Brother -
"The path is the goal" is attributed to Gandhi, but many other great thinkers have some form of this phrase. Another one I like is, "It's not the destination, it's the journey." Who said what variation of the phrase doesn't matter, though. What's more important is the message behind it.
For me, it took me a while to truly understand the meaning of it. I'm competitive as hell and achievement-oriented. I value my self-worth through a lens of accomplishment. In a sense, if I don't achieve something or become the best at it... what's the point?
Shortly into my time dating Katia, we took a trip together - to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. Not your standard vacation, especially when you're still in the honeymoon stage of the relationship. Spending six days together hiking up a mountain with no showers is quite the test on how well you'll get along together. On top of this, the weather was horrible. It rained on us every day until the summit, and we had a leaky tent that I unsuccessfully tried to patch up with a runner's emergency blanket.
On the last day, we began our ascent around midnight to be at the top for sunrise. It was a painful last day. The altitude had gotten to both of us, in addition to our wet clothes. Swollen like Michelin tire men, we begrudgingly pushed our way towards the top. Finally, we saw the infamous wooden sign with people taking photos. As we made the final steps, the morning clouds started to part, and we saw a beautiful sunrise. With our plump faces, we took our photos, smiled, and exhaled.
Our guide said there was another lookout point about an hour away if we wanted to go check it out as well. We asked if it was worth it, and he didn't push. "Meh, some people like it." Wet and exhausted, neither of us seemed to care, and we decided to head down the mountain.
It was a joyous descent as we were proud that we climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. In my mind, I couldn't wait to post on Instagram showing off my achievement to others. Finally, at the bottom, they gave out certificates to people for completing the summit, except they didn't give one to Katia and me...
What we quickly found out is that the other lookout point was actually the top. We were 80m of elevation and a 1-hour hike away from summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro. We didn't reach the goal.
Normally, I would have been crushed. To have spent so much time to come so close - yet miss it. This time I wasn't. Getting to the top of Kilimanjaro was the intention, but what was more important was the journey with Katia. It was a significant milestone trip together and brought us close together as partners.
In life, whether in personal or business - you will realize the journey and whom you spend it with is far more important than the end goal you are aiming for. Find high integrity people that are fun to be with, and the rest will take care of itself.
Let me leave you with a quote and a question.
“In the end, what you do isn’t going to be nearly as interesting or important as who you do it with.”
-John Green
Who are your partners?
Enjoy the dance,
Nate