The Power of Effort: Why the Journey Is More Important Than the Destination

Craig Stanland
3 min readMar 21, 2023

Self-love isn’t a destination.
Self-trust isn’t a destination.
Self-worth isn’t a destination.
My full potential isn’t a destination.
Self-acceptance isn’t a destination.
Knowing I’m enough isn’t a destination.
Success, as I define it, isn’t a destination.

They are each unique and separate journeys that run parallel to each other and whose paths cross regularly.

By themselves, they’re unbelievably powerful; together, they’re a foundation for a remarkable life.

The journeys are infinite while I’m still breathing; there’s no end outside my death.

The day I understood this was a transformational day.

It was one of those tumblers falling into place, epiphany-type moments that was both disappointing and liberating.

Disappointing because I’d never get where I thought I wanted to go. How would I know when I achieved them?

How would I measure myself?

For as long as I can remember, my self-worth and sense of being enough were inextricably interwoven to the outcome.

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Craig Stanland

I write about my journey from corporate success to federal prison and finding joy, mission, meaning, and fulfillment beyond professional and financial success.