The Journey (16 October 2009)
Back in the ‘60s (and rumor has it that, if you can remember the ‘60s, you weren’t there), we use to say that something was “a trip.” The phrase was a carryover from the sense of “tripping” (or “tripping out”) on hallucinogenic drugs, such as marijuana, LSD, and “sacred” mushrooms. The users’ minds would go on a trip while their bodies remained in place. There were “good trips,” in which the imagery was all sweetness and light, and “bad trips,” full of dark and disturbing images. Much of the imagery from that time can still be seen on tee shirts. While the hippies of the ‘60s discovered that drugs were at best a short-term pleasure that failed to produce lasting results, they got one thing right: They discovered that in many ways the journey is the destination. It is, of course, important to have worthwhile destinations—goals, objectives—in mind, but the journey—what we do and how much we enjoy it along the way—says more about who we are than any particular destination we might have in mind.
This may be what John Lennon had in mind when he said, “Life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans.” If we are busy focusing on making plans, we miss everything else that happens along the way. The Beatles were, of course, children of the ‘60s whose favorite vehicle was a Yellow Submarine. Other young people of the time had an “are we there yet” mentality and were firmly focused on the goal or objective. In some ways, getting stoned and setting goals were the competing philosophies of the time. The mainstream culture of the time was focused on getting ahead in business, and members of the “counter culture” were tie dying and decorating each other with DayGlo paints.
The competing philosophies were also invoked in sports. While it is well-known that football coach “Red” Sanders said, “Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing,” the antithetical view, “It is not whether you win or lose but how you play the game,” is most often attributed to “anonymous.” Some add that it was said by someone who lost a game. How you play the game, however, is not the same as quitting or dropping out. (One of the guru’s of the ‘60s, Timothy Leary, encouraged people to “Turn on, tune in, and drop out.” What many missed that Leary’s objective was for people to seek the “divinity within.” He was essentially saying, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God.” It’s a worthwhile objective, but LSD proved a less-than-reliable shortcut.
My sense is that one of the defining elements of worthwhile objectives is that the path that leads to them is enjoyable. From that perspective, the journey is the destination. Two of the most common ways to complete a sentence beginning with, “Life is ...” are “a journey” and “an adventure.” An adventure is, of course, a kind of journey that focuses more on the present moment than the direction. A journey, on the other hand, emphasizes direction if not the destination. In terms of the ‘60s, LSD is an adventure. Meditation is a journey.
An “adventure” by automobile might be setting out with no destination in mind other than enjoying the thrills of the open road. Those on a journey, however, would have a destination in mind without necessarily precluding enjoying the thrills of the road along the way. One might even plan to enjoy adventures as part of the journey, but the reverse is more difficult: people lose sight of the journey when they focus on the adventure. The metaphor, “Life is an adventure,” implies a lot of day-to-day excitement and fun; whereas the metaphor, “Life is a journey,” implies progress toward a destination. “Life is a journey” does not address the issue of how much fun you can have along the way. If you choose to do so, you can complain constantly and continue to ask, “Are we there yet?” Or you can keep your journey in mind while making every day a joyful adventure.
The one thing to be sure of is that you are doing the choosing, You are choosing not only the metaphor that provides your motivation, but also the attitude that determines how much fun you have along the way. One of Richard Bandler’s questions that addresses this issue is “How much pleasure can you stand.” The right journey allows you to know that you can enjoy more every day.
joel@scs-matters.com
www.scs-matters.com
