Recently during one of my presentations, I had been asked the question:
What is it that matters?
• The destination, the goal of our endeavors or
• The journey, the way and our experiences to the destination?

Immediately and unconsciously there sprang in my mind the famous poem “Ithaka” by a well-known Greek poet Constantinos Cavafy, that very eloquently expresses the view that it is not the destination but the journey and its experiences (the way) that matter.

I will elaborate on the point by quoting some lines from the verse just before the end of the poem that contain the poet’s conclusion to the question at hand and which very much resonates with my own thoughts (Ithaka is the equivalent of the destination):

Ithaka gave you the marvelous journey.
Without her you would not have set out.
She has nothing left to give you now.

Remember that when you are setting out to conquer one or two tops of the world!

Read and listen to the whole poem by clicking the link below: