The Tribune

By Michelle Miller

OUR persistent inner ability to move our lives from ‘Here to There’ is the essence of the human story. We are born to move with courage and confidence through the stages of our lives. As we grow, we learn to leave behind the shell of who we used to be and open ourselves to the person we can become.

Even so, the art of moving from ‘Here to There’ requires deep gratitude and respect. Many are trapped in the habit of looking at where they are with disgust and disdain. They dislike being ‘Here’ and yearn to be somewhere else. This lack of gratitude for where they are now hinders their ability to navigate challenges with confidence.

For one reason or another, many find ‘Here’ not a happy place to be. Loaded with weeds of uncertainty, stress, and personal dissatisfaction, they ask – ‘how did I get here or how can I get away from ‘Here’? Yearning to be anywhere but ‘Here’ becomes a daily monologue. They soon convince themselves that ‘There’ is much better than ‘Here’ and set their minds on getting ‘There’ - where happiness is believed to reside.

This is more than a mere play on words. The fact is most people live a life of quiet desperation. Not making peace with their past, disconnected from their present and in constant fear of their future. But - what got you ‘Here’ won’t get you ‘There’. You cannot do better unless you learn to think better. Otherwise, ‘There’ will still be ‘Here’.

So busy looking for tomorrow, people forget to live today.

Mark and Janet are a great example of this. Married last spring, they just welcomed their first child, a beautiful baby girl name Grace. Despite this happy occasion, they were too frustrated to bask in the joy of this moment.

Janet always seemed depressed and or disappointed in Mark. Her stress meter stayed on high. She longed to live in a bigger house and detested their tiny one bedroom apartment, which seemed even smaller now that little Grace arrived.

Mark on the other hand had other reasons for his frustrations. He could feel Janet’s disappointment and his fickle income did not help. Trying to make his business work, he longed for increased financial stability. Anxious and overly stressed was Mark’s norm. Just the thought of going home brought on severe stress.

Despite the birth of a healthy baby girl and a warm cozy apartment, Mark and Janet were too frustrated to appreciate being ‘Here’. They were focused on one thing only - and that was getting ‘There’ to a bigger house, with more money.

And while nothing is ‘wrong’ with wanting an improved lifestyle, there is a need to be grateful for what you do have, rather than just complaining about what you don’t have.

Like many people, trying to get ‘There’, Mark and Janet lacked the gratitude to grow. Even with their minor discomforts, they still had much for which to be grateful. When we fail to be grateful for small things, big things won’t make much difference. That is why ‘There’ is usually still ‘Here’. You see money doesn’t change people; it only makes them more of who they already are. Don’t get so stuck on tomorrow that you disrespect the valuable lessons of today.

I too grew up in a very small house. While space was limited, gratitude was abundant. I learned that a humble child tastes the grace of God. Our gratitude has amazing power and in all things, we must give thanks.

As for Mark and Janet – they finally got it. A few months later, while sitting quietly on their small sofa, baby Grace uttered her very first words – she said ‘da da’. Both Mark and Janet looked at each other with a warm smile. In that instant they realized what really mattered. It was not the size of the house or the money; but rather, it was the size of their love and commitment to each other here and now. This simple shift allowed them to scoop up a deeper sense of gratitude.

While it is our nature to move towards living more abundantly, abundance is not about more things but about more meaning. Being present today is the best way to move towards tomorrow.

‘From leader to leader’, remember you are the attractor factor in your life! Transitioning from ‘Here to There’ is not about a place you could find but more about the person you can become.

Make today the day that you find the courage to lead the way. Now is the time to live the life that you love.

• Please register to my Loftier Goals Power Conference – send email to loftiergoals@gmail.com