A Journey of a Thousand Miles

I recently had one of my senior students ask me, "Is life really a journey?"

The question posed to me by someone almost half my age, really made me think. How often have we stopped to think of this overused yet true analogy. 

"Is life really a journey?"

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

– Lao Tzu

If you can’t fly, then run, if you can’t walk run, then walk, if you can’t walk, then crawl, but by all means keep moving.

– Martin Luther King Jr.

What about life makes it a fitting comparison to a journey (of any kind)?

To journey means to travel from place to another. A voyage. A trip. An expedition. Those who embark on such trips are often referred to as pilgrims, travelers or sojourners.  

In its own way, life can be said to be a journey. We embark on this journey, the moment we have been birthed into this world. From birth until our death, we should have traveled from one point to another. Whether it be as a result of personal gain, personal growth, accomplishments in the workplace or in academics or the casual stroll through the different stages of life. Once an individual did not kick the bucket the exact way that he came into this world, it can be said that he made some progress as relates to the journey called life. 

The sooner that we understand that life is not meant to be lived in one place, the better it will be for all of mankind. We are social beings meant to go from one consecutive stage to another. A forward climb is imperative, while backward strides should be shunned. 

If life is really a journey, where is the map?

The path that you take on this journey is not mapped out for you. Every individual has to find his/her way through this maze. There is no blueprint. This is why others must not be so critical of someone else's journey. No two individuals will walk the same walk thus only the traveler is able to put his journey in perspective. No one else. 

Journey of 1000 miles?

If we all walk different paths and travel in different directions, with different destinations, do we all travel the same distance? Can I travel 100 miles and someone else 999?

Indeed, each individual's journey is subjective to that traveler. However, what is not subjective is the fact that life is a journey. I have often heard others arguing about who had life the hardest or whose burdens were the heaviest. 

It is to no avail. It may be that others' journeys seem shorter than ours and less tedious. But the objective of life is not to compare yourself with others but to grow as we journey through. Too many of us carry on as if we are here to stay forever and we quickly forget that we are sojourners, who are only travelling through. And whether we like it or not, we must make space for other generations, when the time comes.  What matters is that you made the most of your miles; all of them. 

Lessons about this Journey:

1. Respect the process: life has its own way of teaching us lessons. But we won't be able to learn them if are busy fighting the process.
2. Learn to walk alone: others can only journey with you thus far. They will never be able to make it with all the way (after all, they have their own journey to travel). Therefore, appreciate others who journey with you but you must learn to walk alone. There are some things that you can not learn in a crowd.
3. Fall in love with your journey: it is your walk, learn to love it. You have made mistakes, everyone has. You need to forgive yourself and move on. Only a fool would stop walking because he fell. Get up and dust yourself off. In the end, you will see how each piece of your puzzle fits together. It will all make sense!
4. Let no one belittle you. We all must travel our own path and so, make our own decisions. Let no one dictate your path. Let no one make you feel terrible for having chosen what you chose. There is no use in hating yourself. Correct that which can be corrected and move on. 

Remember, life is a journey and we are meant to enjoy the journey, not remain stagnant.