“Life is about the journey, not the destination.”
“Life is about the journey, not the destination.”
We’ve all heard this quote before, at some point in our lives. It has been plastered across signs in home decor stores, coffee mugs, t-shirts, and been said by every “motivational speaker” you can think of. It seems like another meaningless cliche, not holding real value in our lives.
But what if we looked deeper into our lives, and truly ana lyzed it. Is it really just another saying we should brush off with little thought? Can it truly be applied to each and every one of our lives?
Terry Primm is the epitome of this saying, or “cliche.” Whether it is about his profession, or his faith, Primm’s life has been all about the journey, not just the destination.
Growing up, Primm and his family did not have a structured faith. He remembers a large Bible on their living room table, going to Easter church services, and praying as a family. But he says his family never had designated church days or anything of that sort; their faith was based
on feeling. It wasn’t until college when Primm provided more structure, or discipline to his faith. Going to Palm Beach Atlantic University, a Christian college, provided him with the opportunity to add the educational element to his faith through the curriculum.
Primm understands everyone is on his own unique journey, and this progression in his faith was a part of his own.
“The older I got the more structured I became; it gave me more capacity for God.”
Adding the educational element to his faith led him to gain a deeper understanding for God, as his relationship grew more intricate and knowledgeable.
As a Division One assistant basketball coach, having this deeper relationship with God gives Primm a deeper purpose in his coaching as well, even though he did not expect coaching to be a part of his journey. He has always had this deeper purpose in his coaching, even though he did not expect it to be a part of his journey.
Coming out of college, Primm was set on becoming a businessman, as he worked for a legal publishing company. The HR director’s husband coached at a local private school and was looking for coaches. After an unexpected interview, Primm agreed to help with coaching. This ultimately led to him progressing through the different positions at the school, and up to Division One coaching.
Though Primm’s heart was set elsewhere, he believes, “I’ve always been a coach on some level. I’ve always enjoyed motivating people, inspiring them to do more than they thought they could do, and giving them to knowledge that they needed to do it.”
In the progression of his coaching positions, came the progression in his coaching itself. His coaching originally came from a source of pride, but now it comes from a source of love. Knowing his players will one day be in the position to impact others, Primm wants to set a good example on how to do so, even outside of basketball. He wants his players to know they
can accomplish anything, inside or outside of basketball. With this, Primm hopes they focus on growing throughout the process, as he says, “Go through all the struggle of trying to figure it out. Because ultimately when you get to that place, you’ll realize that wasn’t the true essence.