I have come to an outstanding conclusion:
There is no destination.
There is no end destination on any journey.
This current moment, whether you may be drinking hot cocoa, exercising, or spending time with family, this current moment is the destination.
Now I know this likely sounds esoteric, but I can explain.
I joined an intensive 13 week accelerator program. It was tough. The first six weeks I was very present. There was so much newness thrown at me that I had to be. And then as I got a bit more comfortable (and tired) I started to daydream about the future. I was ready for the program to be over. I wanted to go back to my normal routine, with the afterglow of the success that came with completing the accelerator, the completion of the journey.
It’s a classic case of thinking, “I will be happy/successful/calm/confident when XYZ” because we imagine XYZ to be this magical new world.
But if and when you get to XYZ, you realize it actually isn’t that special. And where the magic lives is in the experience itself.
The journey is the destination. Having new experiences, feeling strong emotions, learning from people who are different from you – all of that is what being alive is. If you’re not present, you’ll miss all of it.
There is always something good to connect to in the moment. So now when I catch myself thinking of future happiness, success, or the like, I flip it to say “I am happy now because (fill in the blank).”
If I could do the program all over again I would encourage myself to stress less and bask more in the magic that exists in presence and the journey. So, that is my intention for the new year. What’s yours?
Resources for your Wellbeing:
1. The soundtrack to this letter
To my Techstars family: I am honored to be included in such a special community. Reflecting on the experience gives me goosebumps. I can’t believe we did that! To quote John’s dad, to infinity and beyond.
Here’s to all of our infinite potential.
With love and light,
Liv
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