MONDAY MINDSET: WHEREVER YOU GO, THERE YOU ARE

WEEK OF 10/7/24

 

Wherever you go, there you are.

I can only really speak to my own journeys, and my own dreams.  But every time I set out to do something, I always ended up somewhere else than where I thought I would be.

When we embark on a journey towards a goal, we usually have either a firm destination planned, or a series of directions that will take us somewhere unknown.  Rarely do we have both.

If we only have a destination in mind, the path that we actually walk to get there is often radically different than imagined.  For example, oftentimes people select a ‘goal weight” in a weight loss journey and then, upon arrival, don’t have the same feelings they expected to have when they set out.

And when we only have a series of directions, the destination we eventually reach is often nothing like where we though we’d end up.  In MMA, a lot of students start because they want to develop a healthy hobby–and then a few years down the road they are fighting professionally in a cage (this was me).

People truly can get discouraged when the reality of their journey begins to veer from what they had in mind.  Maybe it’s the lack of instant results, the unknown complexities of actually accomplishing something that seemed simple on the surface, or just the tedium of the task after the initial novelty has worn away.

This is totally normal.  But if we approach challenges with the understanding that much of how we’ll move through the journey is yet unknown, we can appreciate the changing landscapes rather than resist it.

Before its inception, I had very specific ideas and plans for North Star MMA, down to the tiniest detail.  How it ended up–totally different.  But more true to the ideals than anything I imagined.

I can’t say that it’s been easy.  It hasn’t.  But every challenge has provided a rewarding lesson or opportunity, and by working through these issues I’ve been able to better adapt to the present and plan for the future.

Having an open mind, and reacting with positivity towards all the variables that you can’t control (and trust me, you really can’t control much in this world), will allow you to find value in the journey.

You have to be willing to shift the goalposts sometimes and take a moment to appreciate your position.  Because, wherever you go.. well, there you are!  

This month marks my 20th year in this community, sport, industry, and art — I’m still not “there,” wherever that is.  But I’m here and that’s pretty OK.