Walk, Don’t Run: Why Life is More About the Journey Than the Destination

If you were to give me one million dollars right now, nothing would change. Really. I mean that. My day to day living would not change, outside of location of living. Heck, I’d still walk the golf course over driving the cart (more on that later).

Now, I’d surely clear what debt I have. I’d buy myself a little farmhouse out in the country. I’d also buy a few more Bitcoin and invest into even more cryptocurrency, but for the most part, my daily life wouldn’t change. I’d still show up for work everyday as a funeral director. I’d still drive my Subaru Forester (until the Tesla Cyber Truck is released, admittedly). I’d still read and write, to my heart’s content. I’d still paddle board on lakes. I’d still fish with $30 rods and $5 lures. I would also still look into ways of bettering my life and more importantly, those around me. One million dollars would not change me, personally.

I wouldn’t buy a boat, as my inflatable paddle board is all I need at this point in my life. While I’m still young enough and healthy enough to paddle myself out into the water, why wouldn’t I? At some point, a boat would be nice to have and go out with others on, but I can just rent one for a day or two to do that. 

While I may have the money to start my own funeral home, why would I? I certainly am not at the experience level to run not only my own business, but one that requires so much more than just having money. Heck, a cool million probably wouldn’t even be enough, regardless. I just don’t know, and that’s part of my point. I can stay doing what I love and keep that money for future ownership opportunities when I am far better prepared for success. Walk, don’t run.

I wouldn’t need a new vehicle, because I just leased a brand new one. What is a few more months of a new and more expensive vehicle going to do that my Subaru Forester can’t? I already store my life in the back anyway (fishing gear, tent, paddle board and golf clubs). That’s about all I need to have good clean fun in nature.

Why such a silly claim, you ask? I was thinking about this while going on a walk throughout my local park. The fall colors are ending, but still in sight. The water was calm and just had this shine to it as the sun bore up from the trees. I looked around myself and thought, “Wow, what could be greater than this?” And it’s all free. Living in Wisconsin, I am truly blessed with my surroundings. I told myself then that I wouldn’t trade where I am for a million dollars.

Crisp air. Four seasons of weather. Fish filled lakes and rivers, along with weekly tradition of a Friday fish fry. Music festivals (pre Covid of course). Local, organic meat markets and farmer’s markets. Some of the best cheese and beer known to all of America. Date nights. And the views. Did I mention the views? People make millions and billions of dollars and they spend it lavishly on trips, to escape their day to day life. I am blessed to be able to live where people want to escape to. When I want to escape, I just go outside. Literally, I just step outside and go for a walk. If I want to get away for a weekend, I just take a short few hours drive. 

Living in Wisconsin has made me realize that no amount of money would ever change that. Everything I want in life is here. Everything I need in life is here. Everything I hope to achieve in life is here.

My last article touched on having five goals. All five of those goals are obtainable in Wisconsin. Money will not solve problems that most people deal with. Sure, it may upgrade a lifestyle or what you have, but those are just things. Material possessions that won’t keep you happy forever. At some point, you’ll feel lonely. Or sad. Or depressed. Or want to do something with your life. Those feelings and motivation aren’t driven by money, it’s driven by what’s inside you.

Inside each of us, are feelings. We all feel different. We all want different things. We are who we are. For me, I’ve shared quite a bit about who I am with all of you. I will continue to do so as well, because this is one of my other escapes: writing. I have so many things that go through my head per day, that the only way to release the stress and thoughts, is to get them out. So I write.

Some days I write a lot, and just go and go. Other days I might write a paragraph and be done. There is no set limit or rhyme or reason to what I write about or what comes to me. For what it’s worth, the best ideas come to me when I’m outside. Going on those nature walks sure breed inspiration, am I right?

This past Sunday, I went golfing, as it was a beautiful day outside. As I was letting the golf attendant know that it would just be for myself, and I wasn’t with a group, she asked if I wanted to add a cart to my 18 holes. I quickly thought to myself, why would I want to run, and hurry up when I could walk, and enjoy such a gorgeous day? I replied with a no thanks and was on my merry way.

Sure, my shoulders were a little sore the next day and my hamstrings were tight, but it was 100% worth it. I would do this again, and plan to, when I golf alone next time. I also shot probably the best 18 holes of my life. It was about the journey. It was about walking, when I could have ran. I wanted to soak up as much daylight as I could, while we still can in Wisconsin (it gets dark by about 5:00 PM these days, er nights).

This is what life is about. Bettering one’s lifestyle, sure, but in more ways than just money. Money is the vehicle to getting us places, but not the means. The ends do not justify the means, in my opinion, if money is the goal. I wouldn’t trade in the journeys and experiences for the shortcut of money. To go back to what I said earlier, money wouldn’t change my interests. Money wouldn’t suddenly make me not want to write. Money doesn’t drive me one bit. 

Life is about more than that, and it’s certainly taken me awhile to figure that out, but now that I have; I wouldn’t change it for a million dollars. Would you?

• Noah Watry @ www.noahwatry.medium.com
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• To purchase my latest book, “The Game of Life and Poker,” click here, available only on Amazon.