Reclaiming the journey

I've noticed something powerful that holds many of us back.

Especially our kids.

We're all caught in this trap where we obsess over the finish line while completely missing the magic of getting there.

Our world is wired for quick wins.

We're drowning in a culture that celebrates the trophy but ignores the training.

Social media has created this alternate reality where everyone shares their victories but hides their struggles.

We scroll through carefully curated highlight reels that make "overnight success" look real.

The truth? The joy isn't waiting at the destination.

For years, running had been my ritual - my daily escape. When I signed up for the marathon, it wasn't about starting something new but intensifying what was already woven into the fabric of my life.

More days.

More miles.

A deeper commitment to something I already loved.

For months, I ramped up my training - early mornings, aching muscles, mental battles. All of those solitary miles slowly transformed and prepared me for 26.2.

The hard truth is, when I finally crossed the finish line, after 3 hours and 42 minutes of pushing my body and my mind to its limits. All I felt was done. I wasn’t elated or exhilarated. I was exhausted, drained, broken, and plain old…done.

There was no Rocky moment. No dropping to my knees in triumph. Just the quiet realization that the medal around my neck represented only a fraction of the experience.

Then came the real lesson.

When an injury sidelined me because of that race, I was miserable.

What I missed wasn't holding my medal or reliving the finish line moment. I missed my daily dose of fresh air and stress relief. I missed the feeling of my sneakers smacking the pavement, the wind in my face, and sweat on my brow.

I missed the journey.

The problem isn't that we don't understand that it's about the journey.

We hear that cliche all the time.

The problem is we don't know HOW to disconnect ourselves from the destination.

I see this pattern repeat in my professional life too. Every time I land a new business partnership, the celebration is short-lived. A long exhale, a few pats on the back, a private ritual.

The real fulfillment comes from the relationships built, the problems solved, the collaboration with my team, and the growth experienced along the way.

We don't become the destination. We become the journey.

I am not my medal. I am a runner.

I can't hold my medal and feel the joy of running - they're completely different experiences.

The medal isn't validation...it's a milestone marker on a much longer path. It's evidence of one day's achievement, not the thousands of footsteps that transformed me. The medal can be displayed, but the journey lives in my heart and bones.