The Journey IS the Destination

There I was, watching The Voice. I was doing a major multi-task session as I rode my elliptical, read Eldest (The Inheritance Cycle), and watch The Voice. Never did I imagine I would be thrown a golden nugget of wisdom. Out of nowhere, Usher shared a mantra of his that just struck me hard.

 

The journey is the destination. 

 

Got that? 

 

This saying is akin to “Enjoy the moment,” “Carpe Diem,” “Stop and smell the roses,” etc. But I love the way it makes you look at life.

 

This phrase doesn’t say, “Hey, it’s a long road to get to your end-goal with ups and downs, so you might as well live in the moment and enjoy everything for what it is” like many of these other sayings seem to direct my thoughts. No, it tells me, “The road you are on is where you are going. You have already arrived.” 

 

It is similar to the idea of there is only one day. Today. Yesterday is gone and tomorrow hasn’t happened yet. 

 

I like thinking of it as the journey being the destination because it still leaves your mind to focus on a goal. We aren’t aimlessly wandering through life. We have goals, dreams, and aspirations. We do have things we need to accomplish and we do need to have a plan for how to figure it out. We can’t possibly only live in today–we need to learn from the past and plan for the future or each day will be of little worth to our overall growth. 

 

Remembering that the journey is the destination means that we remember to learn from the past. It means we have set goals for our future. It means we have plans and somewhere to go. We make preparations and adjust as we go along.

 

But it also means that we find value in what is happening now and not just looking ahead at all times. 

 

We we read an adventure book, like the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, the things we cherish in the book are the events that happen along the way. The book would mean very little if we were told the protagonist set out and then jumped to the completion of the goal without sharing the journey along the way. 

 

Keep this in mind as you parent. Your journey in raising your children is your destination. Have your goals, but live in today. In many ways, you have arrived. And sometimes the journey frankly sucks. Sometimes it is boring, monotonous, difficult, infuriating, tiring, frustrating, and more. Other times, it brings you unspeakable joy and satisfaction. Your heart burns within you like you never knew it could. It is rewarding, fulfilling, fun, and full of contentment. 

 

Your journey is your destination. Wherever you are, you have arrived. The things you do each day as a parent IS the point of your parenting. You will have fruits and rewards along the way. You will also have hardships and trials along the way. But “along the way” is the point. This is what is teaching you, refining you, and molding you and your children into who they are each day.

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