The Journey is the Reward, Part One

Have you ever taken a road trip?

If you have, what was the most enjoyable thing about the experience? Perhaps, it was the sense of discovery. You’re driving along and here’s this perfect little town that you never knew about. Or, maybe it’s a dive bar full of characters. Or, it could be a breathtaking view that’s yours alone to share and savor. It’s certainly true that one of the joys of a road trip is the sense of discovery that it brings.

Maybe your road trip was enjoyable because of the sense of adventure you felt. After all, you never know what the day will bring. You never know what will be around the next bend. It could be the best piece of cherry pie that you’ve ever had. It could also be the worst piece of cherry pie that you’ve ever had. That feeling of spinning the wheel of life and taking your chances on the outcome is exhilarating. It makes you feel like you’re living on the edge and it keeps you coming back for more.
It could be that your road trip was a highlight of your life because of how free you felt. When you’re on a road trip, you are the captain of your own ship. You are free of all constraints and the limitations that obligation and responsibility brings. You can choose to do whatever you want. You can travel in any direction that suits your whim. In short, you actually are free, perhaps for the first time, and that taste of freedom can be intoxicating.

So, we’ve established that road trips are fun. Did you know that the journeys you take through life towards various goals can be, in fact, should be, just as much fun? A journey towards a goal is essentially one big road trip. It has all the same elements as a road trip. There is, of course, the sense of discovery. With any goal, you are moving through unknown territory. You’re going to discover things that you never knew about yourself and the world.
There’s also a sense of adventure. What else are you doing when you set out to reach a goal but spinning the wheel of fortune? You may fail, but you also may succeed. Talk about living on the edge.

Finally, there is the same freedom in the journey towards a goal as there is on a road trip. You are entirely free to pursue that goal as you see fit. You have no constraints or limitations in how you go about doing it. You are free.