“If all difficulties were known at the outset of a long journey, most of us would never start out at all.” ~Dan Rather
It is always the most ultimately gratifying, enriching, growth-inducing, and extraordinarily delicious endeavors in life that require the most cultivation and intense care, and the most dedication of time and effort before one experiences their fruits.
They often require the most blood, sweat, and tears; the most heartache; the most sleepless nights; the most wrestling; and the deepest kind of searching of our hearts and souls for the courage and the strength to walk the wild path that leads to attaining their gifts and tasting their sweetness.
These precious endeavors—these intimate relationships of ours, these inner desires, these hopes and dreams, these passions—require us to go on a journey through both the light of day and the darkness of night, through the path of roses as well as the path of thorns, through heaven and through hell.
They ask us to offer up our courage along with the most authentic parts of ourselves before blessing us with the gifts of wisdom, of love, of understanding, and of overflowing abundance in both the physical and spiritual realm.
The truth is, there is no shortcut to anything of real value and meaning, no quick path to genuine fulfillment.
They require us to be in it for the long haul; and it is during the long haul where the lessons are learned, where the refining takes place, and where we find out just what exactly it is in life that is most meaningful to us, what matters the most.
And it is actually quite merciful that we do not know ahead of time just how long the haul truly is, because it would most likely stop us from putting on our hiking boots and our backpack, and taking the first step out the door.
If we knew just how thirsty we would become, just how hungry, just how tired, just how overwhelmed before we tasted the fruit that is there waiting for us at the end of the long haul, we may decide to never venture out.
But to never venture out for the long haul would be to rob ourselves of the greatest experiences...
It would be to never witness the manifestation of the lives it is possible for us to have, becoming the best and highest versions of ourselves.
And so while being in it for the long haul seems utterly daunting and frightening at times, it is the only way when there is a longing present for a certain quality of life.
It is the only way to become enlightened, to truly grow, to evolve, and to gain more wisdom, love, understanding, and abundance in all areas of life.
The truth is, there is no shortcut to anything of real value and meaning, no quick path to genuine fulfillment.
Those endeavors that are indeed the most ultimately gratifying, enriching, growth-inducing, and extraordinarily delicious ones are worth putting the backpack and hiking boots on for, and readying ourselves for the long haul.
Taste what's good and pass it on.
Ingrid
“From The Heart” is a space for me to share some of my more personal thoughts on life. Here you'll find my reflections on my own inner/spiritual journey; on being a wife and mother; on being a creative; and general observations, pretty much whatever is on my mind.
I whole-heartedly believe that sharing "from the heart" with one another is what connects us, heals us, and inspires us! Glad you're here...
Roseanne
I love this train of thought, Ingrid. It reminds me of family and marriage and parenting. The sweetest times are often mellowed and made more dear by all the hard work and perseverance....the long haul. We just have to have faith and believe in the journey. xox
The Cozy Apron
Yes, my friend, to have faith...isn’t that the key? The faith that a “story” continues is what fuels that long haul. The desire to see how it all plays out.
xoxo...