Guest feature: Enjoy the journey

By Bill Greiner

I’ve realized something over the years; the destination in life isn’t the goal! It’s in the day-to-day journey.

If we live stressed, uptight, we won’t take the time for the people around us. James 4:14 says, “You do not know about tomorrow. What is your life? For you are a puff of smoke that appears for a short time and then vanishes.”

We need to let people know how much they mean to us. Co-workers, family and our parents are the people who have sown seeds into our lives and have made us who we are today. There will always be work left to do. At the end of my life, my “in” box will be full. Family and friends are everything, enjoy them every chance you can.

Two years ago our youngest daughter graduated from Olivet Nazarene University and was getting married in December of the same year. The six months from graduation to her getting married were stressful, but it went by fast as we made memories while she was still at home. It was a time to reflect, savoring the moments of her time at home before she began the next chapter in her life. The wedding was beautiful, but the memories are still vivid of the times we went to pick out invitations, the time I first saw her in the wedding dress and realized she was a woman. I can still remember the phone call from her fiance, wanting to talk about her hand in marriage. The simple, yet profound moments are the best in life. I try to enjoy my journey more and more.

I have been losing weight due to high blood pressure. At first, all I thought about was the end goal, that illusive, magical number that would signal I was no longer overweight. Over time, I learned to enjoy the journey, not the end goal weight I needed to attain. There are things I never knew about myself. I wasn’t sure I could run again as I had when I was younger and more fit. Today, I run three miles. I now lift weights and eat a balanced diet. The high blood pressure is gone and I’m off the meds. It’s been an interesting journey of patience and waiting. The end goal is no longer the focus; it is about the everyday exercise, a new lifestyle and enjoying my new-found energy. It is about enjoying my life and getting the most of each day.

The last eight weeks began with stress as I started editing my textbook I co-wrote more than five years ago. It is time for the third edition and I wanted to really change the majority of the text for a new direction in the book. At first it was frustrating and I had to really work hard just to get into the enormous amount of work ahead me. As the weeks went by and slowly each chapter was rewritten, I began to enjoy the process and I looked forward to the rewrites. Some days I accomplished a lot and other days, barely a page. I had a deadline and therefore I started early to avoid last-minute rushing around and stressing over the details. I needed to slow down and take each day one at a time. The process has been enjoyable and now it is nearly finished. I have made good memories with this journey and while it was a huge amount of work, it was fun almost every day!

If you have good friends, health and a loving family you are a rich person and life is very rewarding. I don’t want to miss out on the miracles each day brings. I try to tell people I know how important they are to me. These are the good old days for me! I try to make the most of every day and enjoy those folk who come into my life during a typical work day. I don’t get caught up in the goals anymore, but look for the memories and moments caught in life that make my days richer and fuller. It is my hope that you begin to enjoy the journey as well and stop focusing on the goals.