Trip is an interesting word. It can mean travel—as in a trip to the beach. it can also mean a stumble or failure—“I tripped over the towel left on the bathroom floor.” I’m using it to mean both.
Yesterday was my birthday. Having completed fifty-three trips around the sun. Along the course of those fifty-three travel trips through a year, I’ve had many, many more times I’ve tripped up, made mistakes, and experienced failure. Nothing is ever wasted if you learn and grow from it though.
I thought I might have the audacity to share five things I’ve learned and three things I still want to do.
Five things I’ve learned.
1. Love yourself. Don’t wait for someone else to do so. In fact, they won’t until you do.
2. Know your worth. God created you and redeemed you. Don’t let anyone tell you that you are worthless.
3. Don’t let others set your expectations or goals. Your failure to make them happy will rob your life of your happiness. Don’t let anyone have the keys to your joy!
4. Do something meaningful with your time here. None of us will live forever. Make a difference while you are here. You can’t take it with you but you can leave a legacy of setting a beautiful example and making the world better.
5. Relationships are better than things. Choose people over property. Do it every single time there is a choice. Life will be far richer.
Three things I still want to do.
1. Help people learn those five things above (hopefully sooner than I did).
2. Take a spiritual pilgrimage to Scotland and Ireland.
3. Be a better nurturer of the relationships in my life.
What are your trips—travel and mistakes—teaching you?