“Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb.” ― Winston S. Churchill
Strangely, this quote from Churchill was not from a speech made to stir the British public on to victory against overwhelming odds, it was from a book he wrote in 1921, “Painting as a Pastime.” The great leader picked up a brush for the first time when he was 40, and found in the hobby a solace needed to help him through difficult times, whether it was the loss of his daughter, Marigold, or the horrendous terror of the blitz.
He reminds us that life isn’t a destination, but a journey. So many see life as a trip to retirement, golf, cards, and sun. I’m saddened by that. It means that your selected path isn’t one of enjoyment, but of toil.
If we enjoy the journey, we need not concern ourselves with its end. The last words you want to say should never be “I wish I had.” Winnie understood that although you will never reach the metaphorical end of your life’s work, the goal is to enjoy the joy and glory of the climb.
Thanks to Astrid for putting this quote up on Parknews.biz. It’s a great way to start a week.
JVH
