Any goal that is achieved is done so through some kind of sacrifice. While reading Mary Oliver’s “The Journey” I found the theme was largely about the struggles of sacrificing your past and your comforts for what you want. Those around you are stuck clinging on to you, for you are their last dying hope to feel adequate. Society has a long list of rules and standards that seemingly cannot be broken, but all successful men/women find a way. Your peers are also part of the chain you need to break in order to chase down your dreams. Who has the most influence on you day to day? “The Journey” teaches about all the adversity there is to overcome in achieving your goals and leading to success. 

College is the largest example of forming better time management skills. No parents or authority figures are here to tell you how to spend your time. Money, parties, and social experiences will have to be set aside in order to achieve a college education. “Though the voices around you / kept shouting / their bad advice” (3-5) is Olivers way of referencing all the negative influences surrounding those on their path to success. The short lines give the reader ample time to envision themselves in this story; every step of the way. These influences could be material objects, friends, or even bad habits. In many circumstances the things you love most are what are keeping you furthest from your goals. 

Society is packed with norms and regulations everyone must abide by. Failure to abide by these guidelines leads to an exile fit for a social outcast. Oliver shows her character breaking the bonds of society when “each voice cried. / But you didn’t stop” (11-12). Lack of success due to commitment is a road paved by those looking to survive. People who thrive break away from social norms and do what they have to. The purpose of achievement makes these norms small, insignificant, and worth every bump along the way.

As  we become older many of us fall into ruts through routines practiced all our lives. Things that feel natural are the beasts that will destroy us. A common practice for bodybuilders is to incorporate different methods of tearing down the muscles. This way their muscles will never resort to old methods of dealing with stress. “the old tug” as Oliver says is the tug of pain caused by breaking old habits and forming new ones. “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”- Neale Donald. 

With success comes the constant drag of people that aren’t achieving what they would like to. The closer these people are to you, the more they will hang on to your journey. Expecting no less than your help in any way they see fit. These people see your potential but take comfort in the fact that you have not challenged their initiative. Ignoring or denying any request of you will turn you into the asshole who can’t help anyone but himself. Oliver exclaims “Mend my life!” with such exclamation and abruptness one could not stop to think of the horrors trailing such a statement. The people leaning on independent souls in “The Journey” cause the reader to think about who in their life that pertains to.

“Branches and stones” (22) are major setbacks that push an individual further from their goals. For a runner that might be breaking a bone, for a student, failing a class. Fearing these obstacles is the main reason undermotivated people are scared to go with their gut. Overcoming trials goes hand in hand with finding new challenges. There will always be setbacks, how you recover from those setbacks sets you apart.  

The path to achieving what you want in life is not an easy or short one. Other than survival needs, everything else gets reprioritized. Overcoming short term problems pushes you into an uncomfortable place, unchartered territory. “sheets of clouds” (26) simulate the duration of stress over long periods of time. Coming to terms with the journey causes tunnel vision, a fog around everything else except for what you care about. The only thing pulling you through the fog are “the stars” (25) that burn through the “sheets of clouds”.

“The Journey” begins with “One day you finally knew” (1), which implies you had known before that you weren’t where you wanted to be. Every success story starts with a choice to make a current path better. Similar to how you only know something is good when it’s gone, wanting something comes from the inability to have it. All wants start with a dream, but journeys are guided by a vision. Motivation for results depends on the reality of seeing yourself achieving your goals. 

The light at the end of the tunnel is always the slowest and hardest part. You have endured the journey, overcome your fears, and now the end is in sight. The only difference now is that you have complete faith in yourself. Now there is an obligation to finish what you started or else past tribulations have been for nothing. The lines “as you strode deeper and deeper / into the world” (31-32) is an individual marching to the beat of his own drum. Acting and following through with thoughts and dreams are what separate those who achieve and those who merely get through life .

Adversity can be defined as many things, although they are universally known to be breaking points. Olivers “The Journey” can be interpreted in many ways, coming out of addiction was my interpretation from first glance. From that I gathered the underlying meaning, adversity has many forms but can dealt with in only one way. Hard work, laser sharp focus, and a rock solid work ethic that will not be tampered with by others. Mary Oliver created this piece knowing first hand as a writer the obstacles in the way of success. No matter the goal, everything is more involved than it seems and nothing comes easy.
