Focus on the road ahead of you.

I woke up at 4:30 this morning and began driving out of my little town. It was pitch black outside, the only vehicle on the road was the county sheriff unfortunate enough to be on night-duty.

See, I live in the middle of a valley surrounded by large mountains. In order to get in or out, you have to travel through a mountain pass. About an hour into my drive, I began my ascent. Although I couldn’t see a thing around me, I knew I was surrounded by mountains and the things that lurk in the trees. It was nearly guaranteed that there were at least elk, deer, and antelopes in the valleys between. Winding curves led me to my destination, at times, hugged by cliffs.

Although it is not the safest drive when you are alone, tired, and can’t see anything besides what your headlights illuminate, my nerves were calm. Since I couldn’t see, all I could focus on was where I was going. It was easy to stay on the path.

As the sun slowly rose, I began to be able to make out more and more of my surroundings. Although the light was helpful in giving me more knowledge (I could finally see the animals and cliffs), I also became more fearful since I could finally recognize potential problems. While taking in my surroundings, I found that I had to focus harder on staying in my lane and not unnecessarily slowing down.

When it was pitch black outside and I couldn’t make out anything, I knew that if a deer leapt in front of me, that I would have no choice but to deal with it as it happened. I had accepted that. When it was light out, I could anticipate danger. Going around a curve or past a thicket of trees, I became anxious over things that I wasn’t yet sure of. I was more cautious driving around curves with no guardrails. I drove slower as I approached thickets of trees where the deer liked to hide.

At the end of my trip, I never had a problem staying on the road and I never hit any animals.

The only difference between my state of calm and my state of anxiety was that I gave weight to my surroundings. In reality, the road I was driving was the exact same road I was driving before. The challenges I would face in the light would be the same challenges I would’ve faced in the dark. By paying too much attention to the things I could see in the light, my journey became harder and much less enjoyable.

Throughout this road trip, I couldn’t help but consider how our personal journeys in life are affected by the same thing. Oftentimes, the journey we take is shaped by the perceived risks of that journey rather than our desire to experience the journey or destination. Unfortunately, putting too much weight on those risks results in that journey being less fulfilling or even altered altogether.

Sometimes these risks are legitimate and some caution may be necessary. Sometimes these “risks” are not actual risks at all, only natural outcomes of committing to a journey and part of the journey itself. A few examples may include; the potential thoughts and opinions of others, plain fear of full commitment, and being unwilling to separate from old identities that no longer align with the chosen journey.

I’ve found that the journey becomes much more fulfilling when you focus on the road ahead and deal with obstacles as they arise. The anticipation of all the things that can go wrong not only will make your journey harder and less enjoyable, but the fear can be enough to stop you altogether. Follow your path. Enjoy your journey. Trust that you are capable of overcoming obstacles.

As always, thank you for being here.

For those who journal, here are a few prompts you can explore….

What journey are you committing to?

What are you letting get in the way of your journey?

Are there fair risks that you should consider?

Are you letting fear disguise itself as a risk?