enjoy the journey

It’s not that I don’t believe in goal-setting. In fact, I’ve always been a very goal oriented person. A very difficult lesson learned along the way, though, is that the goal is not…well, the goal. Instead, each goal turns out to be one more step along a path. It might be a very difficult and/or ginormous step, but it’s still just one, single step. The real goal, objective, target, purpose is not summed up in one, two or even a thousands steps. Instead it is the sum total of all those steps. It is the process of getting from here to there. It is the journey.

Perhaps an illustration would be helpful here. Sunday, October 12, 2008 is an important day. God ahead and mark that day on your calendar. For on that Sunday, our beloved Seattle Seahawks will host the Green Bay Packers. I know, I know, I love Bret Favre too, but that's not the point here. See, last year, during the Divisional Playoff game in Green Bay, we got beat. No, we got embarrassed. Green Bay whooped the Seahawks 42 to 20. It's wasn't pretty. And on Sunday, October 12, 2008 (did you write it down yet?) we will exact our vengeance. But here's the twist. A complete decimation of the Arizona Cardinals is not the goal. What?! That win is simply one step. The goal, in fact, is not another playoff spot or even a Superbowl win (as desirous and unlikely as it may be). The real goal for the Seattle Seahawks is a dynasty, isn’t it? Every team wants to rule the day—to win and keep winning and keep winning—for as long as humanly possible. If they could win every game of every season into eternity they would do it. And the fans would be very proud and very bored.

Now, regarding my life, what am I really after? What is the true, actual goal? I mean, is it honestly just about good church attendance? Is my whole objective to work my brains out just to make enough money just to pay the bills just to not be homeless? Every person on the planet deals with an endless minutia of things on a daily basis. The key is to see those things for what they really are—steps. We don’t accomplish anything great, but we can contribute to greatness. For our lives to really matter we must discover a way to enjoy the journey.

I am absolutely convinced there is only one way to do so. We must ask our Creator. The answer is not (said with a sweet yet ignorant tone) “inside of you.” We are far too mortal and foolish for that. The answer is most definitely beyond us. God alone has the key to our passions, our desires and, thus, our enjoyment. And it is different for everyone. While I love to communicate to groups of people, many find this the apex of all fear. While some love the rush of the trading room floor, I get nervous buying a song online. Our Creator is wonderfully diverse and—get this—created us in that same diverse image. We are not supposed to all look alike, act alike and talk alike!

Here are three very general questions that will evoke very specific responses.

1. What do I love? That question may stir up thoughts of a certain person or place. One might begin to dream about an action or a feeling.
2. What fires me up? Some minds may wander to politics or environmental issues. It could be that we begin to remember a situation from the past.
3. What would I give my life for? Hopefully the answer here doesn’t center on material things, but people, ideas, a vision of the future.

I’m not so naïve to think that every day is going to be roses and sing-alongs. Neither do I believe, though, that I have to dread waking up. With all my heart, I want to enjoy the journey. I want to smile and laugh more. I want to look forward to gatherings, appointments and even Mondays! Maybe this means I let a few of the insignificant things go. Maybe I dedicate my time and energy to just a few really important things. Maybe I relax a little more often, spend a few more minutes in prayer or sipping coffee. Maybe some things are about to change.