The Man Who Loves Walking Will Walk Farther

While goals and destinations certainly matter, it is our relationship with the journey itself that often determines how far we will ultimately go, and what we will become because of the journey. “The man who loves walking will walk farther than the man who loves the destination” -Sal Di Stefano. What do you love: compassion, kindness, truth; or do you love heaven/salvation? I personally believe that one who loves heaven/salvation and in order to reach there shows compassion, kindness, and truthful never reach heaven/salvation. And the one who loves, being compassionate, being kind, and living truthfully will not stop with heaven and salvation. Heaven is not the last stop. Either there is no heaven, or heaven is only one of the stops in our linear life.

Consider two hikers setting out to climb a mountain. The first fixates solely on reaching the summit, viewing each step as merely an obstacle to overcome. The second hiker, however, finds joy in the crunch of leaves beneath their boots, stops to admire unexpected views, and welcomes the burn in their muscles as a sign of their growing strength. When faced with an unexpected detour or a steeper path, which hiker is more likely to persist? The first is a traveller who wants to reach the top; and the second is a hiker who enjoys hiking.

There is an even deeper truth here: those who love the walking often discover destinations they never imagined at the outset. By remaining open to the journey, they find opportunities, insights, and possibilities that the destination-focused person might rush past.

The man who loves walking is already successful with each step he takes, while the destination-focused man must wait to find his joy. Perhaps most importantly, this philosophy transforms the very nature of success. Instead of hanging our happiness on future achievements, we find fulfilment in the present moment, in the very act of moving forward.

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SPRINGBOARDS and WALKING STICKS

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