a pondering pootle

Having not long returned from my second visit to North Wales in recent months, I have been reflecting upon experiences I’ve had whilst there. I was looking back over photos from both visits and came across these beautiful ones of Harlech beach. What made these stand out wasn’t just the stunning view but the memory of the long journey we had to undertake to find it walking through the difficult sand dune terrain. It got me thinking of the times in my life when I have had to trust that the view at the end will be worth the journey. It also got me thinking that it’s not all about the view at the end either, but that actually there is purpose in the journey itself. What also made the view so amazing was the journey we had to make to get there. There was something about the fact that we’d had to fight for it & search for it, the perseverance needed to get there and the help & encouragement we offered each other along the way that made it even more amazing.

It’s often said that “Life isn’t about the destination but the journey” as if we should live for the journey, not the destination at all. I however think the destination is important. Hope and anticipation of what is to come, where we are headed, the purpose of the journey gives us what we need to keep going and makes the journey worthwhile.

Dan Eldon says “the journey is the destination” and I find this an interesting thought. It got me thinking that maybe the destination isn’t so much a place but rather a ‘state’, or a process, that maybe “life is a journey, not so much to a destination, but a transformation.” (Jim Britts) What if the glorious view we can anticipate is us as transformed, free individuals? What if, when our outward circumstances don’t match up with our expectations and the view we were hoping for, they’re not meant to be our focus or view in the first place? Maybe instead we should be living for the journey and making it count.

Living for the journey is easier to do when things are going well and life is fun but what about when the going gets tough, when we’re trudging through the sand dunes, not getting anywhere fast, not even sure of where we are going and if it’s even worth it. Sometimes we can’t see it for ourselves, sometimes we have to trust what we’ve been told about the view and the beauty of the place towards which we are travelling. What kept us going? The fact that we trusted what we had been told by the locals we chatted to at the start of the journey “it is the best beach you’ll ever see, it’s so worth the walk”. That was enough to keep us going (also the fact that we were in it together and we helped each other along the way). There was no hint of turning back, we didn’t really know what to expect and therefore had no specific expectations (which actually removed the risk of disappointment). But what we did have was expectancy, we believed and trusted that wherever we ended up, whatever the destination, it would be good.

Our journey may be long or it may be short but I believe that our destination, our purpose, is to make our journey count. This week I’ve been remembering a good friend of ours who died from Cancer two years ago. Before he died he wrote a poem called, ‘Make Every Moment Count’ (MEMC – click here for more) John was a man who made his journey count, to him the journey mattered. He also trusted what he knew about the wonderful view his journey would bring. Since John wrote that poem I’ve thought a lot about how we often say these well known phrases like ‘life is for living’ or ‘you only live once’ without really thinking about what they really mean and often without really acting upon them. What does it look like to really ‘make every moment count’?

Practically it will look different to each individual but I think there are some general characteristics of living to make every moment count. To name a few, I think it starts by living more intentionally. It’s not about getting busier and doing more – it’s about doing stuff that matters – with value driven not goal driven purpose in mind. Discover your passions & what makes you come alive. Know what matters to you and be brave enough to prioritise and make decisions that matter (see my earlier post on ‘Being Brave’) I also believe our lives count when we place a high value on people, when we make a difference to those around us. We aren’t made to journey alone, we are designed to be in connection with others.

The hope of what was coming at the end of our journey that day was just a pale reflection of what actually greeted us as we reached the top of the dunes. In that moment we all ran with abandonment down the sandbanks, full of freedom, relief, joy & exhilaration. There were shouts of “This was SO worth it!” Oh that our lives would more & more reflect this moment – that our journeys are so worth it because we make every moment count along the way.