OF late, I’ve had to make a number of business trips across the country to locations that are hardly considered exotic or fabulous vacation spots. I’d been invited by a client to conduct training at the company’s various branches all over the country. Fortunately, my wife was able to accompany me on all these trips.
We used the journeys as our bonding time, listening and singing to familiar songs as we drove to unfamiliar towns.
It truly gave me a new perspective — it’s not where you go that matters, it’s who you go with. In a way, this is also true of our journey in life. It’s not every day that we can do something fun. Most of the time, our lives are filled with mundane, day-to-day stuff. But that shouldn’t stop us from enjoying our lives with the people we love — our colleagues, friends and yes, family of course.
By understanding this simple concept, it should give us a little more motivation to nurture a better relationship with them.
It means that we should not only wait for special occasions to appreciate them. Celebrate their presence every day, at every opportunity you get.
MODERN-DAY CHALLENGES
But it’s easier said than done these days. Today’s generation faces different sets of challenges that were not experienced by previous generations, namely electronic invasion.
Gadgets have mostly taken over human interactions on almost every level. From children to the young at heart, more time seems to be spent interacting with screens than with fellow humans. Due to this, many have missed out on the chance to enjoy the life journey.
This concept is also consistent with the adage “happiness is in the journey, not just in the destination”. Many people are too focused on where they’re going than to slow down and appreciate the people around them. How many times have you seen parents get so engrossed with their work, business and social activities that the family is left behind?
Is it worth sacrificing the family’s happiness to pursue those distant dreams? Clearly, a balance must be drawn somewhere and hopefully, it skews more towards the family.
Whatever our dreams, it’s worth remembering that the journey getting there is equally important. In fact, technically, we spend more time during the journey than at the destination itself.
A better strategy is to find ways to enjoy the time together along the way. Find the time to sing and laugh together. Don’t let daily distractions and electronic invasions take all the fun away.
The family is growing up fast and before you know it, they’ll be gone. Let’s not waste a single day. Bond together as you manoeuvre the challenging road ahead.
**The article above was brought to you by AmMetLife Insurance Bhd