Journey or Destination
That day, rather night, I was having a discussion with a friend on this topic. She was of the opinion that journey is more important and the end result is only secondary to that. I do not totally disagree with this philosophy but according to me what’s the use of a journey with a pre-defined destination if you do not reach where you were headed to, to be more precise what exactly is gained when the dream you pursued via that journey remains a dream.
To put in my point more firmly, let’s take the example of a bus journey. Let’s suppose I take a bus to reach a certain destination. Now if I keep on roaming around in the bus for the entire day, I may have seen the entire city and I may now know the place better, but did I reach the place I intended to? Will I be happy that after wandering around for hours and hours I am still away from where I wanted to be? The most probable answer is NO. It would have been much better had I also reached the destination I always wanted to reach. I would have cherished the journey and experience much more had that been the case.
A second example can be a job interview or an interview for admission into a B-School. We all prepare for months to crack the interviews. We introspect, we study, and we read what we have never bothered to care about. We know ourselves better; we dig out instances proving we are the right candidates. We try to put on a new avtar of someone who is pro-poor and who will help the unprivileged ones once he is out of a business school. Does this help in becoming a better person? Agreed, it does make us know things we don’t know about ourselves. We become richer in experience. The journey is enjoyable. But if at the end of all this, we don’t have an admission offer, I can bet on the percentage of people who will cherish this journey. How many of them will truly say that even if I am not there, I am happy? How many will say “The journey was very enjoyable so the destination doesn’t matter”? To these people, if there are any, I ask the same question: Did you achieve what you looked for?
A farmer toiling in the fields for months, hoping for a bumper crop is happy only when the crop is good and the fruits are ripe. He doesn’t cherish the journey if the crop is spoiled by rain or by the lack of it. Imagine the face of an employee who after working for one full month is told that since you enjoyed the work, you won’t be paid. After all journey is that what matters.
I believe that “Journey was enjoyable” is an excuse phrase used by people to console themselves once the destination is lost in translation. Even out of people quoting this, how many actually believe in this is questionable. I am sure these people would not want to take this enjoyable journey again if they know that again they won’t reach at the destination. Journey is enjoyable only when the purpose of it is fulfilled. Achievers value destination more, journey being only a medium. Let me see if that friend of mine is a little more convinced about this. That will make the journey of writing this piece much more enjoyable to me.
So, tell me now is journey is important or the destination. One cannot achieve the destination always, even though you have a plan. So enjoy the ride first, in order to reach the goal. We never know we will reach the goal or not. Because, destination and destiny both are interlocked. So, when we say ‘journey was enjoyable’. It is not always the ‘failures’ one who say it. They say those words, because, it gives the inspiration to achieve the next ‘objective’ in their lives.
The given, farmer example, the farmer never knows he is going to get a bumper crop this year or not. But still, he is going to sweat. In a hope, with a plan, that this year yield will be better than the last year. And, the farmer enjoys the journey of tilling the farm now to reach his destination. But, one never know, the destiny, he may reach his objective, he may not. Because, there are other factors (weather, competition, etc) .If the farmer achieves the goal he is happy, if not he consoles and will move on with his next ‘objective’ in life, with this experience.
Now, same goes with the example of achieving MBA degree or not.
On failures, those who say, "Journey was enjoyable", most of the times, they are trying to hide their failures. There is no pleasure more then achieving what you wanted(destination) all your life irrespective of what may come your way.
CXO Insights
