When the Journey Is the Answer You’ve Been Looking For

We often think we know just what we want to do in life, the job we want to have, the business we want to create, the future we want to live. We dream, we plan, we pray. And for most of us, that dream has its origin in our vision or the imagination of how life could be. But the truth is life does not always start by giving us the intended result. Life starts by giving us experience. Experience which looks sometimes like a delay. A detour. A diversion. And often, we find that we don't find ourselves in the answer but in the process — in the moving, living, learning and the shaping of ourselves of each step along the way.

I certainly never think about myself that a moment in Turkey would make any significance to my life in a way that matters. I did not plan this trip to have boat ride and view of the Bosphorus river, naturally monumental and nestled between two continents, between Europe and Asia, with me looking over the water with all it's quietness. But here it is, in this stillness, a moment that spoke more to me than I could ever put into words. I learned a lesson: sometimes the destination is not the answer. Perhaps the journey is.

When I first travelled to the UK, there was no way of knowing how far that trip would take me across other nations. There was no way of knowing how I would have other experiences that would cause me to stop, reflect, and understand myself better. And that I was not just moving through a series of destinations but following on a journey and walking into an ongoing response to who I am becoming — not just what I am doing. This is what the journey teaches you — to not only pay attention to the outcomes, but to always pay attention to the journey.

Because often it will be in those memories created by unexpected experiences, at unexpected stops, in places you never imagined, that you will find the balance and peace you have been searching for quietly inside yourself. We spend so much time in the first place, trying to figure out where life is taking us. What if we are not supposed to care too much about the destination, but about the journey?

What if the growth, the clarity, the moments of stillness and yes, even the discomfort are all part of the answer that came our way? So now, when I look at this photo, I do not see a tourist. I see a person in a moment who took the path there was to take, listening to the call of the journey and who continues to work towards growth. Ultimately, the journey is not delay or diversion to the goal. Sometimes, the journey is the goal. It is simply the response you didn't realise you needed, as you find the way forward one step at time.



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16 comments
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This felt so real. There is so much truth in how life doesn’t always turn out as planned, yet in a few corkscrew turns, you learn the most. Your time in Turkey sounds tranquil, but profound, the kind of journey to stay with you all your life. Thank you for sharing.

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Thank you and I'm glad it resonated with you. Life’s unexpected turns always teach us the most. I am a student of life and always learn a lot from my experiences. Turkey was one of those unforgettable moments for me, had lots of fun

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Cool picture shot, I think Turkey's location between East And West makes it a great convergent place to learn broader perspectives.

Sometimes, the destination never arrives, at least not how we imagine it while starting the journey. Every experience is like a process that works on us and as Steve Jobs put it; we can only connect the dots looking backwards.

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Thank for sharing your insight and you're sometimes the destination never arrives. That's why the experiences we learn along the way always matter.

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Life is a lesson on its self. The memories at every point in life journey helps to find the inner peace.

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We have good dreams, so we plan towards to achieving such, backed up with prayers. @collinz very powerful statement. Thanks for sharing

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You're welcome, thanks for leaving a comment

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Sometimes, it’s not about the destination—just being on the path is already healing.
Thank you for this! Your pictures are cool 😎

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You're absolutely right. Glad you like the pics, thank you

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This is such a beautiful reminder that it's not always about the destination but the journey it's self every experience even the unexpected ones or those that seem like detours carries lessons growth and self discovery the massage is truly inspiring sometimes it's thee stillness and simplicity of a moment in a planned place like a turkey that gives the deepest meaning to our lives it an invitation to embrace the process, become with every step we take we discovered something new boy just about the world but most importantly about ourselves...

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Have gotten this...
Even the discomfort are all part of the answers

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That's it. shapes us with different experiences

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