How a tiny mistake let a prized catch get away

A story, quote and lesson about enjoying the ride

It’s all about the journey, not the destination

This past week I have had the opportunity of celebrating Christmas on a beach trip with my family. It has been a time filled with relaxation, reflection, and gratitude. However, it has also been a time for new experiences, planning and setting new goals for the year to come.

Amongst these new experiences, one of the highlights of the trip was an invitation I got from my uncle to go fishing with him. He had brought a small fishing pole on the trip and was eager to find a dock to fish from, inviting me to tag along on the adventure.

Once we had found a serviceable dock, we started casting the line, looking for bites. Soon enough, we had each caught two small fish and were pretty happy with ourselves. However, we wanted to reach the big leagues. We were looking for a bigger catch.

We adjusted our bait setup to target larger fish and began testing our luck. Within minutes, the rubber lure we cast out was bitten clean in half. Something big was lurking below. We replaced the lure and tried again, only for it to return bitten off once more. Undeterred, we cast out a third time—and this time, it hooked!

As soon as the fight began, the reel on our fishing pole snapped under the sheer force of the fish pulling away. It was a big one, no doubt about it. Determined not to lose it, we kept pulling with the broken reel, inching it closer bit by bit. Nearly 20 minutes later, a local fisherman passing by offered to help with the final stretch. With his assistance, and after another grueling 5 minutes, the catch finally came into view—a massive jack, easily tipping the scales at over 20 pounds!

Picture of a fisherman holding a jack crevalle as an example.

It was right there, just within our grasp. All we had to do was pull it out of the water. As my uncle reached down, he felt the jack struggling to break free. Thinking quickly, he placed the line on the dock and pressed it down with his shoe to hold it steady. But the rough wooden surface was unforgiving—the line snapped cleanly. In an instant, the jack swam away. Our prized catch was gone.

“Let your joy be in your journey - not in some distant goal.”

Tim Cook, American businessman currently serving as Apple’s CEO.

I’m not going to lie—the sting of defeat was immense. We were 99% of the way there, but we couldn’t seal the deal. The walk back to our hotel was long and quiet, giving me time to reflect on the past few hours.

Although we “failed” to achieve our goal, the experience was far from a loss. We honed our fishing skills, picked up tips from local fishermen, explored the surrounding beach, and gained a deeper appreciation for the region. But the most valuable takeaway wasn’t technical or geographical—it was the chance to bond over a shared experience.

Life is often chaotic, so carving out a few peaceful hours to fish, talk with my uncle, and learn a thing or two was a gift. This moment reinforced an important truth: life is a journey, not a destination, and our happiness isn’t tied to where we end up but to the experiences we share along the way.

So now I ask you:

What can you do to enjoy your day-to-day journey moving forward?

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