Life is a journey, not a destination

This crazy rollercoaster ride we call life is unequivocally, as Ralph Waldo Emerson put it, a journey, not a destination.

Indeed, it's not so much about where we end up as it is how we got there.

How many times have you gone on road trips, only to reflect more fondly on the time spent making your way there -- cracking jokes with friends, singing songs with the family, exploring the outdoors -- than the destination in question?

We have a tendency to focus so hard on the end goal that we seldom stop to appreciate the incremental steps that get us there.

For example, we or someone we know likely wishes to lose weight. It can be easy to become fixed on losing, say, 50 pounds as soon as possible.

But as sweet as achieving that goal will be, chances are we will come to miss the feeling of working toward their target. The elation that comes from losing five pounds and looking forward to doubling that number.

The same goes for college students who assert that graduation can't come soon enough, but once it does, they end up wishing they had tried harder to make the most of their time in the Ivory Tower.

Or how about people who hook up with someone in hopes of sprinting to the altar, neglecting to savor the relationship in small doses?

Put another way, many people spend their life living in the future rather than in the present, and as I've pointed out in various posts, happiness lies in the here and now.

We live for Fridays, for graduation, for retirement. But why not just live for today?

We must remind ourselves that just because we haven't yet met a goal doesn't mean we can't appreciate the road we've traveled.

As it turns out, the many journeys we've embarked on throughout our lives have gotten us to where we are today. We've worked hard, cultivated relationships, and made plenty of sacrifices along the way.

Success does not come without our fair share of challenges. Life itself is a long journey -- with arduous problems to solve and tough lessons to learn. Still, it is through hardship that we emerge stronger and happier. Those rough spots become memories we reflect on later, realizing they played a pivotal part in our growth.

If one makes life all about the destination, he or she is not living it to the max. Instead, they should seize each day as it comes, never taking for granted trails we have blazed -- however long, however mundane, however painful -- to get there.

Enjoy the ride!

Comments

Do you have Isolophilia? Find out...

You're probably asking yourself, "What in the world does Isolophilia mean?" It sounds like it would be something negative, doesn't it? After all, words that end in "philia" (e.g., pedophilia) tend to involve things we want nothing to do with. But Isolophilia isn't something all people deplore. In fact, introverts like me welcome it. Put simply, Isolophilia is defined as having a strong affinity for solitude. It describes a person who relishes being alone. While extroverts can only take so much solitude, we introverts find that it rejuvenates us. In order to recharge our batteries, we need to retreat to a quiet environment where we we're left alone to rest and/or gather our thoughts. Extroverts, on the other hand, become bored and drained when they're alone for a lengthy period of time. Social interaction is the fuel that drives them. So while an extrovert would probably do anything to avoid feelings of Isolophilia in most cases, an...

No response from someone IS a response

Make no mistake about it: When you don't get a response from someone -- whether they fail to answer your texts or return your phone calls -- it is still a response, and a powerful one at that. When a person fails to respond, it's a direct reflection of their interest -- or lack thereof -- in the relationship. Few things are more aggravating than having to hound a partner, friend, or relative for some sort of reply after we've reached out to them. Yes, we get busy from time to time, but that doesn't give anyone the right to leave the other person hanging. A terse text with something like "Been busy, will reach out soon" doesn't say much, but at least it shows some effort to bring the other person up to speed on why they've fallen off the radar. Failing to provide a response for weeks -- if not months -- communicates that you are just not a priority, and that you'll have to wait your turn to get this individual's attention. This is n...

The 1 good thing cheaters do for us

Nothing good could come of a relationship marred by infidelity, right? The heartache, the shock, the feeling of one's trust being violated. In the short-term, being cheated on can turn one's world upside down. But eventually, there may be a light awaiting the cheated at the end of the tunnel. If you really think about it, cheaters end up doing us a huge favor. In their selfishness and disloyalty, they end up showing us that we deserve better. If you're so unfortunate as to be a victim of such acts of betrayal, you can only hope the cheater is considerate enough to own up to their missteps. But we all know full well that, in many cases, the cheater is either caught in the act or leaves behind a trail of hints that ultimately culminates in their undoing. The more classy thing to do is to discuss their feelings openly with their partner before straying. If all talks lead to an impasse or a further escalation of tensions, both parties should take it as a ...

Search This Blog