Getting Through What We’re Getting To

Is it only me, or does every New Year feel like déjà vu?! 🤔✨

A brand new year begins echoed by similar conversations with oneself that bring about a strong sense of familiarity and deep emotions. 🤔New resolutions, fresh goals, and BIG intentions—albeit uncanny and reminiscent of previous quests set out to conquer. 💪

Not going to lie, friends, most years I feel like the road map I so carefully selected to embark on my NEW and IMPROVED journey mysteriously morphs into fragmented trails full of unmarked dirt roads, washed-out bridges, and dead ends.🚧 

I’ve been here before. I followed the signs, took the detours, paid the toll fees, even asked for directions—and yet, somehow, I’m still not where I intended to go. ⚠️🛣️🤨

The roads have been undoubtedly traveled. Memories, alternatively pieced together in a revolving timeline, bring some sense of hope that my efforts will not remain an illusion, and the path to my destination will once again become clear—if only I choose the right turn at the crossroad this time. ↔️

Well, friends, as uplifting as the above-mentioned “butterfly effect” scenario is (cue the sarcasm 😏), some years back, I decided to ditch the car and throw out the carefully planned map.🗺️🚗

Instead, I decided to strap on my hiking boots. 🥾 I opted for the moped when needed 🛵 and opened myself to any mode of transportation that was better suited for the arrival at my destination.

I chose to take the road less traveled. I abandoned rigidity, embraced the path of least resistance, and discovered that without being confined to one plan (or constantly looking in the rearview mirror), the journey became an adventure! 🏝️🗻🚛

The setbacks and disappointments became less, and the timeline for my estimated time of arrival (ETA) grew exponentially as I learned to refine my perspective with patience and grace. ⏳

I embraced each detour and roadblock as fresh opportunities, not failures. This enabled me to hone my navigation skills with enthusiasm and creativity. 🖌️✨

I relied less on my pocket compass and map. Instead, I let the constellations and the landmarks speak to me. I watched the sun as it set 🌅, felt the wind’s direction 💨, and followed rippling waters. 🌊 This led me down rocky trails, ascend mountain peaks 🏔️, and carefully march through marshlands and hollows while reveling in the beauty of each

season.💐

No matter the challenges of the trails, beauty was there! 🌼🎴

Unfortunately, it just took me a VERY long time to realize that when I was hyper-focused on the roadblocks, detours, and rigid timelines, I had very little time or energy left to focus on the good stuff—the grit.

SO, there I was, stuck in a perpetual “New Year’s Resolution,” starting out strong, prepared, and planned. However, when the path got too winding, or I found myself lost one too many times, I raised my white flag, retreated, and called for rescue and extraction.

I realized the problem was never the road, it was the pinned and planned-out map. It prevented me from seeing the alternative routes. When the pins and plans didn’t coincide, I simply viewed that as my failure and the end of the road.

Now, don’t be mistaken—I again mustered up my energy, intentions, and motivation to set out and conquer again. Plotting, preparing, setting strict ETAs, and pinning routes, alas, to once again find myself in this vicious cycle of abandoning my journey and aborting my quest.

Goals, resolutions, intentions, and plans are needed and are GOOD things! 🎯

However, when we hold ourselves to such a high standard and expectation we can derail at the slightest setback, then the once-good thing becomes a burden and ultimately just another stressor weighing us down.

Our inability to be flexible skews our vision. It keeps us from trusting our instincts, capabilities, and our innate inner compass. This compass is reliable. It will undoubtedly get us to our destination if only we embrace patience while navigating our journey—until our compass needle points to magnetic north and our destination is found. 🧭

SO, in a nutshell …

Remember, there’s ALWAYS more than one way to get somewhere.

We can’t be found until we’re lost, so when navigating uncharted territory, take in the picturesque scenery of the trails less traveled. 🌲🌄

Be patient and trust your compass. It is unfailing and oftentimes directs you through beautiful and marvelous terrain designed to impart gifts of fortitude, wisdom, adaptability, and forgiveness—for ourselves and others (especially when our pins and plans don’t coincide). These gifts are often disguised as roadblocks. 🚧

Lastly remember, that Our ETA is just that—an estimation.

Be kind to yourself and don’t give up if the timeline was miscalculated.

This miscalculation is not failure. There is no need to retreat. However, this is the perfect time to pause, reflect, refocus, and adjust accordingly while utilizing whichever means are available and accessible in that moment.

We will get through what we’re getting to. 💪

And finally, but most importantly …

ENJOY the ride, embrace the journey, and face each obstacle with the enthusiasm of a true explorer.

🌈 ADVENTURE AWAITS!! 🌈