Life is Not a Journey but the Destination

Because we’re already here

I often wonder why there is such a predominant belief that life is a journey. I imagine someone driving around in their car, searching for things like happiness and success at every turn. Convinced those things exist somewhere beyond, they drive endlessly pursuing the notion of achieving them.

But how would they know they got there, and be certain of having obtained ultimate happiness or success? Wouldn’t they always be wondering if there’s more around the corner, not satisfied where they already were?

What if, by believing their life is a journey, they feel compelled to continue driving that car?

I don’t see my life as a journey, but rather my destination after having completed it.

Can you imagine the odds of a tiny sperm trying to swim faster than all the others, to find its way to my mother’s egg after all that work, then diving into that egg to create me?

And then for me to be able to flourish and grow for nine months to enter the world?

I don’t know about you, but I consider all that to have been my journey. Just having made it here is good enough for me. I’ve reached my destination.

We all successfully endured a similar journey to be here.

But what about people who believe their entire life is the journey? Where are they going? Do they even know where they’re going? What’s wrong with being right where they are?

I think they’re in that car just driving around, convinced there’s something better further down the road.

And if anyone were to suggest to me that my life has been a journey, I’d ask them this. If life is a journey, where are the trees going, the flowers, the animals? Wasn’t their journey to get here as well?

Ah, you might say. “We humans are on a spiritual journey.”

What if we’re born with what we already need to know, but aren’t listening to ourselves because we’re too busy driving around, convinced we’re on a “journey” to find whatever “it” is?

I believe we are all different for the very reason that being different is our purpose. That like the trees, the flowers, and the animals, we are here to simply offer our differences and unique talents with each other.

Life is not the journey, it’s the destination. Maybe that’s why so many people believe that they’re lost. They’re driving around looking for something outside themselves, believing they’re making progress.

But progress towards what, making more money? Is your journey merely to find success in superficial goals and meaningless achievements? Doesn’t that kind of minimize the entire notion of having been given the gift of life and utilizing what you already have?

If that’s your journey, I won’t get in the car with you.

I wonder what God would say, if you believe in God. What if he asked, “What, giving you life isn’t enough? Do you still want something else?

What if we all realized that our journey is over and that we’ve already arrived? Our destination is here, waiting for us to embrace who we are and use the gifts we’ve been given.

What if we stopped the car, got out, and looked at the scenery? What if we appreciated what we were looking at and just sat there for a while? And what if you just decided not to drive anymore, but embrace what life is giving you already?

My journey brought me to a pretty challenging destination, but I believe I was destined to live it. I never questioned why things happened or felt sorry for myself, but somehow knew it was all part of the deal.

But if you want to keep driving, I won’t bother you. I’ll just wave as you pass by.