Destination addiction

When I was a kid, like every kid, who went on a road trip, I would ask “are we nearly there?”

If it wasn’t me asking, it would be one of my siblings. To quell these questions my parents distracted us with games, songs, food and lots of laughter. Sometimes the destination seemed anticlimactic as we all scrambled out of the big green diesel van.

For the last few decades I asked constantly if I was ‘nearly there’. I had locked myself in to a diet journey. The destination became my focus, and even when I thought I was there, I wasn’t. Either me or someone else was telling me I could do better, be thinner, be fitter, be someone else.

When I went on a new journey to wellness and took a different path I tried my parents approach.

1. Plan well for success. My mother had organization down, nothing happens without some preparation. I have many tools of organization and meal prep that help me.
2. Make the journey pleasant, and be kind. This is crucial to your success. Most of the diets I had been on were unpleasant because of deprivation and the shame and self flagellation. This time I brought in a practice of Loving Kindness to help with that.
3. Enjoy the ride. Laugh and do all the good self care things to make it fun.
4. Bring on the great food. My mother’s treats for the journey were marvelous and we feasted on homemade savory pies and her best cakes. I am only eating food I love now…. no more of the ‘should or must eat’ foods.
5. Share the journey with people you love and who support you. You know who they are, they are ones who see the real you, often even before you discovered her.
6. There is no real ending, it is just another part of the journey. Take a mind shift and put on new glasses. When I became a Dieter in Recovery I gave up the idea of there being a destination. Instead, I imagined I was on a continuous round the world trip, full of discovery and adventure.

Being on the journey keeps you in the moment but focusing on the destination keeps you in the future.

Robert Holden, founder of The Happiness Project reminds us of that.

“Beware of destination addiction… until you give up the idea that happiness is somewhere else, it will never be where you are”

I choose to be here now, fully present. It is a lovely place.

Thanks for reading.

Christina