What is journey and destination?
The Journey and The Destination
Living is like a voyage, so let me tell you the story of my journey. The journey of life, which everyone takes at birth is a reason enough for them to be alive. It seems that the path of growth unfolds, with its twists and lows or highs depending on the position of the observer. Besides, setting goals, planning strategies, and striving to achieve individual and collective dreams all become milestones. It is indeed true that the journey we undertake and the speed at which we proceed also have their variations. What most of us crave is to get there a place, state, or goal that one can dream of and want to be in. It is not the destination that matters as much as the traveling; it is not the arrival that is important but getting there.
The Journey
The term˜journey' here means the road that is traveled, the path that is set, and the journey that is embarked on as well as the accumulation of the journey. It is about living our lives, how we go about it, or some individuals we encounter in our daily lives. The process of traveling is where most of the learning and development takes place. That way it assists in shaping our character and even forms part of our personality. It is a journey filled with challenges but much fun. It can be rough sometimes but it does give us valuable lessons that we learn through our lifetime.
It is worth admitting that the journey of life begins as early as childhood. At the children's level, the journey mostly involves playing and learning. Players get familiar with each other, acquire interests and skills as well as make friends in the process. Having looked at the various aspects of the journey, one realizes that in the teenage years, the journey assumes a different form. One interest shifts; pressure from friends increases; and the search for one's self commences. Then comes the real-world college life or work life being an adult. Here responsibilities rise, important decisions are made, and courses of action for the following time are set. The time people get into families they are more occupied with sustaining relationships and conforming to the future.
Afterward, the process goes on throughout one's life with both pleasant and painful lessons. Career graphs may rise or plateau out. Thus, one is prone to develop various health complications. Personal losses are inevitable. But the journey continues because life does not stop for anyone, and so it was for Louise. The trip has valuable lessons that help the main character transform into a better person in the movie's final scenes.
The Destination
Whereas journey, in case it means the ground covered, the destination is the goal targeted in a particular venture. It is the reason for action, the goal set in front of a man, and the passion that is brought out in him. The need to get to a certain point is what drives people to continue living their lives. It empowers them by providing them with something to aim for and also to measure their outcome against.
The place means different things for every individual, from childhood, adolescence, and adulthood to elderliness. A 10-year-old's ultimate objective could be to do well in exams and get good grades while an adult's aim could be to land a good job. Thus, as a college student, the degree certificate is still a destination to be reached successfully. When people get married, start families, as well as make a home, turn into concerns. The destination for many as approach retirement is to live a quiet life surrounded by their loved ones.
Yet, for the majority of the population, the destination remains a work in progress in the same way as the journey is. Because when we reach one goal, we immediately see another goal on the horizon, waiting for us, just ahead. Darker desires are only met in part by achieving more minor objectives. This cycle keeps repeating.
For instance, a business person who is working very hard in the corporate world to be promoted as expected may be harboring the desire to become the CEO of the company one day. In this case, the journey does not simply end when she finally attains the glamorous CEO position; more often than not, she still has further to rise. As soon as one top is achieved the next higher step attracts focus.
On the Path to Meaningful Life, Achieving Your Goal
Is it logical to be so obsessed with the end goal in this case then? Not really. It can be said that merely pursuing one's goal without paying regard to the way taken is not likely to lead to joy or satisfaction. Since destinations are not always sure-fire, no matter how well the paths are laid out.
People change, situations are not the same anymore and destinations are different. The factors useful in the early stages of the journey may not be useful when one is at a later phase. The energy and animation of the youth fade as one is forced to deal with the responsibilities of middle age. Priorities set earlier on may be revisited to reflect on once one has undergone a traumatic time or a major catastrophe.
Thus, while focusing on the goal/target of reaching the destination it is fun to travel. It is the training that enables people to get ready for what is next. The rises and falls encountered, and the tests surmounted assist in the build-up of mental toughness. The journey presents chances to make good memories and to foster and reinforce interpersonal relationships and dependencies. Still, all this puts people in good stead, no matter the chosen destination they end up at.
It also makes people learn to live in the present since there is no certainty of what will happen in the future. That is why when one can find happiness in small things and pleasures that life brings today it feels much more meaningful. They find themselves adapting to the situation in a way of having to admire what they find rather than mourn that they do not have what they want. Every phase of the journey is important because one cannot do it again. After all, life is all about phases.
The care that should be taken in adopting the two extremes that energy be directed towards the target and yet enjoy the process is probably how one should live. Setting goals is a good thing because it gives a direction to take but to keep on focusing on the goals all through does not make any sense. While the destination was rewarding, the journey provided priceless experiences that could only be enjoyed in life. Always remember to look at the end but also do not lose sight of the process because it should be fun!