my journey to life

51 Meaningful Quotes About How Life is a Journey

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They say that life is about the journey and not the destination. But what does that really mean?

You’ve probably heard this line a million times before, but maybe you couldn’t quite understand what it was trying to illustrate. 

The most successful people will tell you that the process of accomplishing something is far more valuable than the end result. You learn much more from all of your experiences and encounters than you do from arriving at the destination.

Ultimately, the process is the greatest reward. The sweetest moments come when you realize that you have attained the final goal because of everything you have experienced.

You look back on the mistakes, the challenges, and everything you had to endure—but you also celebrate the fact that you faced your problems head-on. Your journey through life is what makes you human.

In this article, we share with you a list of quotes about how life is a journey . We hope that, through these words, you’ll be able to enjoy everything that life has to offer. Even more so, we hope that they will inspire you to live a more meaningful and happier life .

But before we check out our list, let’s discuss how reading these quotes can get you motivated.

Table of Contents

Why Read Quotes About How Life Is a Journey?

Reading these quotes can inspire you to live a better and more fulfilling life.

They are, after all, from people who have found their journeys through life enjoyable and gratifying. There’s no better way to motivate yourself than to get inspiration from people who have already lived wonderful lives.

In the same vein, these quotes can help you appreciate the gift of life. They help you realize that you only live once, so you must relish the moments you have been given.

Finally, reading these quotes can encourage you to share your life with others. You will realize that, in order to be able to live your life to the fullest, you need someone to share both your joys and sorrows with. You require companions to fully live in the moment .

Now that you know why it’s important to read journey quotes, let us check out our list!

Meaningful Life is a Journey Quotes

• “If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl. But by all means, keep moving.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
• “Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
• “The only impossible journey is the one you never begin.” – Tony Robbins
• “The key to realizing a dream is to focus not on success but significance, and then even the small steps and little victories along your path will take on greater meaning.” – Oprah Winfrey
• “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds that you plant.” – Robert Louis Stevenson
• “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.” – Heraclitus
• “Not I, nor anyone else can travel that road for you. You must travel it by yourself. It is not far. It is within reach. Perhaps you have been on it since you were born, and did not know. Perhaps it is everywhere – on water and land.” – Walt Whitman
• “The most important reason for going from one place to another is to see what's in between, and they took great pleasure in doing just that.” – Norton Juster
• “The beautiful journey of today can only begin when we learn to let go of yesterday.” – Steve Maraboli

• “Some beautiful paths can't be discovered without getting lost.” – Erol Ozan
• “For me, becoming isn’t about arriving somewhere or achieving a certain aim. I see it instead as forward motion, a means of evolving, a way to reach continuously toward a better self. The journey doesn’t end.” – Michelle Obama
• “I am no longer afraid of becoming lost because the journey back always reveals something new, and that is ultimately good for the artist.” – Billy Joel
• “Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey.” – Pat Conroy
• “Never stop just because you feel defeated. The journey to the other side is attainable only after great suffering.” – Santosh Kalwar
• “There is a strange comfort in knowing that no matter what happens today, the Sun will rise again tomorrow.” – Aaron Lauritsen
• “Sometimes it’s the journey that teaches you a lot about your destination.” – Drake
• “ Transformation is a process , and as life happens there are tons of ups and downs. It’s a journey of discovery – there are moments on mountaintops and moments in deep valleys of despair.” – Rick Warren
• “The journey is never-ending. There’s always gonna be growth, improvement, and adversity; you just gotta take it all in and do what’s right, continue to grow, continue to live in the moment.” – Antonio Brown
• “Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.” – Greg Anderson
• “On your journey, don’t forget to smell the flowers. Take time out to notice that you are alive. You can only live one day.” – Ray Fearon

• “If my ship sails from sight, it doesn’t mean my journey ends. It simply means the river bends.” – Enoch Powell
• “It’s not an easy journey, to get to a place where you forgive people. But it is such a powerful place because it frees you.” – Tyler Perry
• “Aim for the sky, but move slowly, enjoying every step along the way. It is all those little steps that make the journey complete.” – Chanda Kochhar
• “Sometimes we make the process more complicated than we need to. We will never make a journey of a thousand miles by fretting about how long it will take or how hard it will be. We make the journey by taking each day step by step and then repeating it again and again until we reach our destination.” – Joseph B. Wirthlin
• “Your journey never ends. Life has a way of changing things in incredible ways.” – Alexander Volkov
• “Each one of us has our own evolution of life, and each one of us goes through different tests which are unique and challenging. But certain things are common. And we do learn things from each other's experiences. On a spiritual journey, we all have the same destination.” – A. R. Rahman
• “Going by my past journey, I am not certain where life will take me, what turns and twists will happen; nobody knows where they will end up. As life changes direction, I'll flow with it.” – Katrina Kaif
• “Enjoy the journey and try to get better every day. And don't lose the passion and the love for what you do.” – Nadia Comaneci

• “But it's a journey and the sad thing is you only learn from experience, so as much as someone can tell you things, you have to go out there and make your own mistakes in order to learn.” – Emma Watson
• “The seeker embarks on a journey to find what he wants and discovers, along the way, what he needs.” – Wally Lamb
• “Life is a journey that must be traveled no matter how bad the roads and accommodations.” – Oliver Goldsmith
• “The Sun will rise and set regardless. What we choose to do with the light while it's here is up to us. Journey wisely.” – Alexandra Elle
• “We may run, walk, stumble. drive, or fly, but let us never lose sight of the reason for the journey, or miss a chance to see a rainbow on the way.” – Gloria Gaither
• “Whole life is a search for beauty. But, when the beauty is found inside, the search ends and a beautiful journey begins.” – Harshit Walia
• “Not everyone will understand your journey. That's okay. You're here to live your life, not to make everyone understand .” – Banksy
• “I believe that life is a journey, often difficult and sometimes incredibly cruel, but we are well equipped for it if only we tap into our talents and gifts and allow them to blossom.” – Les Brown
• “It was being a runner that mattered, not how fast or how far I could run. The joy was in the act of running and in the journey, not in the destination.” – John Bingham
• “As you journey down the path, don't forget to be present moment-by-moment and absorb the beauty and richness of simply being alive.” – Cary David Richards
• “If all difficulties were known at the outset of a long journey, most of us would never start out at all.” – Dan Rather

• “Life is a journey of either Fate or Destiny. Fate is the result of giving in to one's wounds and heartaches. Your Destiny unfolds when you rise above the challenges of your life and use them as Divine opportunities to move forward to unlock your higher potential.” – Caroline Myss
• “I know it can be tough to imagine how to get from where you are today to where you want to be tomorrow. But I’m here to tell you that change is possible if you enter into this journey with your eyes wide open, and with real intention.” – David Hauser
• “Part of the challenge that comes with striving for success is how the entire journey comes with its own fair share of failures and disappointments.” – Rupert Johnson
• “The only thing that is ultimately real about your journey is the step that you are taking at this moment. That's all there ever is.” – Alan Watts
• “Life is a journey and it's about growing and changing and coming to terms with who and what you are and loving who and what you are.” – Kelly McGillis
• “Time is a companion that goes with us on a journey. It reminds us to cherish each moment because it will never come again. What we leave behind is not as important as how we have lived.” – Captain Jean-Luc Picard
• “I just constantly tell myself that I should be the only one to define my worth and what I'm capable of and how I perceive myself. And that I should never source that worth from other people, especially strangers on social media. They don't know who I am, the length of my journey, who I am as a person.” – Catriona Gray
• “ You have learned a lot, but there are still lots of learning for you as you journey through life. Never stop learning.” – Kate Summers

• “One of the most important things that I have learned in my 57 years is that life is all about choices. On every journey you take, you face choices. At every fork in the road, you make a choice. And it is those decisions that shape our lives.” – Mike DeWine
• “I'm different than most people. When I cross the finish line of a big race, I see that people are ecstatic, but I'm thinking about what I'm going to do tomorrow. It's as if my journey is everlasting, and there is no finish line.” – David Goggins
• “The journey matters as much as the destination. By engaging at the moment on set, I've stopped rushing and now find pleasure in the collaborative process – the characters, the costumes – rather than worrying about the finished product.” – Michelle Dockery
• “It's a life's journey of finding ourselves, finding our power, and living for yourself, not for everyone else.” – Mariska Hargitay

Final Thoughts on Life & Journey

Life is a journey, and we all take different paths.

There are those who take the road less traveled and enjoy unique accomplishments, while others go with the crowd but still end up loving the lives they’ve chosen as well. Regardless of our choices, we will all have the potential to become successful in the ways we personally define success.

We hope that these quotes inspired you to enjoy your life’s journey and make it more meaningful. Enjoy the moment and live happy!

And if you want more inspirational quotes, be sure to check out these blog posts:

• 63 Inspiring Walt Whitman Quotes About Life
• 51 Do What Makes You Happy Quotes for 2023
• 107 Quotes About Overcoming Adversity and Challenges in Your Life

Finally, if you want to use these quotes to make a lasting change to your life, then check out and recite these 57 affirmations for success .

77 Positive and Inspiring Journey Quotes

Embark on a journey of a lifetime with these inspiring journey quotes. Life’s a thrilling ride, filled with ups and downs.

It’s about braving the storms and cherishing time spent with loved ones.

So whether your path is spiritual, an exciting travel adventure, or just starting something new in life, let these quotes fuel your spirit for exploration and discovery.

Journey quotes to begin your path towards greatness

1. “Never give up on your dreams, no matter how painful and difficult your journey is.” – Lisa

2. “The journey is never ending. There’s always gonna be growth, improvement, adversity; you just gotta take it all in and do what’s right, continue to grow, continue to live in the moment.” – Antonio Brown

3. “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” – Lao Tzu

4. “Sometimes its more about the journey than the destination.” – Jamal Crawford

5. “Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome.” – Arthur Ashe

6. “Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.” – Greg Anderson

New journey quotes to inspire your success

7. “Not all those who wander are lost.” – J.R.R. Tolkien

8. “Sometimes it’s the journey that teaches you a lot about your destination.” – Drake

9. “Sometimes we make the process more complicated than we need to. We will never make a journey of a thousand miles by fretting about how long it will take or how hard it will be. We make the journey by taking each day step by step and then repeating it again and again until we reach our destination.” – Joseph B. Wirthlin

10. “Enjoy the journey and try to get better every day. And don’t lose the passion and the love for what you do.” – Nadia Comaneci

11. “Struggle teaches you a lot of things, and I am happy that I witnessed a roller coaster ride. The journey has improved me as a person and made me more matrure.” – Manoj Bajpayee

12. “Life is short and we have never too much time for gladdening the hearts of those who are traveling the dark journey with us. Oh be swift to love, make haste to be kind.” – Henri Frederic Amiel

Life is a journey quotes

13. “Life is a journey that must be traveled no matter how bad the roads and accommodations.” – Oliver Goldsmith

14. “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” – Robert Frost

15. “Learn to trust the journey, even when you do not understand it.” – Lolly Daskal

16. “Life is a journey that have a lot of different paths, but any path you choose, use it as your destiny.” – Unknown

17. “The beautiful journey of today can only begin when we learn to let go of yesterday.” – Steve Maraboli

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18. “Life is a journey, not a destination.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

19. “Everyday you got a chance to make your journey more beautiful than yesterday.” – Nitin Namdeo

20. “Every day is a journey and the journey itself is home.” – Matsuo Basho

21. “Everybody has their own story; everything has their own journey.” – Thalia

Enjoy the journey quotes

22. “Enjoy the journey as much as the destination.” – Marshall Sylver

23. “Enjoy the journey of life and not just the endgame.” – Benedict Cumberbatch

24. “Enjoy the journey and try to get better everyday. And don’t lose the passion and the love for what you do.” – Nadia Comaneci

25. “Enjoy the journey, the destination will come.” – Verghese

26. “Don’t wait for everything to be perfect before you decide to enjoy your life.” – Joyce Meyer

27. “Dream big, stay positive, work hard, and enjoy the journey.” – Urijah Faber

28. “The key to realizing a dream is to focus not on success but significance, and then even the small steps and little victories along your path will take on greater meaning.” – Oprah Winfrey

29. “Aim for the sky, but move slowly, enjoying every step along the way. It is all those little steps that make the journey complete.” – Chanda Kochar

30. “Enjoy the journey, enjoy every moment, and quit worrying about winning and losing.” – Matt Biondi

31. “Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and enjoy the journey.” – Babs Hoffman

32. “I haven’t been everywhere but its on my list.” – Susan Sontag

33. “You must remain focused on your journey to greatness.” – Les Brown

Inspirational journey quotes

34. “You can never regret anything you do in life. You kind of have to learn the lesson from whatever the experience is and take it with you on your journey forward.” – Aubrey O’Day

35. “Life is a journey. When we stop, things don’t go right.” – Pope Francis

36. “There’s no map for you to follow and take your journey. You are Lewis and Clark. You are the mapmaker.” – Phillipa Soo

37. “I’m different than most people. When I cross the finish line of a big race, I see that people are ecstatic, but I’m thinking about what I’m going to do tomorrow. It’s as if my journey is everlasting, and there is no finish line.” – David Goggins

38. “We don’t receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us.” – Marcel Proust

39. “Though the road’s been rocky it sure feels good to me.” – Bob Marley

40. “We are at our very best, and we are happiest, when we are fully engaged in work we enjoy on the journey toward the goal we’ve established for ourselves. It gives meaning to our time off and comfort to our sleep. It makes everything else in life so wonderful, so worthwhile.” – Earl Nightingale

41. “Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become.” – Steve Jobs

42. “If my ship sails from sight, it doesn’t mean my journey ends, it simply means the river bends.” – Enoch Powell

Motivational journey quotes 

43. “Make voyages. Attempt them. There’s nothing else.” – Tennessee Williams

44. “Gotta take that adventure in order to understand your journey.” – Jennifer Pierre

45. “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” – Theodore Roosevelt

46. “The beauty of my journey is that it’s always been pretty unpredictable, so stay tuned.” – Andreja Pejic

47. “The journey not the arrival matters.” – T.S. Eliot

48. “The future depends on what you do today.” – Mahatma Gandhi

49. “The goal is to die with memories, not dreams.” – Unknown

50. “Never throughout history has a man who lived a life of ease left a name worth remembering.” – Theodore Roosevelt

51. “The harder you work from something, the greater you’ll feel when you achieve it.” – Sudhashree Acharya

52. “Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey.” – Pat Conroy

53. “The only impossible journey is the one you never begin.” – ILHQ

54. “When setting out on a journey do not seek advice from someone who never left home.” – Rumi

Positive journey quotes

55. “You may only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” – Mae West

56. “Every day you got a chance to make your journey more beautiful than yesterday.” – Nitin Namdeo

57. “Stay positive. Better days are on their way.” – Unknown

58. “Your destiny is to fulfill those things upon which you focus most intently. So choose to keep your focus on that which is truly magnificent, beautiful, uplifting and joyful. Your life is always moving toward something.” – Ralph Marston

59. “You make a life out of what you have, not what you’re missing.” – Kate Morton

60. “Every sunset is an opportunity to reset. Every sunrise begins with new eyes.” – Richie Norton

61. “Life is very interesting. In the end, some of your greatest pains, become your greatest strengths.” – Drew Barrymore

62. “Your journey has molded you for your greater good, and it was exactly what it needed to be. Don’t think you’ve lost time. There is no short-cutting life. It took each and every situation you have encountered to bring you to the now. And now is right on time.” – Asha Tyson

63. “And suddenty you know…It’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.” – Meister Eckhart

64. “Find out who you are and do it on purpose.” – Dolly Parton

65. “Your success will be determined by your own confidence and fortitude.” – Michelle Obama

66. “Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.” – Oscar Wilde

67. “If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” – Wayne Dyer

Journey of life quotes

68. “The only impossible journey is the one you never begin.” – Tony Robbins

69. “When you have a dream, you’ve got to grab it and never let go.” – Carol Burnett

70. “Life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” – Charles R. Swindoll

71. “You take your life in your own hands, and what happens? A terrible thing, no one to blame.” – Erica Jong

72. “If all difficulties were known at the outset of a long journey, most of us would never start out at all.” – Dan Rather

73. “It’s your reaction to adversity, not adversity itself that determines how your life’s story will develop.” – Dieter F. Uchtdorf

74. “Your Monday morning thoughts set the tone for your whole week. See yourself getting stronger, and living a fulfilling, happier & healthier life.” – Germany Kent

75. “Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.” – Lou Holtz

76. “Our lives are the journey we take to find our true selves!” – Alyssa Gonzalez

77. “Your braver than you believe, stronger that you seem, and smarter than you think.” – A.A. Milne

Which of these journey quotes were your favorites?

We all have the potential within us to be great.

But greatness isn’t about luck. It’s a choice.

We must choose to succeed and take steps towards it.

Remember, the path to success is a journey, not a quick leap.

Let these quotes inspire you to stay focused on your goals and dreams, no matter what obstacles get in your way along the path.

Helping people and eating tacos are my jam! This blog exists to help provide tips and resources that can help you achieve your goals and live a better life. Whether you’re looking for tips on personal growth, fitness, advice on starting a side hustle, or resources for working remotely, I’ve got you covered.

believe in yourself and create a happy life you love

50 Life Journey Quotes to Inspire You and Make You Think

Do you love an inspiring or thought-provoking quote as much as I do?  Then you’re in for a treat!  I’ve compiled a list of the best 50 life journey quotes that explore what it really means to see your life as a journey, not just a series of destinations.

Whether you’re currently facing tough times or riding a wave of success, understanding your life as a journey can provide a sturdy framework for personal growth and increasing your happiness.    

“Life is a journey.” This idea isn’t just a line you’d hear in a motivational speech or read in a self-help book. It’s a perspective that, if embraced, can transform how you navigate everyday challenges and victories. 

These quotes encompass various perspectives on life as a journey, emphasizing growth, learning, and the value of experiences along the way.

Affiliate Advertising Disclosure: One of the ways we support this website is through links to affiliates, including Amazon (see page footer for details), where we make recommendations for books, resources, and other things we believe may help you (and for which we may receive small compensation). Thanks for helping support our site by reading our blog posts.

50 Quotes About Life Is a Journey

• “Life is a journey that must be traveled no matter how bad the roads and accommodations.” – Oliver Goldsmith
• “The only journey is the one within.” – Rainer Maria Rilke
• “Success is not a destination, but the road that you’re on.” – Marlon Wayans
• “Life is about the journey, not the destination.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
• “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” – Lao Tzu
• “Life is a journey to be experienced, not a problem to be solved.” – Winnie the Pooh
• “Sometimes it’s the journey that teaches you a lot about your destination.” – Drake
• “It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” – Ernest Hemingway
• “Never be afraid to travel on a new path.” – Lailah Gifty Akita
• “Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.” – Greg Anderson
• “Not everyone will understand your journey. That’s fine. It’s not their journey to make sense of. It’s yours.” -Zero Dean 
• “The journey is never-ending. There’s always gonna be growth, improvement, adversity; you just gotta take it all in and do what’s right, continue to grow, continue to live in the moment.” – Antonio Brown
• “Not all those who wander are lost.” – J.R.R. Tolkien
• “Life is a journey that has a lot of different paths, but any path you choose, use it as your destiny.” – Ryan Leonard
• “A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.” – Tim Cahill

16. “Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home.” – Matsuo Basho

17. “I’m on the last great journey here – and people want me to tell them what to pack.” -Mitch Albom, Tuesdays with Morrie

18.  “May your adventures bring you closer together, even as they take you far away from home.” – Trenton Lee Stewart

19. “The road of life twists and turns, and no two directions are ever the same. Yet our lessons come from the journey, not the destination.” – Don Williams Jr.

20. “Maybe it’s the biggest change of your life to have a very difficult journey! What you learned on that journey you probably wouldn’t have learned even in a thousand easy journeys.” -Mehmet Murat Ildan

21. “Life is a journey filled with lessons, hardships, heartaches, joys, celebrations and special moments that will ultimately lead us to our destination, our purpose in life.” – Nishan Panwar

22. “In the middle of the journey of our life, I came to myself within a dark wood where the straight way was lost.” – Dante Alighieri

23. “Journeys end in lovers meeting.” – William Shakespeare

24. “The journey becomes the destination when we embrace the moments in between.” -Samya Chauhan

25. “The journey of life is surprisingly beautiful if you take time to look around.” – Unknown

26. “Our life’s journey of self-discovery is not a straight-line rise from one level of enlightenment to another. Instead, it’s a series of steep climbs and flat plateaus.” – Thomas S. Monson

27. “Though the road’s been rocky, it sure feels good to me.” – Bob Marley

28. “The soul of a journey is liberty, perfect liberty, to think, feel, do just as one pleases.” – William Hazlitt

29. “We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey.” – Kenji Miyazawa

30. “Life’s journey is but a series of steps, forward and backward, but always leading somewhere.” – Unknown

31. “The journey is what brings us happiness, not the destination.” – Dan Millman

32. “The journey itself is my home.” – Matsuo Basho

33. “The only impossible journey is the one you never begin.” -Tony Robbins

34. “Embrace the journey, not the destination. Enjoy the ride.” – Unknown

35. “The great difference between voyages rests not with the ships, but with the people you meet on them.” – Amelia E. Barr

36. “You must remain focused on your journey to greatness.” – Les Brown

37. “Sometimes the longest journey we make is the sixteen inches from our heads to our hearts.” – Elena Avila

38. “Journeys are the midwives of thought. Few places are more conducive to internal conversations than a moving plane, ship or train.” – Alain de Botton

39. “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

40. “To get through the hardest journey, we need take only one step at a time, but we must keep on stepping.” – Chinese Proverb

41. “Your journey has molded you for your greater good, and it was exactly what it needed to be. Don’t think that you’ve lost time.” – Asha Tyson

42. “The journey between what you once were and who you are now becoming is where the dance of life really takes place.” – Barbara De Angelis

43. “Sometimes it’s worth lingering on the journey for a while before getting to the destination.” – Richelle Mead

44. “Sometimes it’s the journey that teaches you a lot about your destination.” -Drake

45. “A journey is a person in itself; no two are alike.” – John Steinbeck

46. “Journey through the power of the rainbow, create from the heart, and shine like the sun.” – Unknown

47. “One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller

48. “A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.” – John Steinbeck

49. “Some beautiful paths can’t be discovered without getting lost.” – Erol Ozan

50. “The seeker embarks on a journey to find what he wants and discovers, along the way, what he needs.” – Wally Lamb

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Life is a journey — 15 inspirational quotes to make you treasure it

Life is not one but many journeys. here are quotes to help you treasure every journey you take in life..

Sunday September 13, 2020 , 3 min Read

All of us have heard it — “Life is a journey” — so many times. It’s not a singular journey though. Every person has a different experience, a different destination and itineraries to tick off. However, it's a journey that we must learn to savour, cherish and treasure.

Everyone has a different meaning to their journey as well. Life’s journey is filled with roadblocks and achievements but we must savour every bit. Here are quotes to help you take on the many journeys that life has to offer.

“Because the greatest part of a road trip isn’t arriving at your destination. It's all the wild stuff that happens along the way.” – Emma Chase, author

“Sometimes the longest journey we make is the sixteen inches from our heads to our hearts.” – Elena Avila, author

“Life is an opportunity, seize the day, live each day to the fullest. Life is not a project, but a journey to be enjoyed.” – Catherine Pulsifer

“The journey between what you once were and who you are now becoming is where the dance of life really takes place.” – Barbara De Angelis, relationship consultant and author

“I haven’t a clue how my story will end, but that’s all right. When you set out on a journey and night covers the road, that’s when you discover the stars.” – Nancy Willard, writer

“Embrace your life journey with gratitude, so that how you travel your path is more important than reaching your ultimate destination.” – Rosalene Glickman, author and entrepreneur

“If ever there was a metaphor to illustrate the importance of the journey over the destination, it is life itself. For everyone who departs from birth is destined for death, so the journey IS life. Savour it!” – Michele Jennae, author

“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” – Ursula K Leguin, author

“Winning and losing isn’t everything; sometimes, the journey is just as important as the outcome.” – Alex Morgan, professional football player

“Life is a journey and it’s about growing and changing and coming to terms with who and what you are, and loving who and what you are.” – Kelly McGillis, actor

“The benefits of the accomplished journey cannot be weighed in terms of perfect moments but in terms of how this journey affects and changes our character.” – Ella Maillart, adventurer, travel writer and photographer

“Learn to trust the journey, even when you do not understand it.” – Lolly Daskal, entrepreneur and leadership coach

Edited by Kanishk Singh

• Quotes on Life
• inspirational quotes

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SOLO TRAVEL , SOLO TRAVEL INSPIRATION

100+ life journey quotes to inspire you.

Life is a journey. How often have you heard that?

As we find our road through life, we all need inspiration and guidance. And this is never so true as when we are travelling, especially as solo travellers. 

This can come from many sources: friends, family, self-help books. But sometimes, a simple quote about life’s journey can provide inspiration or make us view our path through a different lens. 

Drawing on the writings of authors and poets, scholars and spiritual leaders here are my favourite life journey quotes. Is your favourite there? 

Are you looking for a short and sharp travel caption to add to your images or social media feed? If so, check out these dreamy travel captions

IN THIS ARTICLE

My Top 10 Life Journey Quotes

There are many quotes about life as a journey out there and picking a list of favourites is a tough call. From Maja Angelou to Mark Twain, here are those that continue to inspire me.

1. Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take but by the moments that take your breath away. – Maya Angelou

2. Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did so. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.   – Mark Twain

3. Remember where you have been and know where you are going. Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way. – Nikita Koloff

4. We are travelers on a cosmic journey, stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share. This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity.  – Paulo Coelho

You are far from the end of your journey. The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart. See how you love. Buddha

6. You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending. – C.S. Lewis

7. When setting out on a journey do not seek advice from someone who never left home. – Rumi

One of the greatest journeys in life is overcoming insecurity and learning to truly not give a shit.  J. A. Konrath

9. Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds that you plant. – Robert Louis Stevenson 

10. Sometimes life takes you on a journey that changes everything you thought you wanted. – Melaina Rayne

Life Journey Quotes: First Steps

Every journey begins with a single step. Taking that first step is often the hardest part of any endeavour, whether that’s booking your first trip alone , quitting your job or moving overseas.

Be inspired to take the plunge with these inspirational life journey quotes.

11. Big things have small beginnings. – Prometheus 

12. The only impossible journey is the one you never begin . – Tony Robbins

13. A little step may be the beginning of a great journey. – Unknown

14. If all difficulties were known at the outset of a long journey, most of us would never start out at all. – Dan Rather

15. Sometimes, reaching out and taking someone’s hand is the beginning of a journey. – Vera Nazarian

Beginning are usually scary and ending are usually sad, but it’s everything in between that makes it all worth living. Bob Marley

The Next Steps: Quotes on the Journey of Life

But that first step is just that; the first step on the road of life. Life – and travel – can present a series of obstacles to overcome.

17. Life’s journey is a collection of stories. Make yours a bestseller. – The Flashpacker ( Bridget Coleman )

18. One may walk over the highest mountain one step at a time. – John Wanamaker

19 . … a journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it. – John Steinbeck

20. To get through the hardest journey we need take only one step at a time, but we must keep on stepping. – Chinese Proverb 

21. Life is a journey. When we stop, things don’t go right. – Pope Francis

22. The only thing that is ultimately real about your journey is the step that you are taking at this moment. That’s all there ever is. – Alan Watts

23. Life is a journey, travel it well. – Unknown

The key to realising a dream is to focus not on success but significance, and then even the small steps and little victories along your path will take on greater meaning.  Oprah Winfrey 

25. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all. – Helen Keller

26. No journey is too great, when one finds what one seeks. – Friedrich Nietzsche

27. Aim for the sky, but move slowly, enjoying every step along the way. It is all those little steps that make the journey complete.  – Chanda Kochhar

28. A journey is a person in itself; no two are alike . – John Steinbeck

29. No journey is too great, when one finds what one seeks. – Friedrich Nietzsche

30. A journey is a person in itself; no two are alike. – John Steinbeck

31. I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination. –  Jimmy Dean

32. Your journey will be much lighter and easier if you don’t carry your past with you! – Tamara Kulish

33. May the stars guide you on your journey, and your heart always lead you home. – Melaina Rayne

Quotes to Inspire Solo Travellers

Any seasoned solo traveller knows that travelling alone has the power to change your life . But sometimes it can be difficult to find the words to describe your experiences. 

To empower you to travel alone , here is the pick of the best life journey quotes that can be applied to solo travel.

34. It’s your road, and yours alone, others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you. – Rumi

35. No one can decide the road that inspires us to kick-start a journey better than the one embarking on the path. We may find others joining our journey, but we have to take the first step alone to reach our destination.  – Dr Prem Jagyasi

36. Don’t be scared to walk alone. Don’t be scared to like it. – John Mayer

37. Travel only with thy equals or thy betters; if there are none, travel alone. – Buddha

There are some places in life where you can only go alone. Embrace the beauty of your solo journey. Mandy Hale

39. No one you have been and no place you have gone ever leaves you. The new parts of you simply jump in the car and go along for the rest of the ride. The success of your journey and your destination all depend on who’s driving. – Bruce Springsteen

40. The man who goes alone can start today; but he who travels with another must wait till that other is ready. – Henry David Thoreau

41. Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. – Neale Donald Walsh

42. If you make friends with yourself you will never be alone. – Maxwell Maltz

I have traveled many roads in my life. Some were imbued with pain and I needed to avert my gaze. Others were so beautiful that I would have remained there forever. But always, at some point in these routes, I reached a place where I encountered myself. Pablo Holmberg

44. The woman who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The woman who walks alone is likely to find herself in places no one has ever been before. – Albert Einstein

45. Not everyone will understand your journey. That’s okay. You’re here to live your life, not to make everyone understand.  – Banksy

Are you looking for more quotes to inspire you to travel alone? If so, check out these inspirational solo travel quotes

Making Friends on the Journey of Life

Of course, none of us needs to be alone. Other people can play a huge part in our life journey.

46 . A journey is best measured in friends, not in miles . – Tim Cahill

47. Friends are as companions on a journey, who ought to aid each other to persevere in the road to a happier life. – Pythagoras

48. In this journey of life, you will meet people who will make you feel alive! – Avijeet Das

49. On a hard jungle journey, nothing is so important as having a team you can trust. – Tahir Shah

50. Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. – Izaak Walton

The main thing that you have to remember on this journey is, just be nice to everyone and always smile. Ed Sheeran

52. Life is short and we have never too much time for gladdening the hearts of those who are travelling the dark journey with us. Oh be swift to love, make haste to be kind. – Henri Frederic Amiel

53. We never know the journey another person has walked, so be kind to everyone. – Lynette Mather

Having Faith in Yourself

Life throws obstacles at us, and it can be difficult to believe in yourself and in your ability to deal with these challenges. Even with those important first steps, you sometimes have to throw caution to the wind. 

54. Let your mind start a journey thru a strange new world. Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before. Let your soul take you where you long to be…Close your eyes let your spirit start to soar, and you’ll live as you’ve never lived before. – Erich Fromm

I believe that life is a journey, often difficult and sometimes incredibly cruel, but we are well equipped for it if only we tap into our talents and gifts and allow them to blossom.  Les Brown

56. Trust yourself, trust the road, trust the weather, and trust your destination! This quarto-trust can create a miraculously successful journey!  – Mehmet Murat Īldan

57. Have faith in your journey. Everything had to happen exactly as it did to get you where you’re going next! – Mandy Hale

58. Things are only impossible until they’re not. – Jean-Luc Picard, Star Trek ( the Star Trek universe can teach us much about travel )

Finding Your Path

As profound as it may seem, sometimes getting lost is the first step to finding our way on the journey of life, and there is not necessarily one right path. The correct path is the one that is right for you. 

59. In the middle of the journey of our life I found myself astray in a dark wood where the straight road had been lost sight of.  – Dante Alighieri

60. Some beautiful paths can’t be discovered without getting lost. – Erol Ozan

You have to get lost before you can be found. Jeff Rasley

62. Life is a journey that has a lot of different paths, but any path you choose use it as your destiny. – Ryan Leonard 

63. This thing we call life is not a destination with an end but a path down which we continue to journey as long as we can breathe. Life is to be lived not squandered or to give away waiting for the end to close upon us.  – Byron Pulsifer

64. The path isn’t a straight line; it’s a spiral. You continually come back to things you thought you understood and see deeper truths . – Barry H. Gillespie

65. Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Lessons Learnt

Some of the best life journey quotes relate to the lessons you learn along this journey. Many of these lessons may not be obvious at the time, especially in tough times, but ultimately they help shape who we are.

66. A journey taken in vain is not a wasted journey if you have learnt something. – Anthony T. Hincks

67. All journeys have secret destinations of which traveler is unaware. – Martin Buber

68. Always remember life is a learning journey. Keep filling your mind with all that is worthy. – Catherine Pulsifer

69. One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things. – Henry Miller

Learn to trust the journey, even when you do not understand it.  Lolly Daskal 

71. We do not receive wisdom, we must discover it for ourselves, after a journey through the wilderness which no one else can make for us, which no one can spare us, for our wisdom is the point of view from which we come at last to regard the world. – Marcel Proust

72. Travel far enough, you meet yourself. – David Mitchell

73. In order to complete our amazing life journey successfully, it is vital that we turn each and every dark tear into a pearl of wisdom, and find the blessing in every curse. – Anthon St. Maarten 

74. What you learn in tough times can be used in many ways to bless your personal life journey.  – Scott Gordon

75. Sometimes in your life you will go on a journey. It will be the longest journey you have ever taken. It is the journey to find yourself. – Katharine Sharp

Enjoy the Journey

Ultimately, what is it all for unless you enjoy the journey?

As travellers, we are often guilty of fixating on the destination, instead of learning to enjoy the journey, and celebrating the triumphs instead of stressing about the difficulties.

76. Roads were made for journeys not destinations. – Confucius

77. Life Is What Happens When You’re Busy Making Other Plans . – John Lennon

78. The journey is the reward. – Tao Expression

79. In the tapestry of life, every thread matters. Weave a journey worth treasuring. – The Flashpacker (Bridget Coleman)

80. Life is a journey, and if you fall in love with the journey, you will be in love forever. – Peter Hagerty

81. It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.  – Ernest Hemingway

82. Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it. – Greg Anderson

83. Sometimes it’s the journey that teaches you a lot about your destination . – Drake

84. Accomplishments will prove to be a journey, not a destination. – Dwight D. Eisenhower

85. And at the end of the day, there is nothing but the journey. Because destination is pure illusion. – Rich Roll

86. Life is a journey, not a destination. Learn to enjoy the ride. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

If ever there was a metaphor to illustrate the importance of the journey over the destination, it is life itself. For everyone who departs from birth is destined for death, so the journey IS life. Savor it! Michele Jennae

88. The journey in between what you once were and who you are now becoming is where the dance of life takes place. – Barbara De Angelis

89. Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome.  – Arthur Ashe

It is not the destination where you end up but the mishaps and memories you create along the way! Penelope Riley

91. Your journey has molded you for your greater good, and it was exactly what it needed to be. Don’t think you’ve lost time. There is no short-cutting to life. It took each and every situation you have encountered to bring you to the now. And now is right on time. – Asha Tyson

92. Embrace your life journey with gratitude, so that how you travel your path is more important than reaching your ultimate destination. – Rosalene Glickman

93. Life is a journey to be experienced, not a problem to be solved. Winnie the Pooh

94. Let your joy be in your journey – not in some distant goal. – Tim Cook

95. Live now; make now always the most precious time. Now will never come again. – Jean-Luc Picard, Star Trek

96. Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore. – Andre Gide

Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride! Hunter S. Thompson

98. Every day is a journey filled with twists and turns. Every day, if you smile, you will feel alive, my son. – Santosh Kalwar

99. Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and celebrate the journey.  – Fitzhugh Mullan

100. I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be . – Douglas Adams

101. We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time. – T.S. Eliot

102. Life is an opportunity, seize the day, live each day to the fullest. Life is not a project, but a journey to be enjoyed. – Catherine Pulsifer

103. I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be. – Douglas Adams

104. Time is a companion who goes with us on the journey and reminds us to cherish every moment, because it will never come again. – Captain Jean Luc Picard in Star Trek

Final Thoughts

Life for me, like travel, is all about the journey. The shape of that journey is up to the individual.

I hope that these life journey quotes help inspire you to live your best life. That’s all that any of us can aim for.  

Enjoy the journey.

Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind. Anthony Bourdain

About Bridget

Bridget Coleman has been a passionate traveller for more than 30 years. She has visited 70+ countries, most as a solo traveller.

Articles on this site reflect her first-hand experiences.

To get in touch, email her at [email protected] or follow her on social media.

My Journey to Life, Step 2—Our Savior

Book code: JTL2

Citation: Ellen G. White Estate My Journey to Life, Step 2—Our Savior. 

Retrieved from https://next.beta.egwwritings.org/book/b14347 

Author :  Ellen G. White Estate

Language :  en

Book code :  JTL2

Citation:   Ellen G. White Estate My Journey to Life, Step 2—Our Savior. 

Retrieved from   https://next.beta.egwwritings.org/book/b14347 

Step Two—Our Savior

1. Why do Christians call Jesus their Savior?

2. When did humanity first need a Savior?

3. Where was the Savior born?

4. Did the Savior exist before His birth in Bethlehem?

5. Who did Jesus come to save?

6. What does it mean that our Savior “bore our sins and became our substitute?”

7. What is the importance of Jesus’ resurrection?

8. Is Jesus the only Savior, or can there be others?

9. Will we ever see the Savior?

10. In what sense is the Savior both our Intercessor and High Priest?

11. What if I reject Jesus as my Savior?

12. How can I accept Jesus as my Savior?

Reflection…

Discussion Questions

Further Reading

Contact Information

Book code: JTL11

Citation: Ellen G. White Estate My Journey to Life, Step 11—God, the Holy Spirit. 

Retrieved from https://next.egwwritings.org/book/b14380 

Author :  Ellen G. White Estate

Language :  en

Book code :  JTL11

Citation: {{cite}}   Ellen G. White Estate My Journey to Life, Step 11—God, the Holy Spirit. 

Retrieved from   https://next.egwwritings.org/book/b14380 

My Journey to Life, Step 11—God, the Holy Spirit

Step Eleven—God, the Holy Spirit

1. Who is the Holy Spirit?

2. Does the Bible teach that the Holy Spirit is equal to God?

3. What is the function of the Holy Spirit within the Godhead?

4. How essential is the Holy Spirit to our existence?

5. Can we grieve away the Spirit of God?

6. What relationship is there between the outpouring of the Spirit of God at Pentecost and the outpouring of God’s Spirit just before Jesus’ second coming?

7. What is the purpose of the Latter Rain?

8. What are the conditions to this special endowment of the Spirit in the Latter Rain?

9. What relationship is there between the Latter Rain of God’s Spirit and the Loud Cry of Revelation 18?

10. How often do we need to be converted by the Holy Spirit?

11. Is it possible that there could be a counterfeit Spirit not sent by God?

12. How does the Spirit help us live our lives as followers of Jesus?

Reflection…

Discussion Questions

Further Reading

Contact Information

What It Means to Embrace Your Life and the Path You Chose

You can live powerfully when your life grows out of your authentic self..

Posted January 22, 2022 | Reviewed by Devon Frye

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• We only get one life to live, and we alone choose how to live it.
• Embracing your life means being true to yourself, not living by someone else’s rules or expectations.
• Living your best life can require you to choose your own authenticity over others’ acceptance.
• Making peace with the one road we take in life makes all the difference.

Embrace your life.

It’s my personal slogan for 2022. Each year I adopt a slogan rather than make New Year’s resolutions, which can get so complex and numerous they become onerous simply to remember and too easy to forget. I call upon my slogan in my mind’s self-talk as needed to keep myself on track. Sometimes I say it out loud when I especially need reminding.

I am fond of saying that the longest journey in life is our search to find our true home, the place where we are fully accepted and loved just as we are. I’m equally fond of pointing out that our search, if it’s fruitful, leads us to the realization that our true home actually lies within ourselves. You can be at home wherever you are when you embrace what the late poet Mary Oliver called “your one wild and precious life.”

How Do You Want to Live Your Life?

The reality is that you can’t live every life. You have to choose one, stick with it and live it as best you can. Ideally, the one you choose will emerge from your understanding of who you are in your own heart, what you love and value, where you come from and wish to go, when you want to accomplish the goals you set for yourself, why you believe as you do, and how you want to spend the allocated and very finite amount of time you are given to live your life.

Like all gay men I have known, my journey toward finally embracing my life was a painful one. It included years of hiding the attraction I felt toward other males, even trying to hide it from myself by believing something so fundamental about myself would change, that the “phase” would pass.

Fortunately, my journey also included a pivotal moment, a before and after, when I finally knew that being gay was OK, that what truly matters is the choices I make about who I will be and how I will live. For me, choosing to “come out” and embrace my sexual orientation as a fact of my life had a great deal to do with how highly I value authenticity and integrity. Further along in my journey, I realized that my sexuality is only one facet of myself, that being gay is only one of my identities, which also include son, brother, uncle, author, and New Englander. Understanding and accepting that each is only part of the whole, I embrace the life that has flowed out of their unique blend.

What Embracing Your Life Looks Like

Embracing your life means being willing to stand out from others and being true to yourself. It means risking others’ disapproval or rejection of you because you choose to act according to your own judgment and values rather than those that may have been prescribed without your consent, perhaps even before you were born.

“This above all: to thine own self be true,” goes Polonius’ oft-repeated advice to Hamlet in Shakespeare’s play. “And it must follow,” he adds, “as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.”

When you embrace your life, when you are at home within yourself, you will be as authentic with others as you are with yourself. You won’t feel a need to apologize for not being the person someone else might wish you were. You won’t pretend to be anyone, or anything, but will instead enjoy being who and what you are. You will know that is all you need—and it’s enough for one life, yours.

Embracing your life means accepting where you are on your life’s journey, not measuring your progress by anyone else’s standards but those you set for yourself. Only you can truly judge how far you have come because only you know where you began your journey, the obstacles that have stood in your way, and the suffering you have endured, between then and now.

Poetic Wisdom for Embracing Your Life

In his poem “The Road Not Taken,” Robert Frost describes a choice made at a fork in the road in a forest—or, we might say, in life’s road. A choice must be made: to take one road rather than the other, to live life one way rather than the other.

The poet fancies he can one day return to the fork in the road. “Yet,” he says, “knowing how way leads on to way/I doubted if I should ever come back.” He predicts that, “ages and ages hence,” he will describe his encounter with that fork, and the choice he made. “Two roads diverged in a wood,” he concludes, “and I—I took the one less traveled by/And that has made all the difference.”

Embrace your life and you will find the safest, most accepting home—within your own heart. That will make all the difference.

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John-Manuel Andriote is an award-winning author, journalist, speaker, and communication consultant.

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We feared for dad’s life after selling our cows. Finding hope while friends faced loss.

With many unwilling to call a helpline or seek therapy, the worst of our mental health crisis is revealed by farmer suicides.

Editor’s Note: The following is adapted from Brian Reisinger’s book “Land Rich, Cash Poor: My Family’s Hope and the Untold History of the Disappearing American Farmer.” Unearthing hidden history from the Great Depression to today and weaving it with the four-generation fight for survival of Reisinger’s family on their farm in southern Wisconsin, “Land Rich, Cash Poor” reveals a crisis of vanishing farms that is affecting every American dinner table — and fueling problems like America’s mental health crisis.

There are more tears on our land than we want to admit.

My dad and I were on sacred ground, back at the small cabin I own on a forty-acre parcel behind the farmhouse where we both grew up. This is land my great-grandpa first fought to get in the Great Depression. Land upon which my grandpa turned out milk cows to graze, and where my dad and I journeyed together. We sat there on the porch with the sun glowing across the honey-brown wood, and the trees whispered of those things we’d lost, and my father qui­etly broke into tears.

“You did so good, Dad,” I said. “You held on for so long, and now because of you, we have a chance to keep the farm going.”

He had sold our dairy cows the day before. Like the rain that comes when the sun is still shining, my father’s tears showed us feeling more than one thing at once. Hope, because we still had our land as well as my sister’s plans to raise heifers for other farms, beef for consumers, and cash crops. Sorrow over no longer milking, and worrying whether the farm would make it.

But there was even more at stake, just below the sur­face. I’d heard stories of farmers taking their own lives over the loss of their cows, or worse yet, their land. Peering down at my dad, I let the thought surface for a moment, like a knife coming up through my stomach. I pushed it back down, then looked out over the sun streaming across the land before us and said a silent prayer.

This is the silent mental health crisis in rural America. Like so many of the problems I found in my book “Land Rich, Cash Poor” on the disappearing American farmer — risks to our food supply, economic devastation, and many of our deepest divisions — what rural Americans are experiencing reveals the true depths of a national problem. Here in the heartland, mental health is in its rawest form, hidden because of the way we refuse to talk about it — affecting the country in untold ways.

In fact, America’s mental health crisis is so pronounced in our slice of rural Wisconsin that by the time we sold our herd, a nonprofit called the Farmer Angel Network had sprang up in my home county to help address depression and suicide.

And now our family was living it, right there on that porch.

'I'm a farmer, that's who I am. If I fail, we all fail.'

Mental health problems and their most terrifying form — hurting oneself or others — know no boundaries. But the storm clouds find favorable winds in our most challenging industries, like family farms facing the many economic forces and personal dangers making it harder to get by each year.

More than one-third of Americans have some kind of mental health diagnosis, a number widely considered far higher because of how hard it is to admit and seek services. According to data released in 2023 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the national suicide rate soared 33% over the past two decades. Agriculture is consistently in the top five most deadly industries. Sometimes that’s mixed with addiction.

The reasons are as many and as mysterious as reading someone else’s mind. But Leon Statz can tell us more about them than most.

“I’m a farmer, that’s who I am,” he told his family in the Loganville area, just 20 miles from our farm in the hills of southern Wisconsin. “If I fail, we all fail.”

Review: 'Land Rich, Cash Poor' looks at America's agriculture crisis through one family farm

He was voicing what many feel. The farm represents their work, their family, their community, their way of life, and who they are. It’s the weight that presses down when you’re not just fighting for your job, you’re fighting for your heritage. It’s hard to simply advise work-life balance with those kinds of stakes.

I know a little about that, watching my dad carry our century-old farm forward, and shouldering my share. The many years of being small for heavy farm work, of animals not taking to me like they did my dad, of more than my share of mishaps with machinery, all piled up. When I chose to pursue a writing career instead — and even as I gratefully watched my sister begin working with him — I could never shake the feeling that I’d failed him.

And in farm country, like so many people across the country but especially so here, we don’t talk about it. We come by that honestly. You don’t grow up picking rocks out of fields by hand under the hot sun, as I did, and not learn to put your head down and keep going. Prior generations survived the 1980s Farm Crisis, the Great Depression, and more that way.

As I grew up, finding a life of my own was both a comfort and a cross to bear: I was the first in our family to go to college, and the first eldest son in three generations not to take over the farm. The guilt contributed to a decade-long drinking problem that I couldn’t have beat without therapy. I eventually found my way back to my roots while continuing my own work , but I still wrestle with it.

Some feel the weight more heavily. As time went on, Leon’s love of farming could never overtake that feeling of failure. And even though he couldn’t control the dropping milk price and the rising costs, the weather, the breakdowns, or other hard luck any farm family faces together, Leon took it all on his own shoulders. He sagged into severe depression.

His dilemma was one more and more farmers face: between failing to provide for their families by holding on, or feeling they are losing their way of life by selling out. His first suicide attempt came four months after he sold his cows, followed by recovery and a second attempt.

Leon hit an especially hard stretch after learning he couldn’t afford additional acreage he felt the farm needed, as he tried to find a way to make it after selling his cows. Then it began to rain — hard, over and over. Rain is a blessing or a curse for farmers, depending upon the timing, but for Leon’s mental health it was the latter. On Oct. 8 of 2018, his son found him in the shed. He had finished all the chores, so they’d be done when he was gone.

“I don’t think he wanted to die,” his wife Brenda, who recounted Leon’s struggles and final days to me, said of her husband. “His mind wouldn’t let him be here.”

Darkness can lead to the unthinkable. How we kept hope alive.

So there we were, my dad and I, on that sacred ground. The clanging and creaking of the trailers as we loaded our cows to send them down the road still echoed as we talked on the cabin porch.

I could feel that unspoken specter — the hopelessness that had led farmers like Leon Statz to take their own lives — as I put my hand on my dad’s shoulder, so much stronger than my own, and he leaned in and sobbed. We still had a shot at keeping the farm going, because of how well my dad had ran it. But he thought only of failure.

We understood on some level, each blaming ourselves — as farm families do — for how the farm and our dad were doing. My sister for feeling we had to change from milking as the economics got tougher and she balanced a second job and kids. My mom for wishing she could have done more after brain aneurysm surgery slowed her down. Me for wondering whether my dad would have gambled on expanding our dairy operation to keep up 20 years ago, if his eldest had been ready to farm with him.

And yet my dad’s burden was heavier. After a lifetime of carrying the farm forward, he was the first generation in 100 years to not milk cows on this land. He didn’t know what he’d do tomorrow, or who he was without knowing.

Thoughts like dark storm clouds. Why should I even be here?

That’s where Leon’s story changed our own. In the days before we sold the cows, and in the days after as we forged ahead, my parents’ friends Don and Dorothy Harms would come out to the farm to talk. Dorothy had become involved with the Farmer Angel Network, which started following Leon’s death. It provides farmer-to-farmer support, raises awareness of the need for more mental health professionals who understand rural America, and more. And in part because of stories like Leon’s, our family knew how important it was to talk. Even though it’s hard, even though many farm families don’t.

And so my dad stood, and ventured off the porch into the sunlight coming down through the trees. And in the days ahead he began to think not just of the family he feared he’d failed, but also of the family that still needed him.

I got grandkids here. He began to repeat it to himself, thinking of my sister’s kids still growing up on the farm. I got grandkids here, and I gotta teach them things.

It was the same source of hope that drove our family for more than one hundred years: the next generation. That’s something nobody can take from us.

Brian Reisinger contributes in-depth columns and videos for the Ideas Lab at the Journal Sentinel. Reisinger’s new book “Land Rich Cash Poor” is available in bookstores as of August 20, and online at Amazon, Audible, Barnes & Noble, and IndieBound via Bookshop.org, with more information available at brian-reisinger.com . Reisinger works in public affairs consulting for Wisconsin-based Platform Communications.

Help is available

If you are struggling, you are not alone. Please talk to someone. And don’t hesitate to get professional help — it is a sign of strength, not shame.

Contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for urgent help at 1-800-273-8255, or text HELLO to 741741. There are also support groups for farmers, like the Farmer Angel Network, which began in my home county and has a growing presence in Wisconsin: https://www.farmerangelnetwork.com/.

And remember, not all mental health problems are a crisis, but all are worthy of addressing. Seeking a therapist or support group to work on the emotional challenges of every day life can help you feel happier and healthier — and sometimes avoid a crisis to come.

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My yale journey.

My name is James Hatch, and I recently graduated from Yale College at the age of fifty-six.

I majored in the Humanities and, wow, did I learn! In my previous life, I served in the U.S. Special Operations community and deployed to various conflicts, from Bosnia to Afghanistan. I joined the service quite young, and college wasn’t on my personal menu as a teenager. Over the years, I had heard the term “liberal education,” and I didn’t really understand how important that type of education can be or what liberal education truly meant.

Now I know. 

Here is a good definition: “A system of education aimed at cultivating a free human being, emphasizing broad knowledge, transferable skills, values, ethics, and civic engagement.” (The Association of American Colleges and Universities)

What did a liberal education do for me, personally, at Yale University?

First off, the environment at Yale is such that even for a guy like me, who had visited much of the world, I was fortunate to sit in classes next to people from places all over the globe.

This means that, regardless of the class subject, I was exposed to the thinking of other humans who essentially come from different worlds. People who see things, like economic issues, or cultural values, in a very different way. As a man who participated in armed conflict, I cannot express how valuable is the opportunity to meet “strangers” and listen to them as humans, not as a “group.”

Second, from the art classes I took, to the STEM courses I attended, the instructors were “all in,” even if they came from opposite cultures. The differences in the various disciplines of study at Yale are as significant as the differences among the people who teach them. My math professor was a no-bs, but kind, woman — an excellent teacher who seemed to enjoy 10-12 students (including the old guy, me) sitting on her office floor working out problems during office hours. She was a pro. My art professor and his teaching fellows were also professional (and presentable), but they had a much different appearance. Well-coiffed and impeccably dressed, they exuded their affinity for appearance and style. Not really a math kind of thing! Both classes injected my soul with nutrition I didn’t know I needed.

Third, my classes on literature and philosophy were my favorite, and it was in these classes that I came to think significantly about issues foreign to me. Or maybe a better way of saying it is: literature and philosophy made me ask questions about what I really believe and what is important to me. A life in the military can create an existence quite distant from one’s core beliefs, as your core beliefs are largely provided for you. In the military, you are part of a team. Personal development outside of those things necessary to be effective in one’s given military vocation are not given much weight. In my lit and philosophy classes, I learned how to think about things I’d never considered. Things like the “original” state of humans. Locke, Rousseau, and Hobbes all have different views about what humans are, or were, but my class discussions around those ideas forced me to harken back to my times in combat — and that was a very rough journey. Looking at myself and my own choices and conduct under the guidance of thinkers like those — or, say, someone like Toni Morrison — made me examine my ideas about humanity and myself. While that can be tough, it is, for me, mandatory from a personal development perspective.

In the end, as a human who enthusiastically trained for or participated in, state-sponsored armed conflict over several decades, I credit Yale with expanding my consciousness. What does that mean exactly? It means that my previous “givens” regarding my fellow humans were tossed out the window. I’m no pacificist, but I do see the need for better thinking and better leadership. Especially when considering sending “other people’s” kids to war. Yale will help me build bridges in my journey to share that important message. Other people’s kids are important, and that is why liberal education is such a gift to me. The more people I meet, the more I see our mutual humanity.

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What happened to schenee murry from my 600-lb life season 6.

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20 Best Reality TV Shows Right Now

Gary king has ruined below deck sailing yacht's future (it will never be the same), love is blind uk: nicole shouldn't have given sam a chance (& why she won't get benaiah back).

• Schenee Murry's emotional problems and troubled past led her to gain weight. Fans are still commenting on her journey during and after the show.
• Schenee has said that she lost hundreds of pounds after appearing on the popular series, which stars Dr. Younan Nowzaradan. However, there is some skepticism about her claim.
• Schenee gets shade for allegedly mistreating animals.

My 600-Lb Life season 6 star Schenee Murry was one of the heaviest participants featured on the show, and it's time to talk about what happened to her after her installment aired. She initially weighed 721 pounds, and Schenee's BMI was nearly five times the suggested average for someone of her height. Dr. Younan Nowzaradan i.e. Dr. Now, who asks most patients to diet and exercise, so they can qualify for bariatric surgery, was there to help. While she isn't a part of My 600-Lb Life season 12 , there are new facts to reveal.

Patients should try to carefully follow Dr. Now's tips because he's trying to save their lives. While the dieting and exercising may seem harsh, it's for the greater good.

After meeting with My 600-Lb Life 's Dr. Younan Nowzaradan , who discussed the risks associated with bariatric surgery, Schenee was given weight loss targets to achieve. Unfortunately, she didn't meet her goals by the time she had her next appointment, and wound up being hospitalized. In the hospital, Schenee managed to drop 91 pounds, but had a difficult time maintaining her weight loss once she was released. She put on at least 40 pounds and ultimately cut off contact with Dr. Now, as she found it too difficult to meet his standards.

Reality TV is more popular than ever. With so many to choose from, here are some of the best reality TV shows to stream or watch right now.

Did Schenee Murry Lose Weight After My 600-Lb Life?

Schenee murry started a gofundme for a future weight loss operation.

While Schenee claims that she lost weight following her show stint, it's unclear if this is actually true. After filming the series, Schenee started a GoFundMe , as she wanted help paying for future weight-loss surgery . She raised only $300 USD, when her goal was to collect 50 grand. There's no proof that she had an operation after asking fans for cash. See her GoFundMe request below:

Im raising this money for a great cause i was dragged to houston texas to get humiliated on national tv an i have been struggling every since for everything i have a lot of hopes an dreams an one is to get better i don't only have weight problems i have other health problems that's just over looked so im team schenee with a great husband God has blessed us this far.

Schenee's words tell a story about how she viewed her experience on the show - she found the process of having her weight loss journey publicized degrading. While she was "humiliated" on My 600-Lb Life , as per her GoFundMe page, which she started in 2018, she held onto her dreams of slimming down and feeling better, and began to solicit cash.

Schenee also touched on her health problems, but didn't get into details. She did praise her spouse Freddie Murry for standing by her.

Schenee claims to have lost 300 pounds since her time on the series and used to post semi-regularly via her social media accounts. Her weight loss stats are below, but that dramatic weight loss hasn't really been confirmed via photos.

Schenee rarely gave updates on her health unless she was asking for money. It's possible that this My 600-lb Life alum hasn't made as much progress as she would have liked.

Schenee Murry Hasn't Had An Easy Journey

Many my 600-lb life stars have trouble improving their health.

Schenee's issues with weight loss stem from trauma that she may not have resolved yet. While Schenee smiles happily in the post shown above, her life was incredibly troubled prior to her time on My 600-Lb Life, as she was sexually abused when she was younger. She also encountered difficulties in her adult life, including fertility issues.

Schenee was unable to stick to Dr. Now's program, and ultimately decided to quit before she made progress. She needed help from a weight-loss doctor, but her issues ran deep and prevented her from succeeding. The things that act on her psyche are ingrained - that's why change is so hard.

Many stars who've appeared in the show have hit turbulence, and some have sadly passed away, including Gina Krasley , who died on August 1, 2021. While Schenee appears to be alive and well, on the show, Dr. Now told her that her life was at risk due to her weight. He said:

I don’t think you’re grasping how dangerous your health situation is. With all the health issues you’ve got, you may not make it to 30.

If Schenee is alive, she's probably 32 years old in 2024, based on information about her age while she appeared on the show. So, Dr. Now's chilling prophecy may not have come true. Nonetheless, as the GoFundMe shows, after the series, Schenee was still dealing with a lot of obstacles, including health problems. She also gets dragged online - some My 600-Lb Life fans have real issues with Schenee.

Fans Leave Blistering Comments About Schenee Murry Online

They trash schenee for bad parenting & allege that she abused her dog.

On the show, Schenee blocked Dr. Now's number because she wasn't sticking to the plan, as seen in the clip above. Offscreen, after her journey on the show, fans still attack her. Some fans believe that she gave birth to a premature baby, Zachariah, who they think was 23 weeks old at birth. While this is hard to confirm, it could be true.

On TikTok, Itsrandomitsdis unloaded, accusing Schenee of partying with a newborn. That is strong criticism that's also unproven. However, this video tends to express the general tone of most remarks about the reality star. Her journey on the show didn't get a positive reception, and shade's aimed at her over allegedly abusing a pet. At Reddit, kinofvillon15 alleged that Schenee neglected two dogs that died. They claimed to have found a "case" online. See their comments below:

I will say this now, she can go on eating herself to death, try to scam people outta money, and verbally abuse that useless leech of a husband since he enjoys it. But what I cannot stand for.... is her repeatedly adopting dogs just to abuse and neglect them until she cant use them anymore for her own gain..... which at that point the dog killed. I found a criminal case against her for at least 3 animal Cruelty charges. 1 dog she stuck in a cage outside and it died from the heat. 2nd dog she says it either ran away or someone took it, but someone posted with pictures allegedly showing the dog tied to a tree down some road. 3rd dog she says a dog Walker brought it home looking like it was in a dog fight and close to death. Never seen it again.

Schenee should probably address these negative remarks as they are so damaging to her reputation. Perhaps she finds it easier to ignore this kind of verbal abuse. Only she knows the truth and could possibly clear up a lot of misconceptions for My 600-Lb Life fans. If she posted, it would also reassure those who've followed her journey, by letting them know that she's okay.

Dr. Now Tried To Help Schenee

Dr. Now couldn't make a lot of progress with Schenee, and she's anything but a fan favorite. However, that doesn't seem to be affecting her too much. She posted on Instagram, and Schenee described herself as "100 % me." In the post, there were a variety of pictures of her in a bright multicolored dress. Schenee was smiling and looked confident. While the post was from 2020, she did appear to be thinner than she was on the show, and very happy too.

Of course, fans came for her. The way that she treated a dog comes up again and again. It triggers her haters, bringing out the meanness in their souls. Of course, they surely feel that they are in the right, as helpless animals should never be mistreated. They aren't wrong to think that, but at the same time, they are quite cruel to Schenee. One of them commented on the post, saying:

You should be reported for cruelty to animals😡Dogs (PETS!) do NOT belong in a cage 😡They should put YOU in a cage !! You are beyond disgusting !

Another got straight to the point, calling Schenee a "loser." Yes, this My 600-Lb Life alum unleashes the beast in fat-shamers and animal rights activists. She is controversial and may actually regret appearing on the show. However, she puts up a brave front. At the same time, "fans" may have driven her off of Instagram. While she may rightly deserve some criticism, it wouldn't be easy to read that kind of stuff all the time. It might take the run out of posting online.

While My 600-lb Life does share the stories of various patients who succeed at slimming down, the stories of those who don't are just as important to air. These stories are more difficult to watch, but the journeys where patients struggle and ultimately give up are incredibly realistic, and sadly, relatable. Hopefully, Schenee is getting the help she needs.

Source: GoFundMe , Schenee Murry /Instagram, Itsrandomitsdis /TikTok, kinofvillon15 /Reddit, Schenee Murry /Instagram

My 600 Lb Life

My 600-lb Life is a reality television series that airs on TLC. Since 2012, each episode follows a year in the life of a morbidly obese person. These individuals seek help from renowned bariatric surgeon, Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, AKA Dr. Now. He performs weight loss and skin removal surgeries on the patients. My 600-lb Life is an inspiring series that documents the patients' setbacks and successes.

Kellie Pickler Breaks Silence on Husband Kyle Jacobs' Death

Six months after kellie pickler's husband kyle jacobs died by suicide, the country singer shared an update on her journey with grief while thanking her supporters..

During a time of great loss , Kellie Pickler  is turning to her late husband's words for guidance.

On Aug. 17, six months after the country singer's partner  Kyle Jacobs died by suicide , she's speaking out for the first time.

"One of the most beautiful lessons my husband taught me was in a moment of a crisis, if you don't know what to do, ‘do nothing, just be still,'" Pickler shared in a statement, obtained by People . "I have chosen to heed his advice."

"Thank you to my family, friends, and supporters, for the countless letters, calls, and messages that you have sent my way," she added. "It has truly touched my soul and it's helping me get through the darkest time in my life. As many of you have told me, you are all in my prayers."

The 37-year-old also shared plans to host an "intimate" memorial for Jacobs this fall. "That is what Kyle would have wanted," she noted, before singing off, "Love & Blessings, Kellie."

Jacobs, a songwriter, was found dead at his and Pickler's Tennessee home on Feb. 17, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department told E! News at the time. He was 49.

According to officials, police were called to the residence after Pickler woke up and couldn't find Jacobs. His death was officially ruled a suicide in May by the Davidson Country Medical Examiner.

Toxicology results previously obtained by Taste of Country  noted that Jacobs did not have any drugs in his system at the time of his death, while his autopsy showed that he did have a history of "pseudoseizures, gastrointestinal bleeding, elevated liver enzymes, and chronic alcohol use."

Over the years, Jacobs and Pickler—who tied the knot in 2011—stepped out together at award shows and even appeared on her CMT reality show  I Love Kellie Pickler . However, as Pickler previously told E! News , they enjoyed life out of the spotlight just as much.

"I'm such a simple girl honestly," she shared in 2022. "I love gardening. My friends call me the fifth unofficial Golden Girl. I'm that 104-year-old trapped in a 35-year-old body. I love puzzles. I love good conversations. I love to sit on the front porch in my rocking chair. I just like to be in good company."

"I clock in and I do my job and then I come home and I'm a wife," she added. "I'm a friend. I'm a neighbor. I'm a Godmother. I care about things that truly matter."

See photos of Jacobs and Pickler through the years: 

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Life in an IIT | From getting fellowship to pursuing MTech in IIT Bombay, this student from Maharashtra shares his journey

In 2022, as the covid-19 conditions improved, i applied for master's programmes at the older iits, some top nits, and bits. my main goal was to get into iit bombay for mtech..

– Dhananjay Kharat

I am from the Gunade village in Maharashtra ’s Ratnagiri district. My father, a watchman then, always inspired me to do my best.

I completed my BTech in Mechanical Engineering from the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Technological University in 2018. After graduation, I did not have a job. During my BTech, I did a two-month internship at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in Trombay. There, I learned about GATE, ESE, BARC, DRDO, and ISRO . I decided to prepare for the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) exam in Mechanical Engineering.

My first attempt at GATE did not go well, but in GATE 2020, I scored decently. However, due to Covid-19 , MTech programmes went online, which I did not want to pursue.

Fortunately, the GATE score validity was extended to three years, which gave me some relief. I decided to earn some money to strengthen my financial situation. Initially, I struggled to get job calls, but eventually, I got an interview for a Graduate Engineer Trainee (GET) position at a private company at Roha MIDC, which I cleared.

However, the job involved continuous shift rotations, which did not suit me. Despite my family’s advice to keep the job and prepare for exams simultaneously, I resigned after working for more than a year. I also passed the written test for the BARC Technical Officer C position but did not clear the interview.

Admission to IIT Bombay

In 2022, as the Covid-19 conditions improved, I applied for master’s programmes at the older IITs, some top NITs, and BITS. My main goal was to get into IIT Bombay for MTech. Initially, I did not get any seats in the first seven Common Offer Acceptance Portal or COAP rounds.

I got a call from CTARA at IIT Bombay for an assignment and from the Energy Science department for a written test, which I cleared.

In the 8th COAP round, I received an offer from IIT Madras in Ocean Technology but rejected it because I was focused on IIT Bombay. Many friends told me I was unlikely to get IIT Bombay since it was already the eighth round. The 9th round passed without any offers, which was very frustrating. In the 10th round, I got an offer from IIT Guwahati in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, but I rejected that too.

Meanwhile, I also cleared two rounds of interviews with CTARA at IIT Bombay.

I received offers from NIT Trichy and BITS Pilani but I was waiting for IIT Bombay. In the spot round, I got IIT Hyderabad in Machine Design, paid the fees, and prepared to join. Then, in July 2022, I got an offer email from CTARA at IIT Bombay offering me admission under TAP for MTech.

After accepting the offer, I also received an ANSYS fellowship for MTech at IIT Bombay and joined the 2022-2024 batch. It was a great relief for me as now my fooding and lodging was taken care of.

Life at IIT Bombay

Initially, in my first semester, I felt a sense of relief and accomplishment for getting into an IIT. However, it took some time to settle into the campus life. Students from all over the country were there, and I spent the first 2-3 months relaxing and exploring the campus.

I took on various responsibilities on campus, becoming the Maintenance Counsellor of Hostel 17, an interview coordinator under the placement office, and the operation and management coordinator for the TUM-SEED-IITB student initiative. These roles helped me connect with many people and expand my network.

The first semester was intense, with seven courses, which was a lot to handle. In my department, we had field visits every Saturday and Sunday to rural areas to understand ground-level problems. I found these visits very exciting.

Through the Student Alumni Relations Cell (SARC) at IIT Bombay, I got a mentor for my MTech journey, Dr Duriya, a Senior Manager at MathWorks Inc. in the USA. I used to have discussions with her for guidance, especially before the placement days.

Field stay: An unique experience

A unique aspect of our department is the field stay, where we spend about nine weeks in a small village in India based on our guide’s connections. The goal is to understand the villagers’ problems, analyze them, and, if possible, find solutions. I was assigned to the one village in Kolhapur.

During this period, I had the opportunity to interact with the District Magistrate of Kolhapur, which was a great experience. I also engaged with officials from the Tehsildar office, Talathi office, and Gram panchayat office. Initially, it was challenging because the villagers were wary of us, as we were new to their community. However, over time, we built trust with them.

We identified various problems in the village and developed an Automated Stakeholder Mapping System for the Gram panchayat. This field stay was a unique and valuable opportunity to spend nine weeks in a rural village, learning and contributing in a meaningful way.

Resume preparation and placements in third semester

The third semester had a lighter course load, giving us more time to prepare for placements. This semester was particularly stressful for me, as one of my main goals for joining IIT Bombay was to secure a good placement. My friend Akash Srivastava and I prepared rigorously for the placement season together. We used

During this time, I often felt demotivated, but I kept pushing forward. I created three different resumes to suit various job applications. Here are some key things I learned during the placement preparation:

1. You need to have contacts with students from other IITs

2. Strong connections with students from other departments within the same IIT are essential

3. Stay alert and regularly check the placement blog until you secure a job

4. Keep revising whatever you are preparing

5. Luck also plays a role in the placement journey

6.Participate in as many mock interviews as possible with seniors, friends

Throughout the third semester, I had to balance placement preparation, my MTech project work, and two courses.

I applied for over 70 Job Application Forms (JAFs) and took written tests for almost 30 companies, but qualified for only a few. I cleared the written tests for companies like Air India, General Mills, etc.

I had also applied for a management trainee role at Tata AIA for which I cleared all the rounds and now I am placed there.

During my last semester, I made sure to enjoy every moment. With only my MTech project work and some Teaching Assistant (TA) responsibilities, I had more time for myself. I often visited Parbhani for my project work, interacting with various stakeholders and gaining valuable insights.

I dedicated time to self-exploration. I went on night cycling adventures covering around 75km through the streets of Mumbai . I also started running at the Gymkhana ground and took up swimming lessons at the IIT Bombay swimming pool. Additionally, I explored different places in Mumbai, making the most of my time before completing my MTech journey at IIT Bombay.

Mridusmita Deka covers education and has worked with the Careers360 previously. She is an alumnus of Gauhati University and Dibrugarh University. ... Read More

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EJ Obiena on 2024 Paris Olympics journey: 'I am measured by my career'

By Yoniel Acebuche Published Aug 13, 2024 10:32 am Updated Aug 13, 2024 11:22 am

Failure can feel heavy, but it's also a part of growth and learning. Take it from Pinoy pole vaulter EJ Obiena , who ended his 2024 Paris Olympics campaign in fourth place after failing to clear the 5.95m bar at the men's pole vault final.

On his social media pages, Obiena wrote his "two immediate conclusions" about his journey at this year's Olympics.

According to him, true character isn't defined by "singular events,"  but by one's overall contributions and accomplishments.

"The measure of a man or woman is not a singular event—like the Olympics—but a cumulative or collective measure over time." Hence, he emphasized that finishing 4th in the Olympics will not determine his life as he is "measured by his career."

"I finished 4th in Paris, close but not good enough. I am not measured by this. I am measured by my career," he said while assuring everyone that he will make everyone proud in the next season.

"I commit to everyone now, I am back in training, I am back in the game, and I am going to attack the rest of the season and make you proud."

He continued, "You are going to see more from me, and see the Philippine Flag raised and raised on a global stage."

Still, Obiena thanked his supporters for all the love and support he received throughout his career.

"I am filled with gratitude for the support of all of you, and to be loved at times like this, by the country that raised me. I am indeed blessed!! Thank you!"

Obiena apologizes

Obiena, the world's no. 2 in men's pole vault, missed all three tries at 5.95 meters, placing fourth in the competition—an improvement from his performance at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics , where he placed 11th.

In an interview with One Sports, he apologized for falling short of a podium finish.

"There's a lot of things that happened this year," Obiena said after the competition on Tuesday, Aug. 6. "I'm thankful that I got to the finals, definitely, but at the same time, I was disappointed. It wasn't far."

" I apologize. I promise[d] I'm gonna go back after Tokyo (Olympics), and I did," Obiena said. "But... I came up short. I'm sorry," he continued.

Obiena said being in the fourth place is "painful" and the "harshest place to be."

"I am heartbroken that a single failure cost me and cost a nation I so deeply love—the podium. I apologize for this outcome; such is life as the world of competitive sports can be exhilarating at times, and painful at others. I have experienced both and unfortunately today I am on the other side of it!" he continued. 

He said it "hurts to be this close to an Olympic Medal," but he will "get back up" in the next competition.

Sweden's Mondo Duplantis, the world's no. 1, grabbed the gold. He also cleared 6.25m, breaking his own record. America's Sam Kendricks, the world's no. 3, finished with silver, while Greece's Emmanouil Karalis, the world's no. 8, got bronze.

Earlier this 2024, the 28-year-old Obiena was named Athlete of the Year by the San Miguel Corporation-Philippine Sportswriters Association.

He holds the Asian record, 6.00m, which he cleared at the 2023 World Athletics Championships.

Obiena will receive P500,000 as a reward from the local government of Manila. 

He is also set to stage a Manila meet with some Olympic pole vault finalists this Sept. 20 at the Ayala Triangle Gardens.

TAGS: Sports news EJ OBIENA POLE VAULT 2024 Paris Olympics

Yoniel Acebuche

Yoniel Acebuche is a journalist by profession and a beauty queen by passion. She has constantly joined beauty pageants in different cities and fiestas across the Philippines ever since she was 15. Writing and pageantry are her empowering ways to connect to other people as well as to understand herself.

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“My Heart Can’t Take It”: Kaley Cuoco Revealed She’s Engaged To Tom Pelphrey And Shared A Close Look At The Incredible Custom Ring He Helped Design

“What a wild, beautiful journey life can be.”

BuzzFeed Staff

Kaley Cuoco and Tom Pelphrey are engaged!

The couple — who started dating in 2022 and welcomed their daughter, Matilda , the following year — announced the news on Instagram this week.

View this photo on Instagram

“Amazing weekend,” Kaley wrote over a selfie with Tom in which she’s showing off her sparkling engagement ring. Tom reposted the picture and later shared a sweet family photo of himself, Kaley, and Matilda.

In a separate video, Kaley later gave fans a closer look at the stunning ring. She wrote, “What a wild, beautiful journey life can be. Grateful for every road that led me straight to you @tommypelphrey.”

Kaley also revealed that Tom had collaborated with jewelry line Shahla Karimi to create the “once in a lifetime” piece. “My heart can’t take it. Thank you!!” she added.

The Big Bang Theory alum then reposted a sweet Instagram story shared by Tom’s sister-in-law, Lauren Pelphrey, that read, “when your brother in law @tommypelphrey brings you a sister… now we are in it for life @kaleycuoco and I couldn’t be happier.”

The news comes roughly two years after Kaley — who has previously been married to equestrian Karl Cook and tennis player Ryan Sweeting — vowed to “never” tie the knot again.

Kaley and Karl announced their divorce in 2021 after five years together. In a joint statement to People  magazine, they noted, “Despite a deep love and respect for one another, we have realized that our current paths have taken us in opposite directions.”

Legal documents revealed that Kaley, who had an “ironclad prenup” to protect her earnings, asked the court to deny Karl any spousal support.

The following year, Kaley opened up about the aftermath of the divorce in detail, describing it as one of the “hardest” experiences of her life. In fact, things got so bad that the actor decided to stage an intervention for herself while shooting her HBO Max series The Flight Attendant .

“One month in, I had an intervention on myself in my trailer — all my producers were in there. And I said, ‘I need help.’ It was interesting to say that out loud. And to have everyone be like, ‘Yes, we want to help!’” she shared.

During a 2022 interview with Glamour , Kaley vowed that she would “absolutely not” get married again. She said, “I would love to have a long-lasting relationship or a partnership — but I will never get married again. Absolutely not.”

How plans change! Congrats to Kaley and Tom!

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Paris 2024 Olympic Games: The journey of an Olympic spectator

Picture by Anne S. Ditmeyer

Just as every Olympian has a story, every spectator has one, too.

Just like an athlete, our journeys aren’t linear and are full of twists and turns, and plot twists. As an American who has called Paris home for 15 years, I didn’t know where my Olympic dreams would take me. I was hesitant to get too excited and wondered whether I could even afford it. Yet I knew it was something I was curious to experience.

And I soon unexpectedly got pulled into the Olympic spirit that is hard to resist. After all, when Paris brings the Games to your doorstep, you can't help but notice.

As a kid growing up in Kansas I never considered myself sporty, but I played all the sports (softball, basketball) because my friends did. We cared more about having fun than winning. But swimming was always MY thing. (I’m a Pisces after all.) And I remember enjoying the Olympics on TV growing up so much that I bought a brick for the Olympic Park in Atlanta.

Paris 2024 Olympic journey begins

My true Paris 2024 Olympic journey started in late June when I happened to swim at a Paris public pool on the day they were doing time trials for an “Olympiade des Arrondissements.” Two weeks later I was invited to an informal ceremony where I learned I won gold for my age group for my district, received a gold medal, flowers and the opportunity to swim in the city-wide meet the following weekend.

I’d taken a break from swimming because my shoulder had been bothering me this year, yet this whole experience reminded me how much I not only loved swimming, but how much I loved competing. (I hadn’t seen the competitive side of myself for a long time. In summer swim team I’d get a certain joy from beating the boys.)

In all my years of swimming, this was the most official swim meet I’d ever been a part of and my first time racing 50m meters without a flip turn and using a trackpad.

The whole thing helped me get Olympic fever, and I had fans cheering me on through my Instagram posts, and I had friends who came and cheered me on which doesn’t always happen in adulthood. They were just as excited as I was that I got on the medal podium, where I received silver to match my hair. ( Pas mal for a girl who has swam a handful of times in the past six months.)

There I encountered my first French Olympian and former world record holder in the 50 free, Alain Bernard , as he was part of my medal award ceremony. Imagine my delight when I recognized him as one of the final torchbearers en route to the hot air balloon cauldron at the Opening Ceremony.

Two days after my swim race the torch relay went through my neighborhood, literally three blocks away. (This was the same route the men’s and women’s road cycling would take for three loops through Montmartre.)

I wandered down to Moulin Rouge and not only did I get to see the Olympic Torch Relay, I got to see Moulin Rouge cancan dancers. The relay that put the torch in the hands of so many different people and in the path of so many spectators throughout France definitely was a pivotal moment for many of us to make the Olympic Games real.

Anne S. Ditmeyer poses with the Olympic cauldron in Paris.

Sharing Olympic joy, Olympic fever

When it came to the actual Olympic events, I waited until less than three months before kick-off to purchase any tickets. I always knew my strategy was to see more events rather than to buy one big-money ticket. This strategy paid off handsomely as I’d look for tickets each Thursday when they were released, and discovered reduced visibility seats.

This allowed me to purchase nine events for the two weeks (I capped my budget at 500€) for a wide range of events, which later expanded to 14 events thanks to a few unexpected gifted tickets, last-minute invites from friends, and the events free for all to see. Being an Olympic goer became a full-time job before I knew it!

Part of the joy of the Olympics is sharing it with others. I bought two tickets and invited a different friend to each event, or rather, they self-selected, depending on their availability. Who knew the Olympics would be the best excuse to catch up with friends? (And Paris is such a small world that multiple times I knew other people in the stands as well.)

Most of the time neither of us were experts in the sport, instead, learning as we went. It became a bonding experience triangulating between what was before our eyes, what was on screen, the Olympics app, Google searches, and sometimes asking the people around us.

We were often left with even more questions. We were now invested. Who knew I’d be such a fan of table tennis, checking back to see if the French brothers would make it through in the team event after we saw them qualify? (They did, they got bronze. I may have cheered at my phone!).

I never imagined seeing so many French fans get into all the sports. Every time France competed during these games, it was truly electric in the crowds. So many French flags along with Allez les Bleus chants to cheer on the team. Let’s Go! At times the chants even got adapted to Allez Fe-lix! to cheer on 17-year-old French table tennis bronze medallist Felix Lebrun . I’ve never seen such pride out of my adoptive country.

It was fascinating too to see how fast events moved. Diving had six rounds of someone diving every 45 seconds—yes, I timed it! For the artistic gymnastics team competition, everything was done within 2.5 hours, including the medal ceremony. I’ve never experienced such efficiency in all my years in France! The Olympics are here to show us what is possible.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Anne Stark Ditmeyer (@pretavoyager)

The Olympic Games make friends of everyone

Everyone has a story, and you never know whom you might meet in line. My first unexpected encounter was with the Aussie swim fans behind me in the queue to enter La Defense Arena. I soon learned they were the parents of one of the women who won gold a few hours later in the 4x100m freestyle relay. My alma mater, the University of Virginia, was also well-represented in the pool this year, adding to the excitement.

At rowing, I reconnected with my former teammate from University of Virginia (and the first gold medallist I ever knew personally), who to my delight this year was back to coach the USA men’s pair on the day I happened to be gifted tickets.

By a wild twist of fate, at artistic gymnastics I was seated in front of US gymnast Jordan Chiles’ parents during the women’s team competition. It was very convenient for picking up tidbits about the level of difficulty and execution. Little did I know it would also be the debut of my head on NBC! Friends screamed when they spotted me on TV. This ticket was an invitation from someone I met at my book event I hosted in July, further exemplifying how you never know how things may unfold in life. Also, even if you can’t hear it people are cheering you on on the other side of the world!

In the queue for artistic swimming, we started up a conversation with the person who turned out to be the strength and conditioning trainer for Team USA. This conversation started because of his socks (one sock was blue with white stars, and the other was red and white stripes). We got a quick briefing on the sport, and then had seats in front of American athlete Megumi Fields’s fan club of friends who had oversized cutouts of her head and fabulously Olympic painted nails. These human encounters made it even more exciting to cheer on the silver medal-winning US team.

Another night I took myself to a local bistro for a beer and to watch the games on a big screen. I ended up striking up a conversation with the table next to me thinking they were American, and I showed them a new Instagram post of Snoop Dogg’s latest antics. Lo and behold, they were actually from Bermuda and had watched their sister swim in the triathlon that morning. I looked her up later. This was her fourth Olympics, and she won gold in Tokyo.

I was always the “quiet one” growing up, so the Olympics were a powerful reminder to me that we all can connect with others around a shared experience. When you’re at the Olympics you know everyone is there for the same thing. We all have stories whether we’re super fans or complete debutants for the sport.

Beach volleyball probably was the most successful at making us feel like we were part of something bigger, and this doesn’t even have to do with having an iconic view of the Eiffel Tower from our seats.

Like several of the venues, there was a DJ, dance cam, a “cancan cam” with overlay legs, but here they really warmed up the crowd. We had cheers to learn. My personal favorite was for the monster block which went like this, “Monster block. Monster block. Monster. Monster. Monster block” all while raising our hands. While you all were watching replays on TV, this is what kept us feeling like we were at the best party in town.

As a designer by trade, I noticed the use of color in all of the venues (the lilac track for athletics, purple for taekwondo in the historically stunning Grand Palais, blues for the aquatic events, and teal for table tennis). Before long you realize your own anthem for life is Gala’s “Freed From Desire” na na na na na na that was played at nearly every venue, and medal ceremony “Parade” by Victor le Masne is the music you want to celebrate everything in your life with. Music and the buzz of the spectators were just as much a part of the design. The intentional choices by the designers of the games stick with us as fans.

A necessary joy

It only makes sense that the term “collective effervescence” has a French origin, coined by Emile Durkheim over a century ago. It’s the joie de vivre and feeling of harmony and energy of people gathering with a shared purpose. It was something that organizational psychologist Adam Grant wrote about in the NYTimes after the pandemic to describe the joy we’ve all been missing.

While not everyone can experience the monster block chants or rumbling of feet on the bleachers that sound like a storm coming in in the actual venue, my Paris Olympic experience reminded me that when we watch the world, or gather with friends to watch at home or a bar, we can still feel part of something bigger than us. That collective effervescence is what the world needs right now.

Paris 2024 found a way to unite the collective and unleash the joy within us all, even managing to convert the skeptics. They truly showed us there was another way. It felt like nothing short of magic. There was a feeling here that I’ve never felt before, and it was sustained for two weeks. Even the Closing Ceremony reminded us of the power of doing things “My Way” through French singer Yseult’s rendition. Paris was not afraid of going big and embracing what the city has to offer. Doing things our way is a lesson we can all take forward.

If you’re feeling like you missed out, rest assured, the TV experience has its perks too. Also, it’s not too late. The Paralympics run 28 August through 8 September.

In the meantime, I’m ready for some sleep. Being an Olympic spectator is very fun, but it’s also exhausting. I can’t even imagine how the athletes feel coming down from it all. Alas, we have beautiful memories to return to. That feeling will always be within us.

Anne S. Ditmeyer is an American designer turned creative coach, workshop facilitator, and writer based in Paris, France. She is the author of OVERRIDE! What if there was another way? A pocket playbook for possibility . You can follow her at @pretavoyager on Instagram, and discover her work at anneditmeyer.com **.

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