The Journey, Not the Destination
I returned home last night after being on the road for 16 of the last 17: KC to Houston to Minneapolis to Midland. I'm beat! It's been a great couple of weeks, but I'm ready to be home for the holidays.
As I've been traveling these past few weeks, combined with the reflection that naturally comes with the Thanksgiving holiday, I can't help but think about how weird this journey called life can be. It's full of twists and turns, ups and downs, with countless roadblocks and pleasant surprises along the way. When we're young, we're naive enough to think we're in control of the journey. We plan our steps and hilariously (in hindsight) believe it will go just as we anticipate.
Truth is, the journey is messy. It can be a struggle filled with pain, suffering, waiting, and frustration. If there's one thing for sure, our journey will go nothing like we originally anticipated. In some ways, this is sad. After all, our dreams are huge and important. But herein lies the beauty of life. All the stumbling blocks, detours, and pain are what make this journey rich.
None of the work, mission, or fun I participated in these last 17 days was even a thought in my head just five years ago. Heck, most of this didn't exist just one year ago. That's the beauty of the journey.
Just like a long road trip in the car, we must have a target destination in mind. That shows us the direction we should be driving. However, what happens between the origin and the destination makes the trip. It's about the journey, not the destination. When cruising down the highway, we might see something off in the horizon that looks interesting. So we decide to explore. Maybe it's cool, and maybe it sucks....but we don't know until we check it out. But regardless of the outcome, it likely adds to the experience. Then, as we get back on the road, Google Maps helps us reorient and continue toward our intended destination. We can always program a new intended destination, but until we do, we'll continue to journey in our planned direction, enjoying the little detours along the way.
I promise you I'm not making good time on the road trip of life, but these detours and side missions sure add a richness to the experience. It would be easy to lament not getting to my destination quicker. If that were my measuring stick, I suppose you could call me a massive failure. Yes, the destination is important, but it just may be the least important piece to all of this. It's about the journey, not the destination.
I hope you have an awesome journey today!