The Joy is in the Journey
It took me 13 years to get my college degree.
And I’m not talking about an advanced degree. I don’t have a masters or doctorate. Just a good old-fashioned bachelor’s degree.
When I first started college, I majored in Pre-Forestry. I loved nature. I imagined myself working outdoors, communing with the trees. It was going to be great.
It didn’t quite work out that way.
When I graduated, I had a degree in Computer Science. I have worked 20-plus rewarding years in technology. I have never spent a single day of it in the woods.
Morgan Housel, the author of The Psychology of Money tells us:
“People are poor forecasters of their future selves.”
You can certainly count me among the poor forecasters. I couldn’t have possibly ended up in a more different career field than the one I originally thought I wanted to work in.
My journey to a college degree was long, winding, and sometimes frustrating. And I wouldn’t change it for anything. Because it was also rewarding. I had a lot of adventures along the way. It was a long, strange trip. But there was treasure at the end of it.
The point?
The shortest trip between any two points is a straight line. It’s also the most boring.
Other than the grave…we have no idea where we are going to end up. The journey is far more meaningful than reaching the destination.
Enjoy the journey.
Slow down, check out the sights. Stop and get to know your fellow travelers along the way. Take side excursions.
Get lost.
Get found.
The joy is in the journey.
