Enjoying the beauty

It’s the start of the year. That means we’re talking about goals, dreams, resolutions, hopes, and the like. These things are important, although I have varying opinions on the value that should be placed on them depending where I am in life.

Having a thought about where I want to go, then planning to get there, matters. Some great things in my life have come from planning, focusing, scheduling, and throwing effort at a problem. I highly recommend it and have implemented it in many ways.

That’s how I ran my two marathons. Setting a goal, buying the ticket for the race, getting the right shoes, then printing out a calendar schedule with assigned miles for each day leading up to the race.

But that’s not all there is to life. I’m not saying to ignore your goals, I’m just saying there’s more to it than that.

When I met the love of my life, now my wife, I wasn’t at a stage where I was planning and scheming and goaling to find a way. In fact the exact opposite happened. I’d realized that I needed to appreciate the world and life and the beauty around me for what it was. Instead of focusing on this thing I wanted so badly, I instead gave my attention to other areas.

Then, through means that I could never have orchestrated if I’d even tried, I met this amazing girl and life moved in such a fun way that I could never have anticipated. Now, nearly 17 years later into our marriage, I can say I’m so grateful for my lack of goals in that department.

Goals matter. But sometimes focusing on creating great things, being curious, and building a community will inadvertently bring about great things that can’t be anticipated.

Some of the best things in my life have come from not having a plan. So each day I consider whether a thing should be striven for, or whether I should appreciate the unknown and see where it takes me.