Cruising along the coastline is a favorite part of my drive.  I even love the foggy mornings.  Today at 7am, however, something curious caught my eye and took my attention away from the ocean view.  In the dark, little car driving next to mine, the neck of a guitar was sticking out my window.  The guy driving was also playing an acoustic guitar.  Seriously. 

I am always fascinated by what people do and what people think is alright.  To be clear, I have been guilty of cell phone use, I was however stopped when I took this picture and, frankly, how could I decline this photo opportunity?  I hate to say the dreaded word, multi-tasking, but there is NO way this is working.  No way.

Tasks line our days.  They are necessary in order for us to get our work done.  My almost sixteen-year old daughter has a semi-permanent babysitting gig this summer, plus another temp corporate job.  She is learning to balance her time between work, friends, family, and vacations, as well as an online class.  It is not an easy thing for her to learn or anyone else – for that matter.  I told her while making money brings certain freedoms, it removes others.  Free time is out the window; this is a tough lesson for some.  Others, the lucky ones, fall in line easily.  When we commit to projects, when our work denies our wants, we pretty quickly determine our needs and figure out a work-around. 

I’m pretty sure driving down the road while cradling a guitar does not paint a healthy picture of free time.   I am also pretty sure this driver was not healthily focused on either the function of driving or the joy of guitar playing/composing.  The age-old discussion about journey versus destination can aptly apply.  While the journey can be exciting, is the danger of never reaching the destination worth the risk? 

I’m fairly certain that a risky journey is thrilling and makes a great story, but I am also certain that the journey doesn’t really end at the intended destination.   The journey is about crossing the gap between where you are and where you need to be.  If you are truly engaged in growth and development, education and edification, where you need to be will always be on the horizon. 

My favorite quote of the year was said to me in a one-on-one meeting by one of the leaders at my company.  “We should strive to be dissatisfied.” – Dominic Barton.   It doesn’t get much clearer than that; the minute you are satisfied with what you do, the service or product you provide, is the minute you stop finding the better way.  And there is always a better way.

by rayannethorn