Or is it more  Important?

I read somewhere that “the Journey is the essence of where life exists in all her glory.” Some people say it is the goal, the Destination that is the real Journey.  Others say sometimes it is the Journey that teaches you about your Destination.  So what is more important?

The Destination is a fixed dot, while the Journey connects the dots. Destinations are milestones; they are goals that give direction to life.  Getting to your  Destinations and achieving your goals will make you proud, while the Journey will make you wiser and stronger.

Does saying that life is about the Journey, not the Destination, deny the significance of the Destination? Does it encourage us to demote direction and embrace a shoulder-shrugging “anything goes attitude?” as expressed in this article written by Alex Mathers? Does this attitude give us a reason to hold back, to relax, to wander, to be aimless?

Is it not true that all of humankind’s greatest wins happened when people prioritized their Destination and went for it? When they treated Destination as survival,  prioritized Destination and did whatever it took to get there?

So as with many things in life, the answer to this question is  not a simple one. I think it lies in looking at both the Destination and the Journey.

• Don’t take your eyes off the prize – the Destination, but enjoy the Journey at the same time.
• Your character will shaped and strengthened on the journey’s path through the experience you gain,  the trials and tribulations you endure, and the lessons learned. 
• Know that the final outcome may not be as significant as you originally believed. ’
• What you do along the way is governed by the person you become along the way, the skills you acquire, the connections you make and the inner growth which takes place.
• When you lost sight of your path, listen for the destination in your heart.
• You will get to know yourself better, more deeply as you travel to your Destination.

Very often our decisions focus on the outcome, the goal, the Destination. Sometimes you want to focus on the path, and sometimes on the Journey instead. So here is a way to look at both.

When making a decision, ask yourself what is most important?

Is it choosing the best option/path, having the best experience/Journey or creating the best outcome/destination? Dig deep and ask yourself what the best option, experience or outcome might actually look like and know up front that not all decisions will have the same answer.  For example:

When you focus on the path/option, consider what is the fastest option, the cheapest option, the one you like the most or maybe it’s  a combination of all of these? The perception a person has of their choice often affects their experience. You can focus on your options when the experience and outcome will be about the same no matter what option you choose. Or when you can’t predict what the experience or outcome will be.

When you focus on the Journey/Experience, you can consider, for example, that for short ones with  quick implementations, you can  ignore the experience and focus on the outcome. But for long ones, you might want to take into consideration the Journey as well as the outcome. 

When you focus on the Destination/outcome, you might want to consider the option that creates the best result, or in other words the one with the best chance of succeeding. For important goals, the Destination can be more important than the Journey.

In the end…

Surrendering to the Universe’s flow makes you stronger, not weaker. Living on purpose means that you must surrender to a path that you can’t fully see. In life we only get one glimpse of the next right step at a time. The end result is sometimes blurry and hidden. But, the Universe may be guiding you toward a better path, helping you avoid a disaster you couldn’t perceive, or teaching you a lesson you needed to learn before advancing to the next step of your Journey. When you allow yourself to surrender and co-create with the Universe, it’s a powerful combination that generates great insight and joy.

More Articles:

• The Destination and What Happened During the Journey  – Ben Saunders to the South Pole 
• 3 Reasons why the journey matters more than the Destination
• How to Choose?