Every day, I wake up in the morning and ask myself, what will I do today on my wellness journey that will create a beautiful life for myself? Sometimes, the answers come easy, and sometimes, I must ponder for a while.
When I share my blog with you, I frequently use the word “journey.” I share observations, personal experiences, and advice on pursuing wellness, but what does it really mean to pursue wellness?
The Hero’s Journey
Most people hear the words “wellness journey” and think it’s like a hero’s journey. In a hero’s journey, the hero leaves his place of comfort to seek, explore, discover, conquer, etc. While he’s away, he may face obstacles, trials, and challenges, but his experiences transform him on his return. There is a strict beginning, middle, and end to a hero’s journey.
The hero’s journey used to be my perspective on my “wellness journey.” I sought out the things that gave me peace, made me happy, and kept me fit and healthy.
I would go through some meditation sessions, rid my life of problematic people, and boom, wellness for life! A happily ever after ending. Right?
A Never-Ending Quest?
One day, as I was taking a self-inventory, I started thinking. I have been on this “wellness journey” for a LONG- LONG time.
I began to believe that my wellness journey was like chasing a carrot dangling in front of me that I couldn’t reach. I wondered if my wellness pursuit was a self-help playlist of books, podcasts, and journals on repeat and if I was on a never-ending search for perfection.
A Journey for Each Stage
Like many women, I have had significant life events and experiences that have shaped how I see myself and interact with the world.
I have been married, had a child, divorced, remarried, and, like everyone in the world, dealt with the fallout of COVID-19. I have had a successful career but decided to completely change my life, quit my job, and homeschool, which has been quite the emotional and financial adventure!
I had to reevaluate how I cared for myself and my family through each stage of my life.
My wellness journey as a person without a child looked different than my journey with a kid. My wellness journey now as a remarried woman definitely looks different than it did when I was first married at 28.
I have concluded that I am not on a constant hamster wheel of self-improvement that is going nowhere. How I have taken care of my body, mind, and spirit has ebbed and flowed with the seasons of my life. I have also taken the time to enjoy the progress that I have made over time.
My wellness journey has not been the same my whole life; yours will not be either.
Embrace the Journey
As you move through each stage of your life, you will make progress on some things and struggle with others. Depending on what’s going on in your life at any given time, you may have to reflect, refocus, and restart. It’s okay!
We are all on this wellness journey together. Some may be at the beginning of stage one, and some may be farther in, but we all have the same goal: to live our best lives. So give yourself grace, affirm your current effort, and permit yourself to find joy in this journey.
Check out these resources on finding joy!
- Check out this Amazon Book: There is no APP for Happiness: Finding Joy and Meaning in the Digital Age with Mindfulness Breathwork and Yoga – (Note: I am NOT an Amazon Affiliate. I just think this is a good book)
- Read the article: Not Just the Outcome, But the Process
