I learned that the destination is only as worthwhile as the trip you are willing to take. And that the trip is always a toss up. – Steve Walsh
Steve Walsh is an American musician, singer and songwriter, mainly known for his work with the group Kansas. He played with several bands before joining the group that eventually became Kansas, which had albums and singles that were both commercial and critical successes, with some regarding the lyrics to Dust in the Wind some of the finest the rock era has offered. Walsh had an off and on career with the group, ultimately retiring a couple of years ago.
…the trip is always a toss up.
Walsh is correct. His journey led to a musical career of critical and commercial success reached by few who aim for it. We happen to be Kansas fans here at The Thought for the Day and have always thought Walsh would have been content had Kansas not gotten, and taken advantage of, their proverbial big break and Walsh had passed a life as a non-famous working musician and singer.
Though we can set goals and work to make them happen, life is awfully random and sometimes what happens to us is dependent on others. We never know where our paths will ultimately lead. A few paths lead to the demanding taskmasters known as fame and fortune. Some are born to privilege and are sentenced to lives of luxurious indentured servitude. Most of us, however, live outside the limelight.
Regardless of our circumstances, we all have 24-hours every day to put nature and circumstance to work for us, and dreams chased with diligence and courage are usually redeemed. Perhaps not with the external success originally sought, but always with the satisfaction of having set out upon both a road less traveled and the path we were meant to take with our lives, and with having withdrawn every possible benefit from a situation, one of life’s great prizes.
Those with satisfying lives are those who are willing to take a risk or two, who are willing to stray from an established path and blaze their own trail. They set a goal and chase that goal with diligence and courage and end up at a worthwhile destination because they took a worthwhile trip.
Taking that trip is something we all have inside of us. All we have to do is muster the courage to go get it.
