Life is a journey. It takes us through many different twists and turns. Some are planned, while others are completely unexpected, random, and oftentimes catch us by surprise.

As we grow through the different stages of life, we are apt to get so caught up in pursuing our dreams, investing all of our time, energy, and resources into attaining our goals, that we lose the ability to enjoy special moments of life.

Please don’t misunderstand what I am saying. Goals are good. Making plans for the future is essential. Making wise investments in the pursuit of attaining those goals is certainly commendable and should be viewed as a worthwhile ambition. But we need to always be reminded that life does not always follow the path we have mapped out. Sometimes circumstances and situations arise that throw us completely off the path we have designed for ourselves.

So, what happens then? What do we do when life doesn’t go as planned? As I look back over my life, I see clearly those times when the path I had mapped out was dramatically altered due to unforeseen circumstances. I can now look back on those times and make observations as to how I reacted. Sometimes I think I did alright in adjusting to the changes, but other times I feel that I could have done a much better job in how I responded.

But, one thing stands out with stark clarity. I realize now – and oh how I wish I had realized this long ago – that I spent far too much time looking at the destination. I had the plan mapped out, and I knew where I wanted to go, what I wanted to be. And in doing that, I missed so much on the journey itself. I totally missed out on much pleasure and enjoyable moments in the present because I was so focused on the distant future. I was so focused on reaching the destination that I lost sight of the enjoyment I could have experienced along the way.

We have all heard the adage, “Stop and smell the roses.” But life is so busy – so many demands and deadlines as we strive to reach our destination – that we pass by those simple pleasures of life. I am now 71 years old, and as I look back I realize the enormity of missed opportunities to stop and smell those beautiful flowers.

I missed so many special moments in the lives of my three children because I was so focused on reaching my destination. I missed so many special moments with my wife because my ambitions and goals far too often took precedence. I think of times when we were going to get away for a few days. The destination was my focus, and I was not interested in any side trips along the way. Now, as I think back on those trips, I have regret that I did not listen to the requests of my wife and children to take a little side trip to a point of interest. But we didn’t have time! We had to reach the destination. Nothing could interfere with reaching our goal.

I am trying to change. I am trying to slow down. I am trying to stop on occasion and smell the roses. I want to enjoy the journey. Perhaps the arrival at my destination will be postponed a bit. Perhaps it may take a bit longer to get there. Perhaps there will be some delays and detours. Instead of becoming irritated about those delays, I want to take them as an opportunity to see something I might have missed had I been able to follow the mapped out route I had worked so tediously on.

Life is short. I have seen so many get to the end of their journey with sorrow and remorse over the fact that they missed out on so much because they were driven to reach their destination. And now, having reached it, they are left with a sense of emptiness because of what they missed, rather than a sense of celebration because they reached their goal.

Let’s enjoy our journey, taking advantage of every opportunity to stop momentarily and smell the roses. The trip will be far more enjoyable.

Blessings!