J For Journey

Life is a journey, so the old adage says. Question is, a journey to where?

That right there is the big question.

“It is the act of travelling from one place to another”, defines one online dictionary.  This means there is the beginning of the journey and the end final destination. When talking about life, it is indeed a journey that begins from the day you were born and ends on the day you die.

What makes the journey worthwhile is what you do in between. What makes your life meaningful is that little dash that will be on your tombstone. For instance, someone who was born in 1980 and died this year 2020, his or her tombstone would read 1960 – 2020. Whether that person will be remembered after his/her death is determined by what he or she accomplished between 1960 and 2020. That period of 60 years is what I am calling a “dash”.  

The dash varies for everyone depending on what your purpose here on earth is. Unfortunately many people die before finding out what their purpose is thus denying the world and opportunity to witness and experience their greatness and uniqueness. Like the late Myles Munroe once said, “The graveyard is the richest place on the surface of the earth because there you will see the books that were not published, ideas that were not harnessed, songs that were not sung, and drama pieces that were never acted”.

One of the reasons why many people die without living to their fullest potential is the fact that they don’t take the time to find out what they were really created for. Most people just want to copy and paste what others are doing instead of identify what they came here on earth to do.

Like I started by saying, life is a journey and we are all travellers in this journey of life. The thing is, each one of us has a different destination they are heading to, meaning the paths to get to those destinations may be completely different for each individual. 

Like with every other journey one takes, before traveling you need to know where you are going, how you will get there, who will be your companion, what luggage you need to carry, what baggage you should consider leaving, what is required of you to have while in that country, etc. Similarly, when journeying through life, it is important for you to know exactly where you are going (vision/dream/goal/etc), the path that will lead you to where you are going (profession/gift/talent/etc), your companions (mentor/role model/like minded partners/etc), your luggage (skills, attitude, character, etc) and unnecessary baggage (grudges, hatred, envy, etc)

When you know what you need to accomplish (goals) then it becomes very easy to handle all the remaining variables to ensure that you enjoy your journey.  Don’t go through life not knowing what brought you to earth. Invest in finding out what your purpose is then invest in activating that purpose in your life.

As your journey through life keep these few things in mind:

• Your journey is your own. Travel it without shame or regret.
• Travel at your own pace. There is no competition. The only person you should be competing with is the person you were yesterday.
• Stick to your lane. Whatever your dream/purpose in life is, there is a very specific lane/path you must follow to achieve that dream. Your neighbor’s path won’t take you to your destination; it will only take you to his or hers. Stop copy and paste.
• Avoid competition and comparison, unless you are comparing yourself with the person you were yesterday. Same case applies to competition. 
• Maintain a healthy lifestyle, one that supports your body to stay healthy and fit as you pursue your dreams.
• Pack correctly for your journey. i.e. get the right skills, surround yourself with the right people, have the right attitude and character, etc. 

Remember, this is your personal journey. Pack wisely for it, prepare actively for it and travel consciously through it.

Be ignited. Be inspired. Be influenced. Become the best version of yourself you can ever be every day as you journey through life.