Comments on: The Journey, The Destination, and What Comes Next http://artofgreatthings.com/2009/11/the-journey-the-destination-and-what-comes-next/ Tips and Habits for Effective Living Mon, 15 Mar 2010 23:50:37 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Ed Martin http://artofgreatthings.com/2009/11/the-journey-the-destination-and-what-comes-next/comment-page-1/#comment-637 Ed Martin Sun, 22 Nov 2009 07:05:31 +0000 http://artofgreatthings.com/?p=1864#comment-637 People who say it is all about the journey are usually lost, speaking from experience. As they say in "Paint Your Wagon":<br>Where am I goin'? <br>I don't know <br>Where am I headin'? <br>I ain't certain <br>All I know <br>Is I am on my way <br><br>When will I be there? <br>I don't know <br>When will I get there? <br>I ain't certain <br>All that I know <br>Is I am on my way People who say it is all about the journey are usually lost, speaking from experience. As they say in “Paint Your Wagon”:
Where am I goin'?
I don't know
Where am I headin'?
I ain't certain
All I know
Is I am on my way

When will I be there?
I don't know
When will I get there?
I ain't certain
All that I know
Is I am on my way

]]> By: qconklin http://artofgreatthings.com/2009/11/the-journey-the-destination-and-what-comes-next/comment-page-1/#comment-636 qconklin Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:38:33 +0000 http://artofgreatthings.com/?p=1864#comment-636 I used to feel that the journey was the important part, experiencing the moment and enjoying it for what it was but of late I have come to the realization without setting a destination it is not a journey just mindless wandering. I now prefer to view the Lao Tzu quote in a different fashion: While you travel be open to the opportunities that surround you rather then closing them off because of some preconceived plan. As for the second part I take it to mean don't be focused on saying "when this happens i can do this", instead focus on what you can do now and let the arriving take care of it's self. I used to feel that the journey was the important part, experiencing the moment and enjoying it for what it was but of late I have come to the realization without setting a destination it is not a journey just mindless wandering. I now prefer to view the Lao Tzu quote in a different fashion: While you travel be open to the opportunities that surround you rather then closing them off because of some preconceived plan. As for the second part I take it to mean don't be focused on saying “when this happens i can do this”, instead focus on what you can do now and let the arriving take care of it's self.

]]> By: Patrick @ unwrapyourmind.com http://artofgreatthings.com/2009/11/the-journey-the-destination-and-what-comes-next/comment-page-1/#comment-635 Patrick @ unwrapyourmind.com Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:40:37 +0000 http://artofgreatthings.com/?p=1864#comment-635 Jeffrey, I love this. I love the quote from Lao Tsu, yet I also had sometimes my problems with the implications some people made up from it. The thing to remember is you can't escape having a destination. Yet if you don't reach your destination (because circumstances changed the path), there is no use of feeling sad for a prolonged period of time, since the only benefit you could get from this experience was the journey. And all you could do is to act to the existing situation and go for another destination (since we are moving people, physically and psychologically) not being afraid to get there or not.<br><br>So the journey is what counts (and the destination - the planned one or the real one) is part of that.<br>But what starts each journey is a destination (we can't move our feets with that, so each step has a destination). <br><br>It we prefer one over the other, it is like asking "What is more important the hen or the egg?" Jeffrey, I love this. I love the quote from Lao Tsu, yet I also had sometimes my problems with the implications some people made up from it. The thing to remember is you can't escape having a destination. Yet if you don't reach your destination (because circumstances changed the path), there is no use of feeling sad for a prolonged period of time, since the only benefit you could get from this experience was the journey. And all you could do is to act to the existing situation and go for another destination (since we are moving people, physically and psychologically) not being afraid to get there or not.

So the journey is what counts (and the destination – the planned one or the real one) is part of that.
But what starts each journey is a destination (we can't move our feets with that, so each step has a destination).

It we prefer one over the other, it is like asking “What is more important the hen or the egg?”

]]> By: Melissa Gorzelanczyk http://artofgreatthings.com/2009/11/the-journey-the-destination-and-what-comes-next/comment-page-1/#comment-632 Melissa Gorzelanczyk Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:27:51 +0000 http://artofgreatthings.com/?p=1864#comment-632 Where am I going? Forward. What will I do when I get there? Doesn't apply. And what afterwards? Bliss. Happiness. Fulfillment. Yes. Where am I going? Forward. What will I do when I get there? Doesn't apply. And what afterwards? Bliss. Happiness. Fulfillment. Yes.

]]> By: Bill at 18263 Days Later http://artofgreatthings.com/2009/11/the-journey-the-destination-and-what-comes-next/comment-page-1/#comment-633 Bill at 18263 Days Later Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:25:51 +0000 http://artofgreatthings.com/?p=1864#comment-633 It seems to me, the trick is knowing where you're headed, then having the faith to know that whatever happens along the way is helping you get there. The journey unfolds in surprising ways, but the destination remains certain and the same. It seems to me, the trick is knowing where you're headed, then having the faith to know that whatever happens along the way is helping you get there. The journey unfolds in surprising ways, but the destination remains certain and the same.

]]> By: Melissa Gorzelanczyk http://artofgreatthings.com/2009/11/the-journey-the-destination-and-what-comes-next/comment-page-1/#comment-634 Melissa Gorzelanczyk Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:23:54 +0000 http://artofgreatthings.com/?p=1864#comment-634 Where am I going? Forward. What will I do when I get there? Doesn't apply. And what afterwards? Bliss. Happiness. Fulfillment. Yes. Where am I going? Forward. What will I do when I get there? Doesn't apply. And what afterwards? Bliss. Happiness. Fulfillment. Yes.

]]> By: Jeffrey Tang http://artofgreatthings.com/2009/11/the-journey-the-destination-and-what-comes-next/comment-page-1/#comment-630 Jeffrey Tang Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:42:46 +0000 http://artofgreatthings.com/?p=1864#comment-630 I get what you're saying, Patty. Attitudes and viewpoints change, and it's hard to see the world from anything but our own angles. I guess what I'm trying to express is the idea of moving and changing - and yes, just doing some philosophical musing. I get what you're saying, Patty. Attitudes and viewpoints change, and it's hard to see the world from anything but our own angles. I guess what I'm trying to express is the idea of moving and changing – and yes, just doing some philosophical musing.

]]> By: Jeffrey Tang http://artofgreatthings.com/2009/11/the-journey-the-destination-and-what-comes-next/comment-page-1/#comment-631 Jeffrey Tang Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:41:10 +0000 http://artofgreatthings.com/?p=1864#comment-631 These are really just some questions I've been asking myself lately and that I feel we could all spend some time thinking about. The journey is such a commonly used metaphor, yet I don't think we've examined all aspects of what that metaphor means. These are really just some questions I've been asking myself lately and that I feel we could all spend some time thinking about. The journey is such a commonly used metaphor, yet I don't think we've examined all aspects of what that metaphor means.

]]> By: Patty @ Why Not Start Now? http://artofgreatthings.com/2009/11/the-journey-the-destination-and-what-comes-next/comment-page-1/#comment-629 Patty @ Why Not Start Now? Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:02:22 +0000 http://artofgreatthings.com/?p=1864#comment-629 Hi Jeffrey - It's a paradox isn't it? Sounds like you're in just the right place for you at this moment in your life, honoring the journey but definitely needing to care about where you're going. And that makes sense, because you're on the ascent, you're climbing the mountain and you need to keep the summit in your sights. That's how it is in the first half of life. But things change when you start the descent, what seemed so utterly clear on your way up becomes murky. The quest itself takes on new meaning, as does everything that has come before. And it's not like you just sit back and relax and stop caring where you're going, but it's kind of like you're looking inward more than outward. It's really hard to explain. But my hunch is that the reason you have a love/hate relationship with those great quotes is because they were written by people on the descent. Anyway, I appreciate your philosophical musings, as well as the chance to muse a bit myself. Hi Jeffrey – It's a paradox isn't it? Sounds like you're in just the right place for you at this moment in your life, honoring the journey but definitely needing to care about where you're going. And that makes sense, because you're on the ascent, you're climbing the mountain and you need to keep the summit in your sights. That's how it is in the first half of life. But things change when you start the descent, what seemed so utterly clear on your way up becomes murky. The quest itself takes on new meaning, as does everything that has come before. And it's not like you just sit back and relax and stop caring where you're going, but it's kind of like you're looking inward more than outward. It's really hard to explain. But my hunch is that the reason you have a love/hate relationship with those great quotes is because they were written by people on the descent. Anyway, I appreciate your philosophical musings, as well as the chance to muse a bit myself.

]]> By: Madeleine http://artofgreatthings.com/2009/11/the-journey-the-destination-and-what-comes-next/comment-page-1/#comment-628 Madeleine Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:50:37 +0000 http://artofgreatthings.com/?p=1864#comment-628 Hey, Jeffrey. This is really food for thought. Does a journey have to be a real journey? Do you need to physically leave one place and go to another? Or can a journey be a decision to travel on a different path where you are, to do something you've hesitated to do or feared to do. For example, leaving a job can be called a "big move" or a "big step" even if you stay in the same house in the same city. It's interesting for me to think about because shortly I'll be going on an actual journey to a place I've never been. ( Or maybe I just had one glass of wine too many at dinner.) Hey, Jeffrey. This is really food for thought. Does a journey have to be a real journey? Do you need to physically leave one place and go to another? Or can a journey be a decision to travel on a different path where you are, to do something you've hesitated to do or feared to do. For example, leaving a job can be called a “big move” or a “big step” even if you stay in the same house in the same city. It's interesting for me to think about because shortly I'll be going on an actual journey to a place I've never been. ( Or maybe I just had one glass of wine too many at dinner.)

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