Why “Enjoy the Journey” May Be the Best Piece of Advice Ever Given
Happiness is the journey, not the destination
All we want as human beings is to be happy.
That’s what we tell ourselves and others when the familiar “what do you want out of life” question is thrown our way.
When asked a follow-up question, enquiring what will make us happy, we are usually quick to rattle off a list of things we “know” or believe that once we attain, will bring contentment.
We fantasize about a new car, home, or career and assure ourselves that once we get it, we will finally be happy.
But what if we viewed happiness not as a destination, but as a state of being?
This 1978 study suggests we all have a predetermined level of happiness.
Our level of happiness fluctuates, sometimes positively sometimes negatively, but in the end, it levels back out to its original level.
I am guilty of the new shiny car dream, only for the novelty to wear off after 6 months of driving it.
So how do we go about solving the issue?
How do we finally start enjoying the journey?
“Aim for the sky, but move slowly, enjoying every step along the way. It is all those little steps that make the journey complete.” Chanda Kochhar
Don’t Be the 50-Year-Old Millionaire
Okay, stay with me on this one. This will make sense in the end, I promise!
We all know a 50-year-old millionaire or at least someone similar. They have worked in a job they hated their whole life, lived cheaply, and constantly delayed gratification. All with the dream of being a millionaire at age 50 and finally being happy.
How many of these individuals are actually happy in the end, and was it worth it all along?
I’m not advocating a life of YOLO Hedonism here. But I encourage you to weigh up the pro and cons of your goals and consider not only what you may gain, but what you may lose in pursuing them.
Choose your goals carefully, try to pick ones that make you want to leap out of bed in the morning, and provide you with small wins to celebrate along the way.
If you are constantly doing something you hate with the goal of attaining happiness in the future, you are already going about matters in the wrong way.
Live in the Now
This used to sound like a total cliché to me. People would tell me to live in the present. I was like, where do you think I am living, smartass.
As I grew older and “wiser,” I thought about it a lot more.
This led me to read a book called The Power of Now, by Eckhart Tolle. (An audio version is available on YouTube if you want to check it out)
You may wonder what’s so great about the present?
“Realize deeply that the present moment is all you have. Make the NOW the primary focus of your life.”
― Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment
The truth is our minds like to be preoccupied thinking about the past or the future; we are rarely in the now.
When we are in the now, life is a lot easier. We can always handle the now.
The problems start when we get engulfed with the what-ifs and should-haves about the future and past.
The mind always wants to be in the future or the past. It has no power in the present.
When we learn to find a way of being in the present moment more often, this is where we find happiness and appreciate the journey.
Gratitude
Gratitude is rightly a hot topic in the realm of personal development.
Taking a few minutes each day to appreciate the things that are most important can transform your outlook.
I like to do this in the morning before I get out of bed.
Doing this allows me to reflect on how far I have come in my journey.
Final Thoughts
The importance of the journey is clear. When we achieve something substantial in our lives, we often look back at the journey and the obstacles we have overcome to get there, rather than the achievement itself.
Try not to attach your happiness to a certain goal or outcome. Try to be happy now.
Enjoy the journey, knowing that by doing so, life will become more enjoyable than any destination.
