The Joy in the Journey

I remember that point in my life when I was in search of myself; it was about the time I was going to be lost in the new exuberant life of college. At that time, I knew I couldn’t continue to live the way I was living; so deeply from within, I wanted more out of life and I yearned for personal development. It was at this point I met friends and mentors who ‘set me up’ along conduit of incessant personal discovery and awareness of where I was headed in life.

Among the few things that formed the foundation of what shaped my life was joining a network of friends, CAAVAC Circle of Friends. I was taught how to save, read, study, learn, and seek the ultimate relationship. I was also taught how to set goals for myself- thanks to that great organization that made this possible- (CCOF); a team of people who believes in rendering knowledge impacting services to themselves and the world around. I was taught that my external realities would always run to meet my internal veracity; and that goal setting is a potent psychological tool in positioning my mind for a desired future. I soon realized that setting goals was not as important as achieving them. So I tried and keep trying to achieve my continuously elaborate goals.

The satire of this, however, is the fact that for everyone who always set goals, we soon get to our goals only to realize that there is something more; and then we set higher goals again and again all in search of fulfillment. Most times, especially when we are diligent, our goal stretches us, and maybe breaks us; our mind expands while we dare the impossible; we unlearn old things to learn new ones; we cry a few times but we learn to sacrifice; at the end, we are nurtured. This is the point where we experience the most rewarding joy in the journey: that something changes in us.

An old adage says ‘no matter how tall your father was, you still have to do your own growing to do’…this is simply because the joy and the fun in life is not necessarily in the heights we attain nor the depth we explore, but in the process of growth that got us there. Little wonder why those who take short cut always return to their starting point because what keeps us at our destiny is the strength you gathered while trying to get there.

 I dare say, with all sense of obligation, that ‘whosoever has taught you how to set goals and achieve them, has taught you what it takes to grow.’ Many thanks to those God used to mentor and teach me in life; you are my idol and I celebrate you all.

This piece is dedicated to Akinola Babatunde, President/Founder of CCOF; and all members of this great network that provided me with a platform where I am free to make mistakes and learn for life.

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