Getting to Know the Passengers on Our Bus
Imagine yourself as a bus driver en route to a specific destination, gradually picking up a variety of passengers along the way. There are those who are content to ride along quietly, while others come …
Are we there yet??? How about now??? Has your child ever asked this question? Maybe you even asked it as a child…or as an adult. This question takes on a whole new meaning for us Texans when we can drive 10 hours and still be in the same state! We certainly appreciate those little states where we can drive through them in 2 hours.I truly believe that road trips with our family are like the therapy process. The pace can certainly be parallel. When taking a trip, there are certain factors to consider. Someone might need to use the restroom. Stop. Someone might be hungry/thirsty/sick. Stop. The kids might need to run around and burn off some energy. Stop. Trip Advisor says there’s a fabulous place ahead to explore. Stop. What might be a 3-hour trip by yourself, can wind up being a 4 ½ -5-hour trip with the family.Therapy can, at times, appear like either one big pause button has been pushed on your life or like you are in an emotional, never-ending scavenger hunt. Working through emotions that have been buried, hidden, or forgotten takes time to process and find meaning in those unknown places. Sometimes you might need to stop and process what is being brought up in therapy. It takes time to decipher and discover those emotions that get manifested into behaviors—or to understand someone else’s behavior. Sometimes, you might need to try one approach and see if that works before proceeding onto the next step. The process can be daunting and at times, the question, “Are we there yet?” leaves you frustrated and exhausted. You might even question if therapy is doing any good. Trusting the process is necessary to move ahead. Patterns need to be seen and certain behaviors understood to gain self-knowledge and self-awareness. Learning new approaches in interacting with ourselves, our spouses, our children, and our co-workers takes time. We are spoiled in our fast-food society of driving up to the window and receiving our food on demand. Or using an app to get our groceries or purchases delivered at the door. However, one of the places where the process cannot be rushed is in therapy. Life is a journey. And part of that journey is staying with the process. Regardless of the speed, stay the course. There’s an African Proverb that says, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”