Joy in the Journey

If you have ever been discouraged because of failure, please read on.

For often, achieving what you set out to do is not the important thing. Let me explain.

Two brothers decided to dig a deep hole behind their house. As they were working, a couple of older boys stopped by to watch.

"What are you doing?" asked one of the visitors.

"We plan to dig a hole all the way through the earth!" one of the brothers volunteered excitedly.

The older boys began to laugh, telling the younger ones that digging a hole all the way through the earth was impossible.

After a long silence, one of the diggers picked up a jar full of spiders, worms and a wide assortment of insects. He removed the lid and showed the wonderful contents to the scoffing visitors.

Then he said quietly and confidently, "Even if we don't dig all the way through the earth, look what we found along the way!"

Their goal was far too ambitious, but it did cause them to dig. And that is what a goal is for-to cause us to move in the direction we have chosen; in other words, to set us to digging!

But not every goal will be fully achieved. Not every job will end successfully. Not every relationship will endure. Not every hope will come to pass. Not every love will last. Not every endeavor will be completed. Not every dream will be realized.

But when you fall short of your aim, perhaps you can say, "Yes, but look at what I found along the way! Look at the wonderful things which have come into my life because I tried to do something!"

It is in the digging that life is lived. And I believe it is joy in the journey, in the end, that truly matters.

中文：

如果你曾因失敗沮喪過，請繼續讀下去。

完成你經常開始要做的事可不是大事，讓我娓娓道來。

有兄弟倆人決定在他們房子后面挖一個深洞。就在他們不停挖洞時，幾個年齡大點的男孩在附近停下來觀看。

“你們在做什么?”其中一個問道。

“我們計劃挖一個洞，一直穿過地球到達另一端!”兄弟倆中的一個興奮地搶先說道。

這些大男孩開始大笑，告訴這兩個兄弟挖洞穿過地球是不可能的。

長長的沉寂之后，其中一個挖掘者從洞里拿出一個裝滿蜘蛛、蠕蟲和各種各樣昆蟲的罐子，他打開蓋子把這些奇妙的東西展示給那些嘲諷者看。

然后他平靜而又自信地說：“即使我們挖不到地球另一端，但看看我們途中發現的東西!”

他們的目標是太過于雄心勃勃了，但確實鼓勵他們去做了。而這就是目標之所在――使我們朝著我們所選擇的方向前進，換句話說，就是讓我們去挖掘!

但不是每一個目標都會完全實現，也不是每一樣工作都能夠最終成功;不是每一種關系都能夠持久，也不是每一絲希望都能夠實現;不是每一次愛都能夠天長地久，不是每一次努力都會碩果累累，也不是每一個夢想都能夠實現。

但當你沒有達到目標時，也許你可以說：“是的，但看看我們途中所發現的東西!看看這些因為我盡力去做而走進我生活的美妙東西!”

生命正是在挖掘的過程中才具有活力。而且我相信到最后真正要緊的還是過程中的樂趣。