Journey vs. Destination: postponing how you want to feel

So here’s the thing: There’s always a period of time—days, weeks, months or even years—before you arrive at your desired destination. Before the goal is achieved or the shiny penny acquired.

In other words, there’s a journey and process to the evolution of your desire. Sometimes—often even— it’s a gradual process.

So the only question is: Will you enjoy it? Will you CHOOSE to enjoy it?

Because much of the time we don’t enjoy the unfolding at all. We’re too eager to get it done, to mark if off the list, to get to the finish line. That’s all we’re focused on. It’s a kind of half living with that over-focus on reaching the destination.

We postpone joy—and sometimes any enjoyment at all—until the goal is achieved.

Let’s say your goal is to lose 20 pounds. Until you see a certain number on the scale, you don’t allow yourself to feel good. You don’t allow yourself to enjoy the process of your goal unfolding. You postpone fully living while your goal is unfolding. You wait until you reach your goal—if you reach your goal—to feel any joy.

And that is NOT enjoying the evolution of your desire. That’s blockage. That’s postponing joy. That’s resistance.

Or let’s say you want to make a certain revenue in your business. Until your business makes a certain revenue, you don’t allow yourself to feel good. You hold yourself in a state of resistance—frustrated it hasn’t happened yet, worried it hasn’t happened yet, discouraged it hasn’t happened yet…

I’ll be happy when my business makes a certain amount of money. But not until then. Again, that is not enjoying the evolution of your desire. That’s putting a halt on joy.

Think about a goal you’re currently trying to achieve or a shiny penny you’re after.

  • Are you frustrated it’s taking so long…or disappointed it hasn’t happened yet?
  • Are you discouraged about where you are…or insecure you’re not further along?
  • Are you overwhelmed at all there is to do…or pessimistic about your chances?

Because those are signs you’re not enjoying the evolution of your desire.

Now, there are two problems when you don’t enjoy the evolution of your desire.

The first is obvious—you’re not enjoying the ride. And since most of life IS journey, is the evolution of your desires, that’s a lot of time to spend in a state of non-enjoyment. Are you really willing to spend that much of your life in a state of dissatisfaction, discontentment, and unhappiness?

Really think about that. Are you willing to live so much of your life in a state of resistance, experiencing all those emotions at the lower end of the emotional scale: frustration, disappointment, discouragement, insecurity, overwhelm, pessimism?

The second problem is you are experiencing resistance. When you’re not enjoying the evolution of your desire, you are, by Law of Attraction, holding your desire apart from you. To overcome the resistance, you may be taking massive action to try to achieve your goal or acquire the shiny penny you’re after.

Here’s what Abraham has to say when you ask, “Why is it taking me so long?”

“The only reason you have not already received what you desire is because you are holding yourself in a vibrational pattern that does not match the vibration of your desire.” —Abraham

When you’re in a state of resistance, you’re not getting the benefit of flow. When you’re not enjoying the ride, there’s friction. And the Universe can’t help you to the extent it could if you released the resistance and truly enjoyed the evolution of your desire.

“The secret of creating anything desired: Get happy! As you practice happy thoughts, you practice your connection with Source and Well-being. From your place of being happy—you have access to all that you desire.” —Abraham

When we really look at why we want something, it’s for how it’s going to make us feel. So why not go ahead and feel that way now? That doesn’t mean we don’t still go after the goal or shiny penny.

But we can make the end game joy AND the game itself joy.

I encourage you to think about what you want in new ways.

What if what you want is just because: Hey, this would be fun, I’d enjoy this. Or: Hey, this feels empowering to pursue. Or I really appreciate this experience.

  • I want to start my own business because it would be fun.
  • I’d enjoy having a new car.
  • It feels empowering to go after that promotion at work.
  • I really appreciate learning a new language.

Let me share a short story from the book called The Astonishing Power of Emotions.

Jerry and Esther Hicks are in Colorado and they’re going on a white water river rafting trip. If you’ve ever been on one, you know that you typically get on a bus with a bunch of folks and take a bus ride up river for several miles to the beginning of the whitewater rafting course. Then the river guide puts you in the rafts and you go down the river.

“Can you imagine Jerry and Esther saying to their river guide, “Where will we take the boat out of the water?”

And he would say, “Oh, many miles downstream, close to Fort Collins.”

And then Esther would say to him, “Well, we have a really good idea: We want you to put our raft back on the bus, and we would like to drive back down. And we want to put our boat in the water just a few hundred feet from where we were going to take it out—because we enjoy instant manifestations.”

And he would say, “Whatever you want, crazy lady (Fun), but I thought you wanted a ride on the river.”

And this is what we want to say to you: We thought you wanted a ride on the river.”

Isn’t that what you really want—a ride on the river?

Life is not about fast forwarding to get to the end, to get down the river. No, it’s about choosing what kind of river ride you want to have. And then enjoying the ride!

“There is nothing that you cannot be, do, or have, and we want to assist you in achieving that. But we love where you are right now, even if you do not, because we understand how joyful the journey to where you want to go will be.” —Abraham

You are here to experience life. To want. To move toward your desires. And to be joyful in the process.

So what kind of river ride do you want? And will you choose to enjoy it?

Because believe it or not, the point is not achieving the goal or getting the shiny penny, but rather the adventure you have while going after the goal and pursuing the shiny penny.

You have come forth to “joyously create”. So want, desire. From a joyful place. Don’t be frustrated your desire hasn’t yet materialized. That just creates resistance. Instead, enjoy the unfolding.

“What’s the big hurry? You’re not ever going to get it done, so what are you racing toward? Every single activity that you’re involved in is for one purpose only, and that is to give you a moment of joy. That’s why it all exists. Lighten up. Laugh more. Appreciate more. All is well. —Abraham

It’s not about fast-forwarding to having all the things you want. There’s no adventure in that. So you achieve every goal, get all the stuff, and then what?

You know, even if you could magically achieve, have, be all the things you want, I promise you: New wants would be born.

So the real sweet spot is to lean into the unfolding of your desires—with joy. To do all things in joy. To enjoy all things. Here are words to live by: “Be where you are and do all things in joy.”