Finding Joy in the Process

I learned an important life lesson on a morning walk with my dog Savannah this week.

You might be thinking, "What can you possibly learn about life from a dog?"

The answer is "so much!" However, for the purposes of saving you time, I'll briefly discuss my most recent understanding.

Stay with me here.

Savannah loves walking to Fort Greene Park. I mean really, it's her favorite thing to do. You can sense her pure joy as she enthusiastically rolls in the grass - kicking her legs in freedom as if celebrating the grass like it's the first time she's experienced it.

While I know she loves the destination, she truly relishes in every step we take to get there.

Savannah will stop and sniff almost every corner, every light post, every bench, every flower, and yes, even every dog pee. No matter if the smell is good or bad - she wants to be fully present and take in whatever is in front of her.

This stop-and-sniff act typically ignites frustration in me. My thought process goes something like this, "We have a destination to get to! Don't you want to roll in the grass at the park - your favorite place?!"

I realized on this particular walk that my thinking was a reflection of our western society's values: placing a sense of urgency on getting to your final destination or your final product of creation.

I have to admit once I understood I was acting out this product-driven value, I stopped and apologized to Savannah. If only we could all be like her, a soul who knows how to slow down and pay attention to the process and ultimately to what is - the present moment.

As it's now 2024, a new year, perhaps you've set new goals or resolutions for yourself. It's important for us to have goals as humans, but I want to invite you to reflect on and perhaps shift your perspective with me.

What if we set a goal, and instead of rushing through to the end results or destination, we take our time to stop and notice the beauty along the way? To truly make an intentional time every day to notice where we are in the point of the process - to notice all of the good bits and the bad bits along the way.

Because if we choose to ignore the process, the gradual steps we take to overcome a challenge or to meet our goals, we actually end up missing out on the very essence of life.

I often find myself looking back on events in my life, seeing how far I've come, and wishing that I had been more present during the little moments or even the tougher moments.

To see and witness the beauty that lies in the mundane and the heartbreak.

So I hope that this is a reminder for you (from Savannah:) to slow down, stop, and absorb wherever you are in your path to your chosen destination.