I don’t know about you, but sometimes I get so fixated on where I want to be that I forget to enjoy the ride. Does that ever happen to you? We’re always told “its not about the destination, it’s about the journey” but usually I’m whining “are we there yet!?” like a 6 year old on a long car ride to Grandma’s house.

So today, I want to share how focusing on the moments you’re in can enhance your life as you work your way to where you want to be.

But first, settle in for an epic tale, my friend…

throwing the underdogs a bone

If you’ve been following along the last few months, I’ve been recounting a few stories of my journey in this weird thing called “team sports”. I joined a softball team at the start of the summer and it’s been such a blast! Being a formerly un-athletic person, it took me a while to find my way with it, but I’ve had so much fun.

This past Tuesday we entered our final games of the playoffs, best 3 out of 5. My team, The Sally Fields, vs. The Marlwood Mulligans. We had played this team 8 times over the season and had never beaten them. They hit far, they run fast, and they catch everything. We got slaughtered on the scoreboard every time we played them.

This night had us playing a double header, but if we lost the first game the season was over.

With the odds stacked against us, I went into this first (and probably final) game with one goal: to have fun. I remember standing in the outfield and trying to visualize winning the game, but that felt so out of reach that ultimately I locked into visualizing all of us celebrating because we had a blast. Who cares what happened! We had nothing to lose.

As per usual, the other team was kicking our butts. But then something happened… we started gaining on them. With all of us shocked, the game was nearly over and we were down by one run. We were last at bat in the last inning – one run would tie us up and two runs would win us the game. No pressure.

I noticed I was fourth in the batting order and immediately felt my heart sink into my ass. If two people got out before I went to the plate then this could all come down to me. $#!%. Next thing I know, the first batter gets to 2nd base, and then *boom* – OUT! – *boom* – OUT!

“Oh f****,” I thought. “This is all going to come down to me.”

I took a deep breath at the plate with my team cheering me on from the dugout. If I strike out the season is over. It was straight out of a damn movie!

I managed to smack the ball straight into center field and got to 2nd base, sending the other runner home! TIE GAME! Now all I had to do was run home on the next hit and we’d win. No pressure.

BOOM – the next batter crushed the ball into the outfield and I run my ass off. I round third and see the players scrambling to throw the ball to home plate before I get there… I’m thinking “Woah, I’m going to win this for my team! RUN!”… and in a photo finish, I cross home plate and I see the umpire with an overdramatic arm gesture: “OUTTTT!” The other team erupted into cheers. Dammit! In my opinion I was totaly safe. So much for my movie moment.

With a tie game, we take a break and then head into an extra inning. We take the outfield, and those talented bastards just get run after run after run. 4…5…6…7. “Are you kidding me?” I thought. Our team finally gets our last shot at bat, and in order to win we need 8 runs. Yeah, right.

I’m too far down the batting order to hit again, so I head over to be the base coach on third. Next thing I know. 1…2…3… We are getting runs in like crazy! No outs! The other team is freaking out and just want to shut us down. 4…5…6 What is happening!? OUT! OUT! One more to tie, two more to win.

With two runners on base and everything on the line, we get another hit into the outfield and I start screaming “RUN RUN GO GO GO!” Nothing to lose. 7… one more “RUN RUN GO GO GO!” Shannon runs past third towards home plate, the other team panics and the Ump cries “SAFE!” The Sally Fields WIN!

To say it felt like we won the world series is an understatement. Even though we were at an empty ballpark in Stayner, we jumped and cheered and high-fived and hugged like there was a stadium full of fans at the SkyDome. It was an absolutely epic comeback. An underdog story for the ages.

We didn’t even care if we won the next game…. and we sure as hell didn’t. We lost. The season was over. And we were as happy as could be.

It wasn’t about winning the league championship, it was about the journey of taking the season game by game, pitch by pitch, laugh by laugh.

Along the way, I went from striking out to hitting a home run, and got injured multiple times – baseball to the throat, sprained ankle, and many bumps and bruises. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Reflecting on the amazing arc of our team’s growth and my own growth has made me so proud of how much openness, dedication, and commitment I gave to something I was initially so unsure about.

Even though we didn’t win, I still feel like the biggest winner – because I realized that this was one of the few times in my life I was truly present for the journey and not just obsessed with getting to the destination.

it’s the climb

We’ve heard it in music, movies and literature for a long time – it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey. Sometimes it’s easy to forget this fact so getting a reminder once in a while is very necessary.

My favourite encapsulation of this message is from a song by my girl, Miley Cyrus:

“There’s always gonna be another mountain.

I’m always gonna want to make it move.

Always gonna be an uphill battle.

Sometimes you’re gonna have to lose.

It ain’t about how fast I get there.

Ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side…

it’s the climb.”

Firstly, it’s important to me that you know I didn’t even have to look up those lyrics. I just happen to have the memory and musical taste of a 16 year old girl.

Secondly, how f!@#in’ great is that message! There’s so much truth in that catchy lil’ ballad. Us humans convince ourselves that all we need is to get to the top of the mountain, to reach the goal, to reach a sense of completion… what a load of horse crap! Any of us who have achieved anything big or small knows that as soon as we get the thing we want, we are already on to the next thing moments later.There’s always another mountain. We’re wired to always want more.

But how often do we delude ourselves into thinking and feeling like we’re not doing enough or that we’re not getting where we want to be fast enough. It’s all bull$#!%!

Wherever you are is exactly where you’re meant to be and whatever is meant for you will be waiting patiently when you’re ready for it.

slow and steady

Looking back at our time creating Vortex, I remember how much self-inflicted stress Steve and I put on ourselves to reach a self-assigned timeline. Our opening day kept getting pushed back and it felt like we weren’t on track for success because of it.

In hindsight, we opened at exactly the right time. All of the delays and drama helped us to really hone in and refine the intention behind every square inch of our space, the operations, and the customer experience. If we’d opened as planned in September 2021 instead of March 2022, Vortex wouldn’t have been what it became.

The constant delays and issues that were out of our control were actually keeping us on the timeline that was meant to be. I enjoyed so many aspects of the creation and build-out of Vortex, but I was always so overly obsessed with the opening date. In hindsight, I wish I’d chilled out a bit more and enjoyed the ride, because it was actually pretty incredible.

I’ll leave you with this: no matter where you’re at on your path – be in it. Be in the moment as you ascend, with a full understanding that every step you take, regardless of how big or small, is providing you with everything you need to get to the top of the mountain…. and the next… and the next.

So whether your journey right now is health, wellness, work, playing softball, or singing Miley Cyrus – enjoy the climb.