The Joy Is in the Journey
Originally published on Rabbi Smason’s beehiiv on July 30, 2026.
John John Florence is one of the world’s greatest surfers. As a young man, he devoted himself to a single dream: becoming the best surfer in the world. In 2016, after years of relentless training, sacrifice, and perseverance, that dream became reality. He captured his first world championship, reaching the summit of his sport.
But the next morning, something unexpected happened.
Florence found himself asking, “Now what?” Reflecting on that experience, he admitted, “When I won my first world title, I was super down after. It was pretty depressing… You wake up the next day, and you’re like, ‘Oh. I’m back at ground zero again.’”
How could accomplishing the goal he had pursued for most of his life leave him feeling not simply disappointed, but empty?
✨3 Ideas
- **The journey changes us **
The greatest value of any worthwhile journey isn’t reaching the destination. It’s the transformation taking place within us along the way.
Our daily habits, discipline, and every challenge we persevere through gradually shape the person we are becoming. **The process doesn’t simply produce the achievement. It produces the person who achieves it. **
Within each of us lies a soul with extraordinary possibilities. But those possibilities remain only potential until we make the choices that transform them into reality.
- **Looking only at the finish line **
It’s easy to measure our success by whether we reach our goal. We tell ourselves, “I’ll be satisfied when …” — when I earn the promotion, lose the weight, or write the book.
There’s much to admire about setting goals and working to achieve them. But when the destination becomes our only focus, we overlook who we’re becoming along the way.
The journey may begin to feel like an obstacle instead of a gift. We risk overlooking the growth taking place within us, and may lose the joy that comes from fully giving ourselves to today’s calling.
- **Through a different prism **
Asking, “Who is today’s effort helping me become?” brings meaning to each day. Our measure of success becomes how our soul is shaped, and how much closer we come to the person we are meant to be.
When we begin to see the journey differently, we begin to live the journey differently.
We discover greater purpose and joy. We give ourselves more fully to each step, knowing that the entire process has value far beyond reaching our goal.
📜2 Quotes
“So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their deeds, because that is their lot …” — Ecclesiastes 3:22
“The journey itself is my home.” — Matsuo Bashō, Japanese poet
❓1 Question
Where are you so focused on reaching the finish line that you’re overlooking the gift of the journey?
We began with a question: How could winning the world surfing championship leave John John Florence feeling empty?
Florence eventually discovered that his deepest joy wasn’t waiting at the finish line — it had been accompanying him throughout the journey. Looking back, he reflected, “I learned from that pretty quickly that I enjoyed the process. I enjoyed the process of going after that goal. I’ve been able to put that into other parts of my life.”
Goals give our lives direction. But the greatest gift of any journey isn’t simply reaching the destination. It’s the joy we experience and the person we become along the way.
Until next time, Wishing you joy and growth on the many journeys of your life,
Rabbi Ze’ev Smason
P.S. What project, goal, or new habit are you pursuing that is bringing you joy or helping you grow? I’d love to hear from you — just hit “Reply” — I read every response.
P.P.S. If this week’s reflection resonated with you, my new book, Spiritual Sparks: A Reader, continues that journey with sixteen essays exploring purpose, relationships, gratitude, and our inner life. I hope you’ll take a look: Amazon