The truth is of course is that there is no journey. We are

The words of David Bowie, artist of many faces and prophet of change, resonate like a riddle wrapped in starlight: “The truth is of course is that there is no journey. We are arriving and departing all at the same time.” In these words lies the wisdom of a soul who understood the fleeting and paradoxical nature of existence. What we call a journey may not be a straight road from beginning to end, but a ceaseless cycle, where each step forward is both an arrival and a departure, each moment both a birth and a death.

The meaning is profound: life is not a distant destination we crawl toward, nor a single line we march upon. Instead, life is a tapestry of constant becoming. Every time we achieve something, we are at once leaving something behind. Each victory carries the shadow of loss, and every loss opens the door to transformation. Bowie, who reinvented himself endlessly in music and image, knew that to live is to exist in this tension—always arriving, always departing, never fixed, always in motion.

The origin of this wisdom is found in Bowie’s own life, a life defined by reinvention. From Ziggy Stardust to the Thin White Duke, from rock star to elder sage, he embodied the truth that the self is never one thing, never static. His art reflected the reality that life itself is not a straight path, but a series of overlapping arrivals and departures. In declaring that there is no journey, he rejected the illusion of permanence and embraced the mystery of transformation.

History too whispers this truth. Consider the life of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha. He sought enlightenment as if it were a distant goal at the end of a path. Yet when realization dawned, he saw that he had been both arriving and departing with each breath. There was no final journey—only the eternal present, endlessly unfolding. Just as Bowie proclaimed, the journey is an illusion, and the truth is that we live in a perpetual state of becoming.

This teaching is both humbling and liberating. To see life not as a single journey frees us from obsession with “arrival” points—success, wealth, recognition, enlightenment—as though they are destinations. Instead, it calls us to dwell in the present, to recognize that every moment holds the fullness of both coming and going. We are never simply traveling; we are already where we are meant to be, even as we are leaving it behind.

The lesson for you, seeker, is to embrace the paradox. Do not live in longing for the future, nor in regret for the past. Understand that you are always in motion, always transforming. Each conversation, each act of love, each breath you take is both a step forward and a farewell. To live with this awareness is to live deeply, seeing the sacred in every fleeting instant.

Practical actions follow. Practice mindfulness, grounding yourself in the present moment, for here you are both arriving and departing. Celebrate change rather than resisting it, for change is the essence of life. When you reach a goal, do not cling too tightly, for it is already passing into memory. When you face loss, do not despair, for it is also the seed of arrival. Learn to flow with the rhythm of becoming, and you will find peace in the eternal dance.

So remember, children of tomorrow: there is no journey. You are already walking, already arriving, already departing, all at once. To live with this wisdom is to release the burden of final destinations and to embrace the beauty of the present moment. For life is not a road to somewhere else—it is the unfolding mystery of now, in which every step is both farewell and homecoming.