a few weeks ago i hit the road with my family. we essentially made a beeline from Albuquerque, NM to Western Mass.

plenty of time for reflection in those 2000+ miles. 

we’re all walking a path of sorts during our time here on earth. and life is certainly a journey. 

as my work as a health coach largely involves guiding folks as they learn ways to steer their ship in new directions, towards greater health and well-being, we often speak of this process as a journey.

which brings me to my latest insights from the road. 

how life (and the healing journey) is like a road trip ~ 2023 edition

1. have a destination that matters to you.

   know where you’re aiming. know there are multiple routes you can take to get there. in setting goals or making changes to support your health, make sure the destination is one that is meaningful and compelling to you. because it’s not always smooth sailing, and knowing where you’re heading and why it matters to you really helps put things in perspective along the way.

2. focus on your progress.

   one of the best ways to put some wind in your sails is to regularly take note of what you’ve already accomplished. how many miles are behind you, so to speak. we are often so ready to lament what we haven’t yet accomplished, all the while leaving a stream of positive steps in our wake. focusing on the enormity of a task ahead creates overwhelm and often discouragement. get in the habit of looking back to appreciate where you’ve come from to recognize and receive your progress.

3. let yourself be guided. seek and use support.

   there are maps and apps galore out there. others who have tread their path have tips ~ even pathways ~ to share. consider this guidance as you chart your own path. keep consulting as needed. no need to reinvent the wheel. 
   
   

4. there will be detours.

   
   detours are part of the process, y’all. we all take wrong turns. it’s part of being human. so take it easy on yourself. learn to relish the unexpected gifts that come from veering off-path… a unique experience, a valuable lesson or insight, a new connection. detours can also sharpen our vision of where we’re heading and why it matters. just remember ~ there are no straight lines in nature. the path is always curved. really it’s a spiral. trust the process. 

5. tap into the transformative power of music!

   this is so often overlooked. i personally find that singing at the top of my lungs ~ or doing a little boogie in my seat ~ to the music that i love while zipping down the highway helps the time fly by. i’ll embrace a wide range, depending on my energy level, the vibe of my surroundings, etc. in life, when things start feeling Too Much, a few inspiring tracks and a little free-form movement is one of the most therapeutic things you can do. if your movement is limited, for any number of reasons, let the music move you within. bop your head, wiggle your fingers and your toes… with abandon. have a blast. use whatever you’ve got.
   
   if you don’t already have some, i HIGHLY RECOMMEND setting yourself up with a few go-to playlists. one that is fantastically calming, one that is instantaneously uplifting (singing along is probably involved here) and one that’s fiercely energizing (that helps you get your booty in gear to clean the house, dance it out, and/ or shake off a bad mood). do yourself a favor and learn to use these like medicine. reach for them as often as needed.
   
   

6. listen to yourself.

   all real journeys include times of pause. respect your energy levels, and learn to replenish yourself in meaningful ways. just because your destination is important to you doesn’t mean your body’s needs for movement, rest, nourishment, and hydration should to fall by the wayside. overriding your body’s needs is a dead end road. learn to appreciate your body’s ways of communicating its needs to you and you will enjoy the ride a whole lot more.
   
   

7. embrace the journey.

   
   having meaningful goals and keeping them in your awareness really is a big deal ~ but don’t obsess. hyper-fixation on a goal is decidedly Not Helpful. at all. as my wise friend Kay says, How you do the journey Is the destination. the thing about journeys is, you’re moving into the unknown. you’re pretty much guaranteed to be in unfamiliar terrain. embrace the newness. learn to go with it. practice being present so you can enjoy the process. when you notice yourself ruminating on the past or worrying about the future, gently guide yourself back to the here and now. this really helps you experience a more calm, even-keeled, and centered state of mind. with practice, you can start to Receive the gift of the present, which leads to a subtle but rich feeling of nourishment and support.
   
   

8. do it your own way.

   
   as we drove across the country, i came to appreciate that my husband’s way of being behind the wheel was different than mine, from music choice, to posture, to conversation preferences, etc. and while we all can ~ and must! ~ learn from one another and try out new ways of being to support our growth and learning, it’s silly to expect that your journey will look the same as anyone else’s. as a family, we stayed true to form and took fresh, whole foods with us for roadside meals. we stretched, squatted, jumped and danced around at rest stops. we embraced what works for us, which felt much more easeful on our bodies. we’re all here to get better and better at being Ourselves. there’s nobody out there more qualified for that job! so do you and enjoy it please. 
   
   

9. keep going.

   
   i mean, it’s almost absurd how simple this one is, but i actually think it’s quite profound. we often scoff at baby steps, “small wins,” changes that seem so small as to be insignificant. yet in truth, the bulk of habit change lies in the repetition of very small actions. small things add up. it’s a beautiful thing. on a healing path, or in working towards a goal, our willingness to keep trying, to start anew whenever we’ve gotten off-track, and to consider what is the next right step is a hugely underrated skill. and at the end of the day, this is actually how we get where we’re trying to go! so simple. and yet so profound. (AND this is not at all meant to discount the real need for breaks and sleep and down time) … there’s so much wisdom in the willingness to keep moving forward, even in small ways. like the tortoise that decidedly allowed himself to do it his own way. closing in, slowly but surely, on his destination. accomplishing, in the end, something that may have first seemed impossible. 

i find there are many parallels between the process of growth and healing, and a good long road trip. the healing journey itself is a subject for another post. but suffice it to say, healing is a journey; a process. health itself is not a final destination but something we create, moment-to-moment. we have a universe of inner choice, as to the path we take and how we choose to walk it.

 

 

if you’ve been wanting to learn how to steer your ship in a new direction, let’s chat! i offer compassionate, practical health coaching, and i absolutely love supporting people in taking the helm on the journey to greater health and well-being.