A Worthwhile Destination
- Families Doing Life Differently
- Feb 24
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 24
The most remarkable summits are reached with a significant amount of careful planning, diligent preparation, and persevering determination. Hikes are arduous, but the reward of a beautiful vista or serene alpine lake provides the necessary motivation to keep going and stick to the intended path. Conversely, parking by an unknown trailhead and starting out unprepared on a random path would provide an extremely poor chance of ending up at the perfect monumental destination. Similarly, most parents happily envision arriving at the perfect destination when their children are fully grown; the kids are mature, confident, and capable individuals who are on their way to happy, successful adult lives as they launch from home with healthy family relationships intact. The trouble with these beautiful dreams, however, is that there is not always an actionable plan in place that will help them arrive at the intended destination. As the French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupery said, "A goal without a plan is just a wish."
Life is incredibly and increasingly busy. Our to-do lists are full, our days are packed, the kids are intense, the sleep is short, and the stress is unending. Sometimes it is all a parent can do to make it to the weekend, and even then, that too is filled with soccer games, family celebrations, social events, community gatherings, and church happenings. This frenetic lifestyle carries families from unending days of diapers to the eventual launch from home that follows a hard-earned diploma, and it oftentimes leaves parents standing shell-shocked that time has passed so quickly.
“Time goes by fast! Enjoy it while you can!” It's a sentiment declared on repeat by wise grandparents everywhere. This sweet wisdom leaves parents who are knee deep in diapers, temper tantrums, and t-ball games with a strange mix of relief that the hard years won’t last forever combined with an odd sense foreboding that is hard to identify, but there often comes a point where parents realize that their family may not still be on the path to a beautiful summit. Their family has veered off course in a spiral of constant arguing, unmet expectations, and endless busy practice nights, and they are now on their way to an unknown, subpar dead end.
At Families Doing Life Differently, it is our mission to help families find a sure path towards their own carefully selected, intended destinations. Parents who are making choices based on an intentional plan they have crafted are confident, and they are able to parent with a wisdom that goes far beyond the frenetic pace of each frustrating moment. These families have a guiding sense of purpose, and they are aware of the steps they need to take to ensure their family arrives at their intended, worthwhile destination. Certainly, there are course corrections and moments where encouragement and renewed dedication is needed, but these families are committed to cultivating character in their kids, achieving their collective purpose, and staying on mission. They are able to imagine the ultimate vista, where they can look back and see the rich, intentional pathway that guided their family years and simultaneously cheer their kids on as they confidently step into future of opportunity that awaits them. They are celebrating together a family life well lived as the children move on into their adult lives, ready to ultimately pass on the legacy and begin their own journeys with their own families.
So what does it look like to grab hold of these lofty ideals for your own family? It can feel overwhelming to think about, but fighting for the dream of raising healthy, competent, and well-adjusted children who are certain of their family identity, connected with each other, and prepared for living the life of their dreams is a goal worth fighting for. We're coming alongside you to help you identify your most impossible challenges and unintentional missteps, provide you with coaching and resources to get you on the right path, and help you reach the incredible destinations for which you aim.
Click on the button below and take the first step towards a reset on your family's journey today! Our free Re-Connected! guide will teach you how to build connection in your family, identify the biggest pain points, and get you started on a new path towards a better, more peaceful and enjoyable future.
Join us on the journey? It will be worth it!!
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Chinese Proverb
“There is an energy to thought, and when you identify what you desire and write down your vision, you begin the process of mobilizing the energy to create the life you want. After all, you can't go somewhere if you don't have a vision of where you want to go. It's like trying to build a house without a set of plans and picture of what it's going to look like. It's like me driving this bus with no clue where my destination is.” – Energy Bus, Jon Gordon
"There is a busyness that reflects a chaotic way of life, a way of doing in which one is simply responding to the next thing in the day." "It makes no difference whether or not it is of significance, it's just the next thing, and one does it because it's there to do."
– A Resilient Life, Gordon MacDonald
May 8th, 2025 -- Katrina Eaton
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