Just as we pull away from the drive thru we hear “how long to home, I’m SOOO hungry” to which we reply “five minutes”, silence, followed by “but FIVE minutes is FOREVER”. In her little world five minutes is a lifetime because ALL she wants is to get home.
Cubs fans watched anxiously as their team fought to WIN the World Series, it was an EPIC journey. Countless failed attempts to WIN the coveted TITLE, out of 11 only two were victories, 1907 & 1908 over a century ago. Every failure pushing them to be better, to try harder, to get up and try again.
“While FAILING you’re learning to succeed”, Steven Roddy.
The journey to the CROWN doesn’t happen without failures, just like learning to walk doesn’t happen without falling. It’s not the fall that matters it’s what you do when you get up. Each time my daughter competes we use it as a learning experience, currently it is spent talking about using “listening ears” and being kind to our friends, but it will grow and develop just as she does. Each time learning and growing to become a better her, inside and out.
It’s the JOURNEY that defines us, not the WIN. Steven Roddy, first got introduced to pageants by a past Miss Georgia title holder who gave him the opportunity to be apart of her journey. He saw see first hand the “evolution of her character” as competing “shaped her confidence, image and career”.
But it wasn’t overnight or without failures that this happened. It wasn’t INSTANT and without work. He used the example of a movie plot where the “evolution of the character happens in just 15 minutes”, realistic right?! Finger snap and poof, you are who you have always been meant to be.
It’s unrealistic and ultimately unattainable. He continued by saying that society has this way of making a person feel like “when [they] start something [they] should be an expert”, but the reality is that it takes YEARS to be an expert. It is hours of hard work and dedication along with multiple failed attempts.
We become “so focused on the finish line that we fail to ENJOY the JOURNEY”.
“Don’t run from tests and hardships …. As difficult as they are, you will ultimately find joy in them; if you embrace them, your faith will blossom under pressure and teach you true patience as you endure. And true patience brought on by endurance will equip you to complete the long journey and cross the finish line—mature, complete, and wanting nothing.” James 1:2-5
How? How do we enjoy the journey? How do we slow down from the fast pace world we live in? We LIVE for TODAY, we commit to live one day, one competition, one event, one MOMENT at a time. Take it all in, because the journey IS important.
Love this! My children had a question on their homework this week -What does the quote mean to you? “Overnight success doesn’t happen without days of hard work” I used the examples of becoming an artist or gymnast, we must try and keep progressing 🙂
Love this! Beautifully written!
Belle | One Awesome Momma
Love this! One moment at a time is the best way to enjoy the journey 🙂
Beautiful! Never take anything for granted. Work hard and persevere.
Such beautiful truth! I often forget to enjoy the journey because I’m so focused on the goal. Great reminder!
Love the bible verse you shared! It takes a strong person to get up and try again… but if we don’t enjoy the road we take… what is the point?
Love this, so motivating!
These are really good points. I especially like that you point out the societal expectations vs reality. Our children are so bombarded with these unreal ideals that it’s good to remind them of real life.
This was beautiful and a nice reminder to enjoy life as it happens. – Breyona Sharpnack
Isn’t this the truth, you can’t succeed until you know failure.
Yes! The journey is so, so important. The end is only a brief moment, so you need to really enjoy all of the moments leading up to it, and going forward from it.