Obsessed With the Journey, Unbothered by the Destination

The Tao of Arriving With Rhythm and Grace

I’m obsessed. Not with where I’m going, but with how I move. The rhythm, the tempo, the grace. Or the glorious clumsiness of my own damn dance through life.

I’m not chasing finish lines anymore, what the musical group TLC called “Waterfalls.” I’m high on the glide, the stumble, the recalibration. I don’t care if I arrive. I care if I flow.

Because here’s the truth that Lao Tzu whispers through the Tao Te Ching, like wind slipping through bamboo: “A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.”

That’s not a fortune cookie. That’s a worldview. That’s the anti-hustle. That’s liberation.

In a world where productivity porn floods your feed, where every influencer is “building their brand” and every minute is monetized, choosing to be obsessed with the unfolding of your own weird, wild, wonky life, instead of some endpoint you’ll never quite reach, is straight-up revolutionary.

I’ve known people who achieved everything they set out to do and still felt empty. I’ve also met nomads who drifted across continents with no job title, no five-year plan, no LinkedIn bio—and they radiated joy. What made the difference wasn’t what they were doing. It was how they were showing up at each moment. That’s the obsession I’m talking about.

The I Ching, in all its enigmatic brilliance, affirms this mindset again and again. Hexagram 46, “Pushing Upward,” reminds us: “Perseverance furthers. One must climb step by step.”

Hear that 👉🏿 Step by step, not leap to the summit. Not teleporting to glory. Not manifesting a mansion with perfect Feng Shui and 2.5 children. Just a step. Just presence. Just persistence.

The destination is a mirage. It shimmers, seduces, then evaporates. But your life—your real, breathing, trembling, beautiful life—is right here. In the taste of your morning coffee. In the awkward pause during a conversation. In the long walks with no purpose. The journey is not the prelude. It is da masterpiece.

And so, in the rebellious spirit of the Tao, I offer you five of my playful and profound pieces of wisdom for savoring the terrain versus the obsessing about the horizon. Here ya go…..

💋Stop Treating Life Like a GPS Trip to “Successville”

The Tao doesn’t offer turn-by-turn navigation. It offers rivers. Clouds. Breezes. Sometimes dead ends. So go ahead, miss your metaphorical exit. Get lost. Wander into the metaphysical equivalent of a roadside diner and order the daily special. Spoiler: It’s probably you (speaking to you Stacey Nicholls at The Space Cookie)

💋 Just Be Your Own Badass Version of You

You don’t need to be the next Steve Jobs of your industry or the Simone Biles of your yoga class. Be the village eccentric. Be the guy or gal who grows tomatoes and reads the I Ching under moonlight. The Tao loves those who don’t try too hard. “He who stands on tiptoe does not stand firm,” says Lao Tzu. Just walk barefoot instead.

💋 Wear Your “WTF Am I Doing?” Badge With Pride

Everyone is winging it. Some just fake it louder. Stop pretending you know where this is all going. Laugh when it rains. Cry when it doesn’t. Then get back to your weird little obsessions. That’s sacred. That’s Tao.

💋 Comparison is the Destination’s Evil Twin

Nothing kills the joy of the journey like peeking at someone else’s itinerary. So what if they “arrived” sooner, sexier, or with a book deal? Maybe your path winds through enchanted forests while theirs goes straight through a strip mall. Stay on your trail. Own your terrain.

💋 Celebrate Every Damn Pebble

People throw parties for promotions. Try throwing one for “showing up.” Light a candle for brushing your teeth when the world feels like too much. Pour a glass of wine to honor the fact that you resisted replying to a troll online. You are alive, friend. That’s the party.

🎉 🎉 🎉

There’s a scene from Zhuangzi’s writings where a humble, twisted tree is mocked for being “useless”—it can’t be carved into furniture, nor does it bear fruit. But because of its crookedness, it lives on. Untouched. Free. That’s the Tao’s love letter to those of us who aren’t rushing anywhere. The journey, not the destination, is the usefulness.

So yeah—I’m obsessed. But not with legacy, status, or arrival. I’m obsessed with being in the now. With sitting still when the world says sprint. With dancing when it says bow. With failing spectacularly. With laughing at my own missteps and still waking up curious.

Because in this lifetime, I’m not trying to get somewhere.

I’m trying to be someone aka The Chocolate Taoist

And maybe that someone is always in motion, always becoming, never done. Maybe that someone is you.

Obsess accordingly.

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Diamond Michael Scott

aka The Chocolate Taoist