The finish line is always moving or perhaps gets postponed. Maybe there is no finish line. Just when you figure out something or reach the destination you have been striving for, you often will face a new challenge and be forced to start over again on a different journey.
In law school, when you graduate, you still need to study and pass the bar exam. Even after passing the bar exam, you may still need to find a job. After you get a job you still need to work on your first case.
Life is about the journey, not the finish/destination. The title of a book sums it all up. Joan Benoit Samuelson, one of the greatest female runners, wrote a book called No Finish Line. Sometimes when running a race, when I can see the finish line it appears that it keeps getting further away instead of closer, no matter how fast I run.
Every journey is transformative. When I completed my first marathon, it took some time to come down from the high of crossing that finish line. My mind was still racing for a few days after the race. I had spent so much time preparing and thinking about the race that it was hard to switch gears and take a break when it was over. It was a little depressing or a bit of a letdown in the weeks after it. How could I capture that high again I wondered? Would I run another one? Although that journey and race was over, I realized that while crossing the finish line was a huge accomplishment (and relief!) the journey to get there was the most gratifying gift.
Now what is next? When one journey ends, another begins. Running a marathon is symbolic of life – lots of ups and downs, turns, bumps in the road but you just need to keep moving forward. What is your next goal? Head in the direction you want to go. The point is not whether you get to your destination, but that you had the courage to go on the journey.