“How long does it take to get there?”

I have asked myself that question more times than I can count.

Not about a place.

About life.

How long until the things I have prayed for finally happen?

How long until the struggle becomes easier?

How long until the dream I keep carrying becomes my reality?

How long until I can look around and finally say,

“I made it.”

Sometimes, the hardest part is not the journey.

It is not knowing how long the journey will take.

You keep walking.

You keep trying.

You keep believing.

But there is no sign telling you how many more steps remain.

You watch other people arrive before you.

Someone gets the opportunity you have been praying for.

Someone reaches the goal you have been chasing for years.

Someone seems to be living the life you once imagined for yourself.

And you start wondering,

“When will it be my turn?”

You begin to question whether you are moving too slowly.

Whether you took the wrong road.

Whether you should have started earlier.

Whether you are even going to get there at all.

But perhaps the problem is that we are so obsessed with knowing when we will arrive that we forget to notice who we are becoming along the way.

Maybe the journey is teaching you patience.

Maybe the delays are building something inside you.

Maybe every disappointment is preparing you for a responsibility you are not ready for yet.

Maybe you are not lost.

Maybe you are simply not there yet.

And there is a difference.

Not being there does not mean you will never get there.

It only means your story is still unfolding.

So if you are currently somewhere between “I have a dream” and “I finally made it,” please be gentle with yourself.

You do not have to have everything figured out today.

You do not have to know exactly how many years it will take.

Just take the next step.

Then another.

And another.

One day, you may look back at the road that once made you cry and realize that every difficult step was carrying you closer.

And perhaps, when you finally arrive, you will understand why it took so long.

Maybe you will realize that the destination was never the only thing you were meant to receive.

You were also becoming the person capable of living there.

So, how long does it take to get there?

I honestly don't know.

But I know this:

As long as you keep moving, you have not missed your destination.

Keep going.

Your “there” may be closer than you think. 

Priceless Jewel 💎