soul.

Some ignore their self-care pursuing goals and then end up so ill they can't even take care of basic needs, much less meet their desires. You need to put self-care first in order to accomplish what you are meant to accomplish in this lifetime.

While I recommend that you set goals, I also encourage you not sacrifice your self-care, and the people and things that are truly important to you. Sometimes we do not realize how important people are to us until it's too late. Don't let this happen to you.


My thinking is, "What is the point of achieving a goal if you end up alone and not enjoying your journey along the way?"  Enjoy the journey. Live life fully. Make sure people know how much they mean to you and that you love them. In the end we do not take anything with us, but our memories and do not leave anything behind, but our love. A Rabbi once wrote that he has never encountered a person on their deathbed who regretted not spending more time at the office. Keep this mind.

"I've talked to many people who have made it to the top in their fields. The one common regret I hear is that they succeeded, but at the expense of their families...Slow down and enjoy the journey right now. Take time for people God has placed in your life. They wont always be there. The Scripture says in James 4:14 that our lives are like mist. We're here for a moment and then we're gone."
                                                                                      -Joel Osteen