A Journey or a Challenge?

United States
July 28, 2010 9:56am CST
My guy friend and I a while back had a discussion, more of a debate on this. He said life is a challenge. I disagree with that statement. I feel life is a journey in which we face many challenges. I feel this is a journey and eventually at the end of this journey we will come to the end to happiness. So, do you believe life is a challenge? Or do you think life is a journey in which we face many challenges along the way? All thoughts welcome
4 people like this
16 responses
@RONDOLAWE (774)
• Indonesia
29 Jul 10
hi lilangelspreschool , so hard you name . life is both , to a man life is a challenge some kind of it but for a women life is journey some kind of it saying just like you do . that is name a choice of life what for we are life in this world to make a journey or challenge . you know why i saying some kind man saying this life is challenge because the man always want to do hard way in this world like boxing , football , ice ski , climbing mountain , any hard to do wakakakakakakakakaaaa but tome is the greating ever do to we are as a man ! all the journey just for women because alot of women like shoping and traveling.
• United States
29 Jul 10
Thanks for your response =) Sorry about my long name, lol. I think it is very interesting that you think it is a different view because of gender. I personally don't think it has anything to do with gender but I respect your opinion. Females have hard things come into their life as well. We face challenges too, sometimes harder challenges than most men. I honestly hate shopping by the way and I am a female. I go in a store get what I have to get and get out.
• Indonesia
31 Jul 10
i,m sorry about my response if get you heart feeling but alot of female is not to big the challenges in this world if they get crime its just crazy people in this wild world to get anything he wanted lol , i just wanted say your friends just talking like that to you because you and you friends has debate you saying in this discussion , as female you just dont want to lose any way to a male , thats way any women get challenges in this life .
@grace24 (1050)
• Philippines
28 Jul 10
I think both of you got it right. Life is a challenge because everyday we are struggling. Life is also a journey because we face problems everyday. We can never really tell what life is. All i know is that living a life is complicated. It is hard to explain.
• United States
29 Jul 10
Thanks for your response =) I agree that life is complicated, therefore I cannot say that life is just a challenge. If it was just a challenge it wouldn't be complicated, would it? It would just be a challenge, no complication about that.
@antilove (191)
• Vietnam
31 Jul 10
Yep, I agree with lilangel and grace that life is a journey with lots of challenges a long the way. Each challenge give us one experience even if we overcome it or not. Life without challenges will be boring and dull. When we overcome all challenges, our journey will get the destination. But when? Maybe when we pass away^^
@bamrahkirti (1821)
• India
29 Jul 10
It is a very subjective question which differs from person to person.Everybody has his own notion and definition. According to me life is a journey and during the journey we face different situations: some good some bad and the real challenge is to overcome the difficult times in a patient manner. Life is like a roller coaster and the real traveler is the person who wins all challenges of life with courage and determination.
• United States
29 Jul 10
Thanks for your response =) I think people can have their own notions about life and what it is. However, for someone to say life is just a challenge they are saying nothing good ever comes to them which I disagree with because everyone has something good in their lives. I agree with your take on it though
@sender621 (14894)
• United States
29 Jul 10
I think that life is indeed a journey. it is filled with good times, bad times, joys, sorrows, and trials. The challenge could be in how we approach the road ahead of us.
• United States
29 Jul 10
Thanks for your response =) I think you hit it right on. The challenge is absolutely how we approach it and take it on.
@blueboy3 (123)
• Ireland
28 Jul 10
More and more, I am reluctant to embrace any single notion that might encapsulate life. Ideas life 'journey' too often get used in spirituality or religion as a way of keeping us from facing the full challenge of life. The metaphor of journey suggests that everything ultimately has a meaning, e.g. that pain helps us to grow. I have seen too many people be crushed by the pain to accept such a view of life. At the same time, I don't think it is simply a challenge either. The bottom line, for me at least, is that I do not know what it is, and try to remain open to that with all of the positive and negative possiblities that implies.
• United States
29 Jul 10
Thanks for your response =) So, you don't think life has any meaning? There are many challenges in life but if we overcome them we will see the happiness, that's at least how I look at it. I have been through many difficult things too but I think those difficult things and how I overcame them is what makes me who I am now.
@blueboy3 (123)
• Ireland
6 Aug 10
Thanks for your rseponse, sorry that I have not replied sooner. No its not that I think that life has no meaning. I guess I am suspicious when people too readily say life, or suffering, etc., is meaninful. (I don't think that is what you are saying, your sense of life as a journey seems to be rooted in a real journey, its strugggles, and so on.) All too often people put up with difficult or damaging situations, because they see that this is part of life's journey. I have a friend who thinks that suffering is her lot - which I find distressing. She might make different choices if she felt this suffering is meaningless and unjust on her. I guess, it is open for me how meaningful life is. I generally think it does, but sometimes I wonder, and I think that questioning can be a good thing.
@Largoman (30)
• United States
3 Aug 10
I agree with you. Life is a journey and on our journey we face many challenges. The outcome of these challenges are what make us who we are as a person. This may sound crazy, But even the bad choices we make and the consiquence of our bad choces are invaluable.
• United States
3 Aug 10
Thanks for your response =) Exactly, it's all about the choices we make. Saying it's only a challenge is saying that no happiness exists. We all have some kind of happiness in our lives.
@GardenGerty (157545)
• United States
28 Jul 10
I would come into the discussion in favor of life being a journey. We all are headed somewhere. Yes, there are many challenges on that journey, some sad, some exciting and happy challenges. If life were just one challenge we would be more or less stuck in place.
• United States
29 Jul 10
Thanks for your response =) You look at this exactly the same way that I look at it.
@maximax8 (31053)
• United Kingdom
28 Jul 10
I believe that life is a journey and none of us know how long it is going to last. We know the past, the present we are finding out about and the future is a mystery. It is just like a journey and there might be some challenges along the way for some people. Some times in life things can be wonderful but every now and then matters could occur which are miserable. Mostly life is happy but it can have a few downs. Maybe your friend had faced many challenges.
• United States
29 Jul 10
Thanks for your response =) I don't think life is mostly wonderful actually, I think there are challenges every day but life is more than just a challenge. There are some happy things that happen too. We have all faced many challenges in our lives, everyone something different but that's what happens on a journey where eventually you will get to the happy ending.
@ellie333 (21016)
28 Jul 10
I'm with you on this one. Life is a journey in which we face challenges along the way rather than being a challenge in itself. Huggles. Ellie :D
• United States
29 Jul 10
Thanks for your response =) If life were just a challenge there would be no happiness. Can anyone say honestly that there is no happiness anywhere in life? I don't think so.
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
28 Jul 10
hi lilangelspeschool I have yet to see any journey that does not have a few challenges and I think life is a journey with a heckof a lot of challenges starting with falling in love, marriage, kids, losing a mate,facing old age with health issues and not crumbling under them'its a real challenge as I just learned that my left eye is pretty bad with macular degeneration and a cataract. the eye doctor says that removing the cataract will not help my vision in that eye. but my right eye is still pretty good, so am getting new glasses.Learning to live with diabetes and and all the stuff thatgoes with it, yes all are challenges but at least on can face them one at a time.So it is a journey with hopefully that happy ending in heaven. I do believe so pretty I will get there one day.
• United States
29 Jul 10
Thanks for your response =) I'm sorry for all that your going through in your life right now. That does make this journey harder to deal with. There are tons of challenges I agree with that but for someone to say life is nothing but a challenge is saying there is no happiness in life. Is there really no happiness in one person's life?
@bubulizzz (508)
• Latvia
28 Jul 10
I think that our life is a journey in which we have many challenges. If we fallow what our heart is saying to as then we can enjoy this life journey, but if we limit ourself with different material things like money, property, people, then our life stays static and we can't to experience life as a journey. We are standing at one point or better would be say that we are turning around all the time. We woke up in the morning and go to job, after this we come back to home, watch TV and go to sleep. And this rite we practice every day. What kind of journey can be so tiresome and uneventful? In this routine we can see only challenges nothing more. The evil powers (political authorities etc.) which control or try to control all the world, try to make all humans as static figures, which will do everything what they say, so people start to lose the feeling of their life as journey. But in true - life is so wonderful journey, which we must to enjoy and live with love!
• United States
29 Jul 10
Thanks for your response =) Sometimes we do only face challenges day by day but there are some good things that happen in our every day lives too. I don't think every single day is only a challenge and nothing good. They are trying to take away our journey and make it all a challenge but I for one will not let them do this to me.
@hexeduser22 (7253)
• Philippines
29 Jul 10
I'm with you on this one. Life is indeed a journey and we face challenges and or rewards in every turn we do or direction we choose. I won't say that life is a challenge because if it's just a challenge we should have all been born matured and with an open mind to take the challenge from the start onwards but it isn't the case for us all. By that observation I say life isn't a challenge at all but a journey full of challenges and fruitful rewards
• United States
29 Jul 10
Thanks for your response =) I agree, life is a journey with tons of challenges. To say life is just a challenge your saying there is no happiness or anything good. No one can honestly say that they have no happiness at all in their life.
• India
28 Jul 10
Hi angel, In my point of view.... Life is journey for those who compromises with. And is challenge for those who fight for reaching their goals. I myself feel life is both.. I compromise when i feel helpless n will try to over come that situation which made me helpless... Happy Mylotting... :)
• United States
29 Jul 10
Thanks for your response =) So you think those that fight for things only face challenges? I feel if you fight for things you will come out of the challenge and come to happiness so it is no longer a challenge.
• India
28 Jul 10
Life is a big war and the most decisive battle is fought against ourselves as they say "He who conquers himself has conquered all" So just be prepared for the big war .
• United States
29 Jul 10
Thanks for your response =) Your thought's are interesting, I will have to ponder more on this one. You pretty much left me speechless.
• Philippines
28 Jul 10
hello lilangelspreschool! i believe that life is basically a journey which we take either by walking it through or breezing by, and along the way we face a lot of challenges which we either overcome or just ignore, depending on the choices we make. On the other hand, your friend is partly correct because if we really ponder about it, life is a challenge indeed, a challenging journey for everyone of us.. from that journey, we make or break our self, our life. So many had even surrendered to this challenge and kill themselves, cutting short their journey, for reasons they only can fathom..
• United States
29 Jul 10
Thanks for your response =) Yes, it is a challenging experience but to say life is a challenge is just saying that's all life is and there are no good things to come. I believe life will end with happiness at the end of this long, challenging journey.
@bokal2703 (802)
• Philippines
28 Jul 10
I agree on you that it is a journey where we encounter challenges. Both of you has a point, you and your friend actually collates the idea of how life is, it's just a matter of how the two you see and present things, but all in all, you will both arrive at the same thought. I believe that in this journey, we are being presented to many challenges that hone us into a stronger individual. Once we surpass the challenges along the way, we arrive to our common aspiration of having the happiness we all long for...
• United States
29 Jul 10
Thanks for your response =) Right, I agree with you that we face many challenges. However, I cannot think that all life is is a challenge. I think there are many good things in life and at the end of life we will have all the happiness in the world.