There are two distinctly different types of people at the far ends of a continuum.

Destination people proceed through life focused on destinations… end points that are very much desired. Destination people are very much goal oriented. They consciously set goals and are totally focused on achieving them. They ruminate about goals, devise strategies to achieve goals and day dream about how good life will be when a goal is achieved. Their focus is often very narrow, as can be the scope of their interests.They map out their journey, anticipate barriers and attempt to reach their destination in the shortest possible time. All that they see, all that they do, all that they think about is getting to the destination. A delay in reaching a destination is very upsetting. Failure to reach a destination — catastrophic and devastating. The trip to a destination is a bother to destination people. They see, hear and sense very little on the journey that is not related to the destination.

Destination people, appear to be absent minded though in reality their memory is infallible when it relates to their desired destination. A journey for a destination person is a race and they become impatient with fellow travelers who can\’t keep pace or want to tarry to enjoy the ride. They are competitive and focus on winning. Ironically, destination people, after a brief period of exhilaration, often feel restless and even empty once the destination is achieved. They quickly find another destination and the race begins again. Destination people are cool people. They often accomplish great things. But, all too often they find themselves looking back with regret.

Journey people proceed through life focused on destinations too. It\’s just that the destination isn\’t the only thing. Sometimes it isn\’t even the thing. as journey people frequently change their destination somewhere during the journey. An object in the middle of a path would be an obstacle to overcome for a destination person. For a journey person it might engender fascination and might become the best part of a journey. Time is not so important to journey people. A short trip can turn into a long trip without causing any distress. Failure to reach a destination likewise isn\’t always felt as a failure…sometimes it is cause for celebration. It\’s not that journey people don\’t have goals…they do, of course. And they can be remarkably adept at achieving goals. It\’s just that they seem to insist on enjoying, noticing and celebrating the trip. They often have an artist\’s eye and temperament. The artist has an eye for color, form, proportion and perspective and observes much on the journey that escapes destination people. The artist can easily lose consciousness of the destination while noticing the shades and juxtapositions of color and form in a landscape. Sometimes they reach their destination almost by accident. The journey person tends to live in the here and now. The journey person will see the eagle soaring overhead rather than obsess about the tasks and hurdles that need to be managed to reach the destination. The journey person instinctively knows the difference between a journey with an end point and one that stretches out indefinitely, a distinction that a destination person has to learn through loss and missed opportunity.

Journey people grasp the real challenge and joy of recovery from drug addiction treatment, a journey that doesn\’t have a known destination, a journey that stretches out, that curves and twists and morphs, a journey that is to be enjoyed, that is full of mystery\’s to be solved, paradoxes to contemplate and simple joys and accomplishments. Journey people know that the recovery after drug addiction treatment actually has many destinations–meeting of new friends, hearing new jokes, seeing oneself from a variety of new vantage points, finding relief and freedom in an ever deepening sense of humility, filling more and more with every step of the journey with the sense of a power greater than self. So, if you are a journey person enjoy your journey in recovery, you are made for this trip. If you are a destination person look for the eagle overhead once and a while and the glory of the sunset on another sober day. I have heard many say that recovery after treatment is a journey not a destination.

Go to www.valleyhope.org to learn more.

Ken Gregoire, Ph.D.
President/CEO

Go to http://www.valleyhope.org to learn more.
Ken Gregoire, Ph.D.
President/CEO

Author Bio: Go to www.valleyhope.org to learn more.

Ken Gregoire, Ph.D.
President/CEO

Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
Keywords: drug addiction treatment, alcohol rehab, drug rehab, drug rehab centers, drug rehab center