"The value is in the steps of the journey, not the results..."
We've become a highly results-oriented society. Yet, far too many of us have gone horribly astray from achieving what we want through the misconception that the value we seek is in the results themselves.
So many of us have been so focused on our desired end results, we've overlooked the wealth to be created & gained in their achievement. We've tended to be so fixated on outcomes, thinking they alone will bring happiness, that we've often failed to consider all the value through which they are built - the value we must create along the way that makes the outcomes possible, and the immeasurable value created for us throughout the process.
For example...
The value in an amazing, intimate relationship is not that end result of "having someone by your side to share life with" itself...
- it's having made the commitment to open & expose oneself fully, exercising the courage to be vulnerable, as well as being a create of the space for another to open themselves up fully and be vulnerable - to learn, grow, and share together through each of the highs & lows, peaks & valleys, of both your individual & shared journeys
- it's the character developed through the ongoing practice of loyalty, honesty, acceptance, and patience each time one is offered the opportunity to choose a virtuous response over a habitual reaction or giving into any form of temptation to be anything less than the best they can offer that relationship
- it's the profound experiences of breakdowns & breakthroughs that can only occur within the conditions of such a relationship, and it's the ever-so-small victories made in the ongoing battle of surrendering our ego to embrace & embody unconditional love
- its not the acceptance we receive, but the self-acceptance we learn as we're challenged & pushed to our emotional limits - and the growth we endure as those limits are stretched
- it's the gift that comes again & again, falling in love over & over as one's eyes & heart grow wider & more open to seeing & feeling the beauty of their partners' perfect imperfections - the process of going deeper & deeper into our humanity as we have both our best & worst reflected back to us
- it's the moments of joy, laughter, tenderness, playfulness, and appreciation - the individual pieces in the sequence of events comprising each phase of the relationship that make it worth being in
OR... The value in owning a business is not "having a business" - a dream of many...
- it's having embarked upon the entrepreneurial path, building strength persisting on an uncertain adventure with both many rewards and much risk
- it's the character developed through doing what's required to make a business work, the satisfaction coming from growing & exercising one's capacity to overcome the obstacles on the path, and the confidence in oneself built through the string of small triumphs along the way
- it's having consistently taken action with an increasing trust in one's ability to offer value to the world above & beyond filling a job description mechanistically following orders as is typically called for in the conventional route of paid employment
- it's the internal security one creates for themselves by conquering the inherent challenges in such a journey, as opposed to seeking outer security through a "good job" with limited responsibilities, predefined roles, and predictability of what's to be expected - it's the trust built through consistently acting from faith in the face of the natural fears existing as one abandons their dependence upon the conventional ways of survival for the pursuit of their heart's desires & higher callings to serve in ways offering greater freedom
- it's not simply the time freedom that may result, but the self-worth fostered through the fulfillment of one's commitment to advancing on each step of the path with increasing faith in themselves and the value of their time
- it's not in "being the boss," but becoming the person who has again & again done what the desired result calls for, who has "paid the cost to be the boss"
OR... The value in being a millionaire is not the dollar figure in the bank...
- it's the service that's been provided to all the people who gratefully exchanged their money for one's offerings
- it's the application of discipline to consciously plan out what value one is going to deliver in the world and develop the strength to resist all the distractions arising as obstacles in the way of following that plan
- it's not the status or prestige others might place on such a title, but the self-worth solidified through every action it took from believing it was possible to create that result to having having confidently realized that possibility - submitting not to the doubts one could be worth that much, but the knowing they are, should they choose and create enough value for others
- it's not the respect received from others over one's accomplishments, it's the self-respect earned engaging in the world committed to delivering value in the world at a higher standard than most, day-in & day-out
- it's the integrity developed by following through on one's word each time they reaffirm their commitment to taking that next step and doing it, in spite of all the reasons they could potentially not
- it's the belief in oneself built at each step taken forward & challenge overcome, the confidence grown as one proves to them self they can indeed do what is required throughout each of the dozens & hundreds of phases the end result is achieved through
We've all heard and probably agreed with the phrase, "it's the journey, not the destination;" but yet so many of us have still placed whole-hearted emphasis on the end result - believing that's what is of value. It's an easy trap to fall into. However, the real value is in each stride taken forward - without which we could never make it to the destination. The real value is not in the results alone, but discovered through the experience of realizing our capacity to consciously & intentionally create the results we desire.
And, as we accumulate the value birthed at each level of advancement, the result is infused with that value - until it becomes yet it's own step in a larger journey...
Life each brushstroke added to a canvas, without which there would be no painting - so our actions culminate to create our outcomes. And as we go on to repeat the creation process again, each painting become but part of a larger portfolio, each success a stroke on the larger canvas of our life.
As our portfolio grows along with our track record of victories, we discover the value of each piece following onward as the paintings sell and our achievements become but memories with passing time. And here, we are left with what really matters most - the value imbued in ourselves through the process of developing our mastery.
Here, we discover it's not what we've built outside, but what we are building in ourselves...
~ written June 2011