It Does Not Matter What is in the Bag

Going to the farmers' market is something I genuinely enjoy, especially with friends. I wake in the morning, go through my routine, and look forward to getting out in the sun and walking to the farmers' market.

I show up in a relaxed way, going from stall to stall while texting my friend to meet up somewhere near the market. It is less about what I buy and more about savoring the conversation, running into friends, lingering in those exchanges, and the serendipity of meeting each other there. These moments are very dear to my heart and are reminder to me to enjoy the process. 

What I carry home in my bag is unimportant. It is more about the process: enjoying the moment, engaging with others, and savoring it. Through this, I stay in touch with several values I hold dear like connection, care, and fun.

Yet we all get lost in the sauce: How often do we focus too much on outcomes, chasing results, rather than embracing the process? The lingering conversation with a friend, the interesting gossip we might hear. 

I see myself falling into this trap: chasing outcomes and paying less attention to the present. For years, I chased outcome after outcome, only to miss out on the process and the experience itself. When I am caught up in outcomes, I am often missing out on my experience. 

I am trying to focus less on the outcome and more on the process, just as I do at the farmers' market, where there is noticing, presence, and the chance to see my experience as it unfolds.

This is the question I sit with now: if I am constantly chasing the carrot, am I missing the deeper experience?