The thing about life is is that you have to take the journey. If you want to accomplish a goal, you have to run the race. Even when your shoelaces are undone, there's sweat falling off of you like fat, chubby raindrops, and your thirst is so ravenous, the only thing you want by the end of the race, at the end of it all, is a couple drops of water. Even with all that, you HAVE to run the race. At some point, you will find yourself saying 'ok, whatever happens, as long as I can cross the finish line and wet my tongue with a few drops of water, I'll be ok.' All you will want is some water. All you will want is some relief.

But you only drink water when you're thirsty so you have to be thirsty. You have to work really hard. You'll know that you worked really, really hard when the only thing you see is mirages of water everywhere and every time you reach for a droplet in your mind, it vanishes before you can taste it. That's when you know you worked hard. That's when you know that you're on a true journey and that your journey is the real thing. Otherwise, you don't know life yet.