From big dreams, great rewards may come, but there is none greater than the journey itself. For just as there is no reward without a journey, there is no journey without reward.
There was once a man for whom every day was the same. He awakened very early each morning and donned his suit and tie. He went to work, came home, ate dinner, and went to bed. Day in and day out, his life was unchanging. Each day he would tell himself, “When I’m 60, I will retire. Then, I’ll get that house by the sea.” And so, this is what he lived for. An entire life spent eyeing the prize.
You know, there are two different endings to this story. In some versions, the man passes away at the age of 59. It is only at the gates of heaven that he suddenly realizes how terribly his life was wasted. In another version of the story, he retires and gets to his dream house by the sea. He walks in, takes a look around, and he’s completely in awe of its beauty. He sits down and looks out at the view. A minute passes. Then two. Eventually, an hour has passed, and after that a day. The next day, he awakens very early, dons his suit and tie, and returns to sit in his chair and look at the view. All words elude the man in the dream house. All, that is, but two. … “Now what?”
Regardless of the ending, the message remains the same: It’s not what’s at the end of the road that matters, it’s the ride on the way there.