Skip to main content

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.
Labels:

Comments

  1. UnknownJuly 15, 2019 at 7:23 PM

    Thank you so much for this important and useful information. It's a reminder that we are not meant to rush through life, it's about savouring every moment of each day. #1Fan

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anella M'Press ShillingfordJuly 15, 2019 at 7:36 PM

    You're welcome. Thank you for reading.

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownJuly 15, 2019 at 7:58 PM


    Very inspiring .

    We must remember that everyone is unique . God blessed each with his own fingerprint to leave his mark on every stop.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

When Life is Life-ing.

  Photo by  Annie Spratt  on  Unsplash For the past two years, life has been life-ing.  It appears that we aren't able to catch a break in recent times. For some, these hardships extend farther than the last two years. It is no secret that life has not been easy. We are still battling a global pandemic, mental and emotional exhaustion, inflation, rising gas prices, and recession (although we aren't claiming it). If I did not know better I would think that this was the end. Things seem out of control. But what do we do when the world seems upside down? I have concluded that there are just some things that we can not change. Photo by  Nathaniel Worrell  on  Unsplash In the meantime, I try to remember the things I can control; like 1. My breath: I have learned to slow down my breathing and measure my breaths. There are several breathing techniques out there but my favorite is box breathing. Feel free to look up this technique or try out other meditat...
3 comments
Read more

We Are Moving!

Thank you.  This blog has served as a safe space; connecting me to readers all over the world for us since 2019. For that I am truly grateful.  I was first encouraged to start this blog by a friend who felt that that I had a lot to say. (It turned out she was right. Thank you, Lisa. ) This space has helped me to find my voice and my niche. It has been a blessing to witness to my evolution on here as well as learning the cathartic power of community.  It has been quite the journey. Thank you for walking with me. You have seen me through good times and hard times. You have witnessed the publication of two poetry collections. You have read about my heartbreaks, my life's work, my struggles and much more.  I am moving to Substack and I would love if you would come along.  If you wish to continue this journey with me, please use the link below.    Anella's Bits and Pieces Don't forget to hit the subscribe button so you can be the first to read future posts....
Post a Comment
Read more

Of Rivers and Oceans

  My book baby #2 is out! Of Rivers and Oceans is truly a labour of love.  I spent the last two years working tirelessly on this body of work. It was indeed a tumultuous two years. Between the pandemic, family issues, heart breaks, a toxic work environment, love, joy, therapy, and breakthroughs, it was imperative that I found time to write and compile this beauty. In the end, I must say I am pleased with this collection.  My editor, Steinberg Henry, and I went back and forth with the collection for about six months selecting the pieces and arranging them. Mr. Henry is an esteemed Dominican writer. He is the author of several books, including Calypso Drift and Calypso Drift On Water.   A lot of work and thought went into each poem. That was the vision I had for ORAO. I wanted it to be intentional from cover to cover.  Of Rivers and Oceans can be described as a celebration of heritage, history, healing, and home. Every poem in the collection tells a story of its ...
Post a Comment
Read more