If you have ever been discouraged by failure, please read on.
Often, achieving your goal is not the most important thing. Let me explain.
Two brothers decided to dig a deep hole behind their house. As they worked, a couple of older boys stopped to watch.
"What are you doing?" asked one visitor.
"We plan to dig a hole all the way through the earth!" one brother exclaimed excitedly.
The older boys laughed, saying it was impossible.
After a long silence, one digger picked up a jar full of spiders, worms, and a wide assortment of insects. He removed the lid and showed the contents to the scoffing visitors.
Then he said quietly and confidently, "Even if we don't dig all the way through the earth, look what we found along the way!"
Their goal was overly ambitious, but it motivated them to dig. That is the purpose of a goal—to move us in a chosen direction, to set us to digging!
Not every goal will be fully achieved. Not every job will succeed. Not every relationship will endure. Not every hope will come to pass. Not every love will last. Not every endeavor will be completed. Not every dream will be realized.
But when you fall short, you can say, "Yes, but look what I found along the way! Look at the wonderful things that have come into my life because I tried!"
Life is lived in the digging. And I believe it is the joy in the journey that truly matters.