Personal Journey Essay Sample

A journey can be defined as traveling from one destination to another through difficult circumstances. However when a journey is seen further than the dictionary definition. A journey is much more than traveling from A to Z. Some say that the journey is more important than the destination. They argue that people find more joy and satisfaction in working toward a goal than in achieving it. Others say that it is the destination that gives meaning to the journey. They argue that the process of working toward a goal would be meaningless without its achievement. A journey is more meaningful than the destination because the journey provides you with not just a physical journey but an inner journey, pure joy in adventure, and an award that exceeds reaching your desired destination.

When you first think of a journey it is common to see it as a physical trip or doing something to receive an outcome. An example of this is someone getting out of their comfort zone to go out and do something fun. When looking at this example at the surface we see something which requires physical action to complete. However, beyond the surface the journey listed in the previous example takes inner willpower to complete. A journey starts with something within you telling you to take that step and push yourself to accomplish your desire. Although you may be having a physical journey you are simultaneously having an inner journey. This is because of three factors that are derived from the journey itself. Those factors being the journey revealing who you are, what you’re made of, and who you will become after the journey. These three factors bring you an entirely different inner journey while simultaneously having a physical one.

Take the example listed, when someone is trying to get out of their comfort zone to go out and do something fun, they are having a physical journey because they are physically stepping out of where they currently are and getting out to do something they might enjoy. In this case, the person completing this journey first learns that they are introverted. Second, they learn what they are made of. In this instance, we are looking at their thinking and behavior. In this case their thinking and behavior is shy and timid. Lastly, they find out who they have become after this journey. In this case let’s say the journey worked out and they reached their destination, the person after this journey is a little less shy and introverted and may now feel more comfortable leaving their comfort zone. This example proves that a journey is both inner and physical. Along with learning about yourself throughout a journey you also learn insight on life and how to survive the trials and tribulations it may bring.

Throughout life we all face many highs and lows, although the words “high” and “low” have a large difference, they have one thing in common. The thing they have in common is the ability for both a high and a low to teach you something. Throughout a journey you are constantly learning something, along with learning things about yourself and how you act. You also learn about how to handle life's tests, celebrate progress, and how to praise the highs and lows of your journey. During a journey you will meet several obstacles, obstacles are like tests, tests that target your attitude, perspective, and lifestyle. The point of these tests are not to challenge you, but to teach you. The way to get through these tests is to learn how to celebrate progress. By celebrating progress you can take a moment to stop and smell the roses. By this I mean taking things step by step, doing things this way will teach you how to enjoy and admire progress rather than ignoring it and waiting to celebrate until you have reached your destination. Doing this will teach you how to truly praise the highs and lows that come from your journey. The highs and lows carry lessons, lessons that will help you throughout the duration of your journey and after it.

Reusing the example previously mentioned, say the fun place the person chooses to go to is a music festival. At the festival, they face a test. This test is someone coming over to talk to them. As I previously stated, This person is very shy so someone coming up to speak to them would probably make them nervous. The outcome of this can go two ways, the first being the conversation going well and the second way the conversation going bad. Say the conversation goes well, this teaches the person how to celebrate progress. This is important because in a world where nothing is guaranteed, appreciating outcomes is progress. Say the conversation goes bad, this teaches the person to praise the highs and lows of their journey rather than to be discouraged and quit. Both instances prove that the journey teaches you true joy in adventure itself.

Some argue that the destination is more important than the journey because it is the reason behind embarking on the journey. This argument makes sense because the destination provides you with confidence because you have finally reached the milestone you have been working toward.This benefits you because confidence in yourself provides you with room to be yourself and helps you feel more prepared for obstacles in life. It is said that there is no greater reward than the destination because it is reached through personal dedication. However, the journey stands out as a much greater award because it provides you with a memorable, fulfilling, and guaranteed experience. The journey is memorable and fulfilling because even if you do end up achieving your goal you will remember the moments from the journey which brought you there. The memories you make will stand out to you more than the destination because when you are faced with a challenge that you faced in your journey you will think back to your journey and handle that challenge without the hardships that would come along with it. Along with this the journey is also guaranteed while the destination is not. There are chances of the reward you are working towards may never happen. This makes the journey more important because you are guaranteed to learn something from it. So, although the destination is the reason behind embarking on the journey it is not as meaningful as the journey because it provides you with less compared to the journey.

The  journey is more meaningful than the destination because the journey provides you with not just a physical journey but an inner journey, pure joy in adventure, and an award that exceeds reaching your desired destination. So, instead of rushing yourself to get from A to Z stop for a moment and look at the letters in between and then you can learn that a journey is far more than traveling from one destination to another through difficult circumstances. Instead, look at it as a memorable experience that gives you better insight on life and teaches you about yourself.