The Rewards Of The Journey
So often people get caught up in the place that they are going. Sure, you should focus on what the goal is. You should know where you want to go and exactly what that will look like when you get there. You should have a crystal clear picture of what the life of your dreams looks like. However, be sure not to miss the journey there as the journey is what makes the reward worth having. Imagine taking a vacation and keeping your eyes closed for the whole trip just so you could come back home and say you were there. It's not where you go that is the enjoyable part but the journey of the trip. It's not the beach you are going to, but the experience the beach has to offer that you go for.
There is a quote by Theodore Roosevelt that I think should hang on every persons wall of inspiration. The quote goes as such: "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."
The reason I believe this is such a valuable quote is simple. To many people never get started because they are afraid of failing, and they want credit for at least thinking about it. No one respects a soldier who almost made it to combat but chickened out. It is the man who had bullets zipping by his head and was inches from death but came back alive to tell about it that gets the fame and glory. It's not the athlete who sat on the bench that gets recognized by the one who was on the field playing the game and gave his all that gets the praise. Life is no different. It is not the people who play it safe that get to enjoy the journey of life. It's not the people who sit at home watching the television who create great things. It's the people who get their hands dirty while struggling and falling again and again who get the rewards that life has to offer. It's the ones who give their all in love, even if they lose, that get to experience the beauty and joy of love.
No one who talks about doing something or is able to see the errors in others that gets the reward of the journey. It isn't the man who wishes he would have done things differently that gets to enjoy the experience of having done them. It isn't the person who never once stepped into the arena who gets to hear the chearing of the crowd. It's the person who strives valiently and fails. The man who struggles and fails. It is the person who runs with all their heart, even in the face of adversity who gets to enjoy the benefits of giving ones all. It is the man who cares not what the opinions of the masses are but tries any way that gets to realize the power that lies within him. It isn't the person who has all the advice but follows none of it that matters. It is the person who knows because they have been there that can speak from experience about what it is like. It is the man who "fails while daring greatly" that is able to lay his head on the pillow at night knowing he did his best. It is the person "who expends himself in a worthy cause" that knows he did all he could and it was for something noble and worthy who in the end, regardless of the outcome, has the pride of knowing he was there in the heat of the moment making the best of what he had.
Ask someone who has never seen combat what it is like and you will get a completely different answer than if you were to ask a man who has been in the heat of battle on the front lines. A soldier who has had bullets flying by his head and his life was but a breathe away. Those are the people in life that get the rewards of living. Those are the people who know what being alive is all about. It is the people who strive again and again and fall short every time but keep on going that know what it means to be alive. These are the people who really get to taste the reward of the journey. These are the people who need nothing more than their own personal pleasure in the attempt because no one else was there in that moment with them experiencing what it was like to live on the edge of victory and defeat. Those timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat will never taste the sweet nector of living. They can only sit back and knaw on the pit that is left from the fruits.
About the Author: Dwayne Gilbert is the founder of http://www.wealthylifesecrets.com and has been helping and inspiring people to realize and create the life of their dreams for over 10 years.He has devoted his life to helping other people realize the freedom they all hold within themselves. To learn more about the law of attraction and how to apply it, visit http://www.wealthylifesecrets.com.
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