Sometimes the float is necessary

Have you ever been on a canoe trip? You go out with a group of friends or family. There are jokes, laughter and hopes for a great day. So you set out in your respective canoe's and you start the journey. Now everyone has to start out at a different time so you are all spread out. Some where along the way the fun of the journey starts to get lost. You feel as if the group is to far out in front and you start to paddle to catch up. While you lose focus on the fun and the scenery you begin to stress about catching up. You get an over whelming urgency to not be the last ones and the joy begins to fade. The journey now is no longer fun its about catching up. Then you catch up and you find yourself in a canoe jam because everyone is all bunched up. Now you are back paddling so you don't tip the canoe or tip someone else's canoe. You see the looks on some of the other people's face's, you see the stress, you see the frustration and you start to wonder why you took this trip in the first place. Then you remember, you needed to float. Sometimes you need to put your paddle across your legs and float. Float on the river, listen to the laughter and know that you don't need to be in the traffic jam. You can enjoy the trip for what it is or what it was supposed to be, a good time. 

This canoe trip is like life. We start out with great intentions and let circumstances get the best of us. We start to paddle, we focus on the destination and not the journey. Next time you start to see the jam put your paddle in your lap and float. You are not lost, you won't get left behind. There is time to enjoy, there is time to work, and sometimes you just need to float.