It’s easy to live life looking back and telling ourselves a story that life would be different if ‘this’ or ‘that’ would have happened. Likewise, it’s easy to live life looking into the future and thinking that we’ll be happy when we do ‘this’ or when ‘that’ happens.

I know. I’ve been there – in both places, sometimes at the same time. And what I’ve found is that neither one of those places, ruminating on the past or worrying about the future are fun places to be.

Instead, I’ve found a better way of looking at life. I can’t change where I’ve been, and while I can set my sights on where I want to go, circumstances don’t always allow it.

Life is a journey.

There is no end to life, not as long as I’m alive. It’s a series of trips, rest stops, and destinations I pass through. Along the way, there are the highs, which I need to cherish and celebrate. And there are the lows, the challenging times, where I need to persevere and push through.

And therein lies the beauty. Life isn’t about what I’ve done and where I’ve been. Life isn’t about where I’m headed and where I’m going. Life is about what I’m doing right here, right now.

As much as possible, I’ve made it my mantra to look at life as a journey, and at the end of it all, that journey is my reward. The most important thing I can do along the path is to learn and grow, and to enjoy each and every day, living in the moment.

Inspiration for this post provided by the Greek poem Ithaka by way of alearningaday.