by Johanna Osborne

Life is a journey not a destination. That good old Ralph Waldo Emerson quote has been going round in my head a lot lately. There’s so much to be said for enjoying the ride, rather than keeping our eye on the far off future where we think our goals lie. If we think ahead too much we miss what’s happening right here, right now. And that’s why we often don’t realise how precious a moment is until it becomes a memory. If we don’t keep our mind and awareness on the present, how can we appreciate what we have?

I am a prime example of someone who needs to learn this little lesson. We have just moved into our new house after doing some renovations/improvements. The whole time I was saying to myself, once the work is finished we can move in and then I can relax. Then we moved in, and yes we were thrilled, but did we rest? No. So much more to add to the house! New things we simply needed, and then yes then the house will be complete. New things purchased, grandly put in their place, admired and, yup, you guessed it on to the next thing. What do I need now? Oh you don’t want to know, but the point is that rather than always looking ahead at the next thing, sometimes right now, right here is actually a good place to be. And our dear friends who came to our house this past weekend to celebrate with us really made me realise this.

We have many wonderful friends, but one couple in particular seem to have unearthed the secret of happiness and I am fascinated by their attitude and approach to life. As I quizzed them further about this holy grail they have discovered, they explained simply “We don’t see problems in life, we see challenges. And challenges are exciting. We believe in being positive and viewing things that way always. Life is too short to be negative.” These are normal people. One is a Doctor and the other a nurse. They exude happiness wherever they go and collectively they have amassed a fan club of friends. Makes sense really, after all who doesn’t love a happy person? Who doesn’t want to be around sunshine and feel-good vibes? Funny to think that by worrying less (a very enticing sounding task) you can enjoy more (even better!). So perhaps there is something in it, let it all go and see what happens.

So rather than stressing about what we don’t have, what we need, still want, things we are worried might happen to us… yes rather than sweating the insignificant stuff, how about being in the moment, appreciating, breathing, smiling and enjoying. Those are the moments that you will remember, not the ones you wasted worrying about something minor. No one will ever say on their death bed “Oh I wish I’d worried more” but regret at not appreciating the beauty of life when they had the chance is something many people speak of.

Yes it’s easier said than done, I concur. Life is not always that simple, bad things will happen to you; life will challenge your sanity, patience and at times every essence of your core. But your attitude shapes how you will react and recover. Yes, it’s all about our mind-set, our perception – how we see things. Dr Bruce Lipton says “The moment you change your perception is the moment you rewrite the chemistry of your body.” That’s how powerful the mind is and that is a fact.

It’s a matter of appreciating all the good things that happen to you each day, no matter how small. Finding a great parking spot, the taste of your morning coffee, looking forward to that chocolate bar later, that movie you are going to watch or that holiday you will take, basking in the glow a compliment, the warm feeling you get from laughing, the comfort of good friends, the love of your family, the embrace of your partner… it’s about putting value where it should be. And valuing what we have. It really shouldn’t be as hard as it seems, considering that here in the western world we are in the top 5% of the world’s richest people – yes you and me both – as there is so much poverty and destitution in other areas of the world that by comparison we truly are like millionaires.

Life is a constant moving entity. It’s impossible to slow down time and the hectic pace of daily life makes it difficult to gain the satisfaction we seek and long for. The best advice is to be yourself, surround yourself with passionate people who appreciate you for what you are and want nothing but the best for you. As for your goals, if you can’t pursue something with passion, let it go, for your time is too valuable to chase things that don’t actually matter to you. Life goes by fast and it’s important to make the moments count. And most importantly take a moment every now and then to stop and realise that these “moments” are actually your life…

Below is a little excerpt that hung in the wall of the office where I worked for 4 years (author unknown), and it has stayed with me until this day. The words are wise and true, and I shall leave you to read them now…

xoxo Johanna

“For a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin – real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time to still be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.

Happiness is a journey, not a destination” Anon