I’m sorry to admit it, but I really hate the term “on a a journey.” Or I should say, I hated it. Before I came to embrace it, saying I was “on a journey” felt overly dramatic. It sounded like I was making a big deal out of nothing. After all, I had a plan for getting healthy. I was going to do these 10 things and lose the pounds and, voila! There I’d be: “healthy.” I expected all I had to do was check the boxes, get it done, and move on to the next thing.
The thing is, it took me a while to figure out that getting healthy is not something that happens in a check-the-box-straight-line. Or even a predictable line. Unlike my favorite 5K route, there’s no exact path to follow with clearly flagged turns and hazard markers. You should know in advance (in case you haven’t experienced it yet) that there are going to be set-backs and pitfalls and things that take you off course. You will take two steps forward one day, three steps forward the next, and four steps backward the day after that. The progress, at times, will seem like no progress at all. It will feel like this thing is taking FOREVER and the truth is, it is.
You’re absolutely right. It is taking forever. Because forever—or at least until the end of your days, is exactly how long this thing will last. It’s just the nature of being on a journey. On your journey. Some days the journey will feel fun and easy and like a total no-brainer. Other days you will wonder how in the heck are you going to get through this and feel happy and content and at peace with the way you are living? But on both sorts of days, you’re still on the journey. It’s all part of the process of growing and evolving into yourself. So be nice. Be gentle. You’re doing big things and you’ve got a long way to go.
