The Quality of the Journey

Posted on February 2, 2007
Filed Under Embrace Your Highest Path and Purpose, Manifest Your Desired Outcomes, Releasing Limiting Beliefs, Spiritual Development |

We’ve made our list of resolutions. We’ve written down our goals for 2007. We set our intentions, perhaps engaged in a manifestation process, and – hopefully – we’ve taken actions towards those goals. But now it’s February, and the rush of enthusiasm may have worn off. Doubt may set in. Are we pursuing the “right” goals? Will our efforts be rewarded with success?

Now is the time to tune in to the quality of the journey towards our goals. Life provides us with a constant feedback mechanism that allows us to make appropriate “course corrections” on our path. In the early excitement and enthusiasm of new aspirations, this feedback mechanism is easy to overlook. You have taken your first steps towards your objective. What is the quality of your journey so far?

Now is a good time to remember that struggle is not a necessary part of our lives. Of course it takes effort to create a desired outcome. But when we put appropriate effort into our life’s work, we also receive an equal measure of satisfaction and fulfillment out of the process. If, however, we invest ourselves in a way that does not align with our highest path and purpose, our efforts will become struggle. Unexpected difficulties, unforeseen roadblocks, unfortunate timing, and a sense of depletion will dot the landscape along our path.

When life gives us lemons, a course correction is in order! There is an unfortunate belief in our collective consciousness that this means we are “giving up” or “quitting,” and that this is a sign of weakness, or a character flaw. Some people believe that all success must come at a high price. Some think a dream or goal should be pursued at all costs. But this would mean placing the goal above the journey.

Now that you’ve started the pursuit of your goals in 2007, what kind of feedback is your life giving you? Are your first action steps being rewarded by positive outcomes? Or are they casting light on unanticipated obstacles? Do you look forward to your next efforts with enthusiasm? Or are you procrastinating because of a growing sense of dread? Remember that you are creating your own reality, all the time. Our reality exists to show us our purpose. If you are creating struggle, then perhaps your reality is telling you to try a different path.

What is a course correction, exactly? It does not mean throwing up your hands in despair and abandoning your goals completely. But it does mean doing something different. Perhaps you are pursuing your goal in a way that does not allow your talents to flourish. Perhaps you are embracing a partnership that is not aligned with your purpose. Maybe all you need is a slightly different approach, a new angle, or a fresh perspective.

This month, allow the results of your efforts to show you whether you are on the right path. Place more value in the quality of the journey than in the dream of success. Our reality provides us with constant feedback on our path. Pride and ego will tell us to stick to a path of struggle. Wisdom tells us to make new choices that align with a path of fulfillment and joy.

Blessings to you all,
Andrea