This morning I happened to take the time to click on Jeff Herring’s SUNDAY MORNING INSPIRATION: It’s the journey, not the destination. I was so pleased to watch this great clip from the movie “The Way of the Peaceful Warrior,” which is also one of my favorite books by Dan Millman.
I found this a great reminder not only that life–and all we do–is about the journey, not about the destination, but also that when we are trying to get somewhere…trying and trying…things are happening along the way that are worthwhile–worth noticing and enjoying.
It’s not just the goal, or the place we are striving to arrive at, that is the only thing that matters or that is worth enjoying. We tend to forget that in the course of our striving. We tend to forget to be happy and grateful along the path to where we are going–to enjoy the scenery and experiences along the way.
Sometimes we forget to enjoy arriving as well. Once we arrive at our destination–we achieve our goal, there’s always another destination, a new journey to begin. We tend to focus on that and simply start a new journey.
Life is a never ending journey with one destination after another. So we better start enjoying the trip.
I know I forget this daily. I am so focused on what I must do to get where I’m going that I don’t enjoy the tasks at hand nor their results. I also don’t “stop to smell the roses,” to do what I enjoy, to spend enough time with the people I love, to…well…live fully or enjoy life. I don’t enjoy the journey.
I noticed this yesterday while outside pulling weeds on my very large hillside. I could have sat down for a few minutes and enjoyed the beauty of the day–the sun on my face, the bees buzzing, the flowers blooming, the birds flying by, my cat hunting on the hillside. I didn’t. I just pulled with blinders on until I was about to stop. Then I got mired down pulling a huge patch of thistle that I didn’t want to go to seed before I could get back out onto the hill again. And in the midst of pulling I discovered wild iris blooming in the shadow of thistle and grass and blackberry plants. I was happy to discover them there, but I didn’t take the time to really admire the plants, rather I was frustrated by the fact that they were buried in such a huge amount of unwanted plants and couldn’t go in until I’d pulled the weeds. And I didn’t stop to admire what I’d created after I cleared away all the tall grass, wild blackberry and thistle. I could have taken a moment to simply enjoy the splendor of what nature had planted there on my hillside–beautiful blooming iris. Instead I just went inside, tired and somewhat dissatisfied that I had finished a good deal of weeding for one day but not the whole job.
That’s not the way to go through life. It’s not a way to approach work, relationships, parenting, or any aspect of what we do day to day. Instead, let’s remember that life is, indeed, a journey and not a destination. Let’s not stop being happy when we arrive or when we discover that what we find when we arrive isn’t exactly what we expected.
My husband and I moved to California with a great deal of excitement. We found a high cost of living that caused us to go into debt, created strain on our marriage, made our children feel they were “poor” in comparison to their friends, and generally made us feel unhappy with our decision. Plus, my husband’s job did not work out. We didn’t find what we expected, and we’ve let this whole experience become a negative one. We’ve let it “make” us unhappy. Getting to California and beginning our life here was fun and exciting–like hiking up the path in the video clip above–but arriving hasn’t been. We could change that with the change of a thought or an attitude adjustment.
How do you know that the new job you desire, the book contract you want, the relationship you crave will give you the happiness you seek? How do you know you won’t arrive at your destination only to find it isn’t what you expected and you aren’t happy?
So, you better be happy while you work towards these goals. I better learn to feel happy on my journey as well.
Remember, all aspects of life are about the journey, not the destination. Enjoy the journey. Enjoy arriving at the destination, too, but, by all means, enjoy the journey.
By the way, don’t forget Socrates’ the three rules of life:
Paradox: “Life is a mystery. Don’t waste time trying to figure it out.”
Humor: “Keep a sense of humor, especially about yourself. It is a strength beyond all measure.”
Change: “Know that nothing stays the same.”
And Number four:
The Journey: “The journey is what brings us happiness, not the destination.”
Hi Nina,
Before I forget why I’m really writing, let me state that first. I got your blogpost over at Vibrant Nation early this morning and wanted to thank you because I’m right there, in the midst of epublishing my first book. I’ve procratinated since January! I’m glad to know that it will be fairly easy and economical to put my heart out into the world. I also meant to reach out to thank you for the article you wrote before that one, saying that you were going to…and now you have! Thank you for writing about it and thank you for doing it, being a trailblazer ~ a scout~ and coming back saying, “the coast is clear for you to go ahead.”
I couldn’t get logged in at Vibrant Nation and didn’t remember my password and the email address I probably signed up with, I lost in December, amongst the great sea of change that I’ve been through for “my dream.” More and more I’ve been thinking about how I am overlooking the important part…the journey. I’ve just been wanting to “get there” (again) and sidestep the trip.
Just this morning, (long before I found you this way ~ I gave up on VN and decided to Google you, but thought your name was Karen for some reason:))~ on my facebook status I wrote. “It’s about the journey, not the destination.” Someone commented and I wrote that life was just like going on a long road trip. We pack the sandwiches, the luggage, stop for ice cream, stop for gas, may have a flat tire, car may break down and so forth, but it’s all a part of getting there!
And so are these waystations, missed exits and detours that we find on our path to “somewhere”, that elulsive destination of success or what have you.
What I think we miss is that WITHOUT these pitstops, detours, etc, we are not equipped for the end destination. It is the “journey” and its twists and turns and bends in the roads that we are shaped, built, proven and equipped for what we ultimately say we want from life. Like a menu, if we say we want spaghetti, then there is a recipe for spaghetti. We just don’t get spaghetti by snapping our fingers.
We must gather the proper ingredients, mix them, have the stove or oven at the right temperature, let it cook long enough, etc. If we leave out an ingredient or cook it too long or not long enough, it won’t turn out right.
The journey is adding the right ingredients, it’s teaching us the right temperature to cook at, how to know when it’s done. We have to remember (I do) that you’ve never done something until you’ve done it, therefore you’re making your best guess or your best laid plan to achieving it. The journey perfects and shows us how to get the outcome we desire and even moreso that we will be able to stand in that accomplishment, position or outcome when we do get there.
Also I believe there is a pushback in life when we say we want something or are going to do something. I think like says” OK, you want that. Really. Let’s see.” A series of challenges beset us, not to consume, but there for us to overcome, to jump like a great equestrian does. If we knock over the bar, we keep on jumping until we clear it.
The test is not to get off the horse, just because we knock a bar down, but to recognize, I’m going to have to do some more practicing or talk to my horse or give him some apples to clear this bar:)).
Long, long post to say, thanks for having this hear today. It’s like a confirmation of what I realized this weekend. I’m working on enjoying and embracing the journey, although I really liked the great life I’d created a lot. I could do it with my eyes closed. Now I’m creating something new all over again from scratch and I’ve got to get my notebook and catalog the lessons. The “way” is being revealed through challenge, instinct, trial and error, persistence, love and mainly through stength of purpose. I believe what I’m doing now is what I was born to do.
Life will be a continual university and a continual journey and we will never arrive, only rest before we go onward and upward.
Finding joy in the journey (most days)
Sharmaine
What a great comment! You made my day…even with the horse comment, since I use to ride and jump and totally related! And you inspired me with the comment about needing the pit stops, detours, etc. I believe that, but you reminded me that maybe I’ve had to wait so long for my dreams to be fulfilled for a reason…maybe I haven’t yet been ready. Maybe I haven’t been cooked long enough…although I’m beginning to feel a bit burned, I must admit. In any case, thank you, thank you. And please stay here an read. There are more posts here than at VN. I sometimes forget to post there. Thanks for reading, commenting, and being a fan.