At this busy time of year, sometimes I find myself switching into endurance mode. I focus on pushing through, on accomplishing goals, on crossing tasks off my to do lists. I tell myself that when the family is all gathered together, when Christmas Day comes, then I’ll be able to relax — right now, there’s work to be done, presents to buy, cards to mail, food to prepare.

And yet… if I have a wonderful Christmas Day but a terrible two weeks leading up to it, is it really worth it?  If I focus only on the destination, then I forget to enjoy the journey. And the journey is where life happens.