Profundity. Yes, it’s a word. I looked it up. It has to do with being profound, something I was hoping to be, on this, the day after Christmas.
With the big day behind us, and the new year knocking on the door, it seems the perfect time to write something meaningful, and eloquent… words of inspiration as we go forward. Something profound.
Unfortunately, I’m not sure if I have those words in me. At least, no more than anyone else. Though I have more than a few decades on this earth under my belt, my ability to put life’s trials and tribulations into words is remedial at best.
So, instead of offering observations that fail to inspire, I’ll fall back on every researcher’s best friend… Google. I know what I’m looking for, so it shouldn’t be hard to find the right words, better articulated by someone else.
And here they are…
Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity, but in doing it. Greg Anderson.
I’m not sure which Greg Anderson came up with that quote. It could be the race car driver, or the heavy metal guitarist, or maybe the trainer who allegedly supplied Barry Bonds with steroids. It doesn’t really matter, because I like the words, regardless of their origin.
Too often our sights are set on the destination. And just as often, it’s someone else asking the question… “Where do you hope to be in five years?” So we’re not only dealing with our own doubts and fears, but we also have to live up to the expectations of others.
Focus on the journey.
Okay, I was never a runner. I blame legs that are too short, and a belt that’s too long, but I enjoy a good walk. For the destination? Hardly. I always end up exactly where I started.
But while I’m putting one foot in front of the other, I’m taking in the world around me. I’m saying ‘hi’ to neighbors on their porch. I’m marveling at the family on the corner with their own personal arboretum. I’m pausing to pet the dog of the young couple out for a walk themselves. And though I try to avoid it, I often trip over the uneven sidewalk.
Though a 60-minute walk hardly compares to a full year of ups and downs, the lesson is the same.
Focus on the journey. Not the destination.
As you look back over the past year… if that’s something you do, are there events that stand out? Those planned occasions that lived up to your expectations? Or the impromptu activities that popped up and made something out of nothing?
Or was your journey littered with setbacks and failures? More than likely, you had a little of both… good and bad.
But remember, the words are… “Focus on the journey,” not “Enjoy the journey.” When I trip on the sidewalk I don’t turn around and go home. I remind myself to pay better attention. Lesson learned.
And that’s the value of the journey. It might be something as insignificant as a stumble, or as life-changing as a heart attack. There will be things to celebrate, and things to lament. Regardless of the charm or the harm, they’re all part of the journey.
Now, as we look forward to 2026, that journey lies before us. And like the curves in the road seen above, the year will be anything but a straight line. There will be times when we’re proud, and times when we realize we could have done better. Times when we’re happy, and times when we’re not. But through it all, it’s important to focus on the journey.
Joy is found not in finishing an activity, but in doing it.
And that’s the journey. Without the journey, there is no destination.
Just like my walk is one step at a time, 2026 will be one day at a time. And every day I wake up, I hope to focus on the journey. Where will it lead? Who knows? It really doesn’t matter.
So, did I find profundity? Not really. I haven’t told you anything you didn’t already know. But occasionally, it’s good to be reminded. And there’s no better time for that, than now.