I love looking back and reminiscing about my summer holidays as a kid.
Every summer, we would head off on a road trip to Prince Edward Island, returning to where my parents were born. My dad would meticulously pack the station wagon, my mom would prepare her delicious egg salad sandwiches on homemade bread and a thermos of coffee for the two of them, and off we went with trusty road maps in hand.
I was eager to get there and asked, 'Are we there yet?' thousand times over. We would play yet another game of eye spy or count the cows in the pasture to pass the time away.
Every year without fail, we would get lost when we reached the Montreal area. From the back seat, we could feel the tension building. We knew we were lost – again - but we always found our way back with a few new stories from our time on the road.
We camped in beautiful places, had flat tires, someone would get car sick, and you could always count on traffic jams or detours on the highway. It was all part of the adventure.
We knew we had arrived when we saw the red soil and smelt the salty ocean air. It's a heavenly place to be. My mom called it God's country, and I understand why.
As an adult, I have taken many more road trips to PEI. It holds an extraordinary place in my heart. I love the adventure, the scenery, the journey, and of course, family.
Reminiscing on these childhood road trips got me thinking about the journey of self-discovery—a different type of journey with no destination, one that's all about embracing where you are along the way and being in the moment without focusing on a goal or endpoint.
For years and years, I would innocently ask, "When will I get there?" eager to find peace and desperately wanting to be in the now like the books discussed.
I'm not sure where 'there' was, but I wanted to feel like I had arrived, had reached a destination for peace.
It took me a long time to recognize that this journey has no end or destination.
Just like a child, we want to know,
'When will we get there?'
'If I do this, how long will it take to be at peace?'
Over the years, I have had many people ask me this question, and I get it; I have asked it myself. It's a sincere desire to know.
The truth is, it's not like driving 2,000km to PEI, and we reach our destination. It's different.
And you know what? The ego hates this.
'What? No end. What do you mean no end? Then why bother?' The ego will comment on where you should or shouldn't be at this point of the trip, leaving you feeling like you're off-course or lost without a map to find your way back.
The ego has an agenda. It can feel like it's onboard supporting what we're doing and just as quickly can veer us off course. The ego likes to put up roadblocks. Whether telling us we are so evolved and so spiritual or not enough and a failure, it's all the ego and sometimes tricky to spot on our own.
So what do we do?
Just like we prepare for a real road trip, we can prepare and support ourselves and our bodies on our spiritual path.
Sometimes we might feel like we need to take a little break at the side of the road. Sometimes we need support to help identify why we veered off course and how to find our way back.
That's why I have travel companions and teachers on my journey to provide support, clarity, and connection. The road is not always smoothly paved, but it's all good.
I find being truthful is what is most effective and supportive.
If we can meet ourselves with compassion no matter how we may be feeling, we can savour the moments of sweetness when we touch those magical places inside and see such beauty on the outside.
And although scary for the ego, we can loosen our grip on the wheel, knowing we aren't actually in control.
As we carry on our own journeys this summer, please note that I once again will be taking a break from the Mindful Monday message for the month of August. I look forward to connecting with you in September!
All the best,
Diane