Is the treasure hunt all about the treasure?

I have always found treasure hunts to be highly frustrating. Sure, my stomach is excitedly bursting with jitters at the prospect of going on an adventure and my feet are jumping at the thought of the treasure one might find. But then my heart is cloistered into a little ball annoyed that only one person can win.

So I find myself asking the question: is the journey worth the destination? Could I end up the hopeless loser that goes home with nothing but the sand in my shoes?
Sally Pearson the 100 m sprinter, trained tirelessly for the Commonwealth Games, and found her gold treasure in the form of a medal, only to be disqualified later for false starting.

I was stumped as to why athletes spend a good part of their lives working so hard for something that may never happen and then I realised I am doing the exact same thing.

When I decided to pursue a writing career I didn’t do so because I thought I could earn lots of money and with it be able to afford the mini goat farm I had longed for. It was because I enjoyed writing over any other activity.

(Awkward segued into Christian discussion.)

A lot of people who aren’t Christians think that people who believe in God do so because they want the outcome of heaven. But for me if this was the only result I would struggle to reach the x that marks the spot.
Yeah the X is important but so are the arrows that guide you to the gold.