Most of us grew up with lofty dreams, we wanted to do crazy and impactful things, like a calling to put our mark on the world. But as we matured and realise what reality is about, this grandiose dreams tend to be buried into the recesses of our minds. Some of us even think we're deranged for thinking those thoughts!
As we realise that reality is different from our imagination, we act accordingly with life trying to fit in as much as possible or go with the flow if you like. From time to time, those lofty thoughts do surface on our mind but we don't pay much attention to them because we're often busy with the mundaneness of life. Almost, a mechanical one.
However, this things are stubborn and they don't leave us alone. Every now and then, it comes nagging us to follow our own path. Why live a boring life when you have the option to do something amazing that you really love with your life?
The Decision
For the lucky ones, it reaches a climax where the decision has to be made to travel the less worn path, your own path. This is the most fulfilling journey one can embark on in life but it's also the most difficult! More obstacles and challenges are littered on the path, since it's your own path, the difficulty is solely your own and there isn't any preparedness or a reference point to work from. More or less, everything will be new to you.
I normally don't like surprises because they always mess with my 'emotional flow' but the road less traveled is full of surprises, you can even say that it's a standard occurrence. The paradox is you're in control but you're also not in control. On the mechanical or most traveled road, you're not in control, you just go with how things are heading but on the road less traveled, you choose your own path so you're basically in control but the opposite is also true!
Think of it like an aircraft in the sky. Yes, it's not on autopilot and you're driving to your destination so you think you're in control (which is quite true) but you're really not in control. For one, machines are not technically 100% and there are other outside forces that can influence the aircraft.
Having an understanding of this puts some context on what the path is about; growth. Which is by no means linear, sometimes more happens and sometimes less happens. The input and output are not perfectly correlated. After all, we can only grow through challenges and challenges can only be dealt with from outside our comfort zones.
Evolution is a personal responsibility and it can only happen if we choose our own path. Make sure you choose wisely and listen to the voice inside. In the grand scheme of things, a human life is very short so don't waste it living a mechanical existence!
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