"The Journey or the Destination? " by Alondra Z

 

“If you don't know where you’re going, any road can get you there.”

  - Lewis Carroll

I strongly believe that the destination is the most significant part of the journey. Some may argue that it isn't the destination of the journey itself. However, without a destination we would all just be wandering endlessly searching for our purpose. When in reality, we haven't even identified what that is yet. How could you choose the best path to go down when you don't even know where you're going? The answer is simple, you can't. You can't arrive at your final destination without knowing what it is. Unless you have an end goal, any path is as good as the other. In other words, any road will get you where you want to go. The issue is that everyone assumes that you will ultimately arrive at your set destination, therefore it's not really something people think about. However, due to this mindset, many people never end up reaching their true goals in life. First, you need goals. Then, you can achieve them. Sure you learn through the value of experiences, but in the end, reaching your desired destination is what makes you value the journey more.

This applies to us specifically because we are at the point in our lives where we are deciding what colleges we want to attend, what careers we want to pursue, and what person we want to become. However, it's not an easy decision to make. More often than not, the thought overwhelms us and we tend to disregard it and just “go with the flow” to see where the path takes us. But what good is not having any direction in life, not having a goal, not knowing where you’re going? Ultimately, the outcome is the same and you go nowhere. Without direction, you are adrift in the course of life, susceptible to all life's problems, and completely without recourse. On the contrary, with direction, you have a sense of guidance that with every step taken, will bring you closer to fulfilling your purpose.

Despite it seeming like a very overwhelming process, it doesn't necessarily have to be. The first step is to have a solid foundation of core values. Guiding principles that lead your life and guide you towards the path to achieve your goals. This allows you to identify the certain goal that you are chasing. However, that doesn't mean that you can’t deviate or adjust your goals as you continue to learn and grow over time. The whole point is to be chasing something, if there's no drive then there's no reward. In this case, the journey and experiences you make along the way will be the reward for getting to your destination. For example, would you continue playing your sport if all you did was practice? With no games or competitions to show the outcome of the work you put in? Probably not. It's true, the journey is how we arrive at the destination. However, without a destination there would be no journey.  It's like trying to hit a moving target, it's difficult, but what happens when there is no target at all? There's just no purpose.

To get what you want out of life, you can never get there without a destination, without a goal. Ask yourself where you're going. If your response is "anywhere," then you're likely already there.