--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the end, though, maybe it's not how…" description: "\"In the end, though, maybe it's not how you reach a place that matters. Just that you get there at all.\" — Sarah Dessen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/000/sarah-dessen-110_ends_in-the-end-though-maybe-it-s-not-how-you_345002.png" --- # In the end, though, maybe it's not how you reach a place… ![“In the end, though, maybe it's not how you reach a place that matters. Just that you get there at all.” quote by Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/000/sarah-dessen-110_ends_in-the-end-though-maybe-it-s-not-how-you_345002.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/000/sarah-dessen-110_ends_in-the-end-though-maybe-it-s-not-how-you_345002.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/000/sarah-dessen-110_ends_in-the-end-though-maybe-it-s-not-how-you_345002.png) > “In the end, though, maybe it's not how you reach a place that matters. Just that you get there at all.” [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reaching a goal matters less than the journey itself; arrival is what counts. **In simple terms:** The path is less important than arriving. Key Takeaway Value the experience, not just the outcome. Themes journey arrival purpose Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career moves - personal milestones - travel - education Key Concepts existential goal‑orientation Questions to Reflect On - What does “getting there” mean to you? - How can you appreciate the process? A Different Perspective Focusing only on the end can cause you to miss learning opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [End Maybe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/end-maybe-696574/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Lock and key](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lock-and-key/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Matters Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matters-just-1046151/) [Maybe Reach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/maybe-reach-2851067/) [Place Matters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/place-matters-1725503/) [Reach Place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reach-place-2577106/) [Road](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/road/) ## Related quotes > [The further you go, the more you have to be proud of. At the same time, in order to come a long way, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/the-further-you-go-the-more-you-have-to-be-proud-of-at-the-same-time/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [“Later up in my room, I kept thinking about this, the idea of distance and accomplishment. 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Instead, our relationship was elastic, stretching between those two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/he-was-not-my-boyfriend-on-the-other-hand-he-wasn-t-just-a-friend/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [Whenever something great happens, you’re always kind of poised for the universe to correct itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/whenever-something-great-happens-you-re-always-kind-of-poised-for-the/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [It's better to think of life as a proper journey with a beginning and an end. Maybe, I can settle for being immortalised on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-booth/it-s-better-to-think-of-life-as-a-proper-journey-with-a-beginning-and/) [Douglas Booth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-booth/) ## More by Sarah Dessen > [Sometimes a question can hurt more than an answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/sometimes-a-question-can-hurt-more-than-an-answer/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [“if i were a book i would be so open”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/if-i-were-a-book-i-would-be-so-open/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [Harder to get in than out, like so little else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/harder-to-get-in-than-out-like-so-little-else/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [“At times, I found myself questioning his very existence, even though I knew I had, in fact, spotted him, with my own eyes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/at-times-i-found-myself-questioning-his-very-existence-even-though-i/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [You don't have to say it out loud. I already know why you like me.' 'You do, huh?' 'Yep.' He wrapped his arms around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/you-don-t-have-to-say-it-out-loud-i-already-know-why-you-like-me-you/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [No relationship is perfect, ever. There are always some ways you have to bend, to compromise, to give something up in order to gain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/no-relationship-is-perfect-ever-there-are-always-some-ways-you-have/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [When you had to do something, you had to do it. And eventually, if you were lucky, you did it well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/when-you-had-to-do-something-you-had-to-do-it-and-eventually-if-you/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [the truth about forever is that it is happening right now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/the-truth-about-forever-is-that-it-is-happening-right-now/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [I jammed my hand in my jacket pocket, bracing myself fo the next hit, and fel something. Something grainy and samll, sticking to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/i-jammed-my-hand-in-my-jacket-pocket-bracing-myself-fo-the-next-hit/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [I had no illusions about love anymore. It came, it went, it left casualties or it didn't. People weren't meant to be together forever,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/i-had-no-illusions-about-love-anymore-it-came-it-went-it-left/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [“But maybe that isn't so bad. You can't love anyone that way more than once in a lifetime. It's too hard and it hurts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/but-maybe-that-isn-t-so-bad-you-can-t-love-anyone-that-way-more-than/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [This was just one night, one chance to vary and see where it took me. The fireflies were probably already out: maybe it wasn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/this-was-just-one-night-one-chance-to-vary-and-see-where-it-took-me/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [call it chicken salad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/call-it-chicken-salad/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [“For me, however, it was a mix of the two, this constant push and pull. I loved it here. But I'd been in that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/for-me-however-it-was-a-mix-of-the-two-this-constant-push-and-pull-i/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [I think whenever a writer is really enjoying themselves and liking what they are doing, that shows on the page.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/i-think-whenever-a-writer-is-really-enjoying-themselves-and-liking/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) [Explore all 1,251 Sarah Dessen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) ## More Ends quotes > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. 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He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Dating someone on the opposite end of the happy spectrum teaches you an incredible amount of patience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pine/dating-someone-on-the-opposite-end-of-the-happy-spectrum-teaches-you/) [Chris Pine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pine/) > [What is history after all? History is facts which become lies in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-cocteau/what-is-history-after-all-history-is-facts-which-become-lies-in-the/) [Jean Cocteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-cocteau/) > [Sometimes it's just enough for me to have the idea. I don't need to see it through to the end. When it actually happens,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-sedaris/sometimes-it-s-just-enough-for-me-to-have-the-idea-i-don-t-need-to/) [Amy Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-sedaris/) > [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/) [Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/) > [At the end of night, before you close your eyes, be content with what you've done and be proud of who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-almond/at-the-end-of-night-before-you-close-your-eyes-be-content-with-what/) [Steve Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-almond/) > [it is the brevity of life which makes it tolerable; its experiences have value because they have an end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winifred-holtby/it-is-the-brevity-of-life-which-makes-it-tolerable-its-experiences/) [Winifred Holtby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winifred-holtby/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [Believe to the end, even if all men went astray and you were left the only one faithful; bring your offering even then and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/believe-to-the-end-even-if-all-men-went-astray-and-you-were-left-the/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [When the amount of change externally exceeds the amount of change internally, the end is in sight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-welch/when-the-amount-of-change-externally-exceeds-the-amount-of-change/) [Jack Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-welch/) > [A man cannot speak but he judges himself. 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