Your Personal Path Is Your Edge
Ten months ago, I was living a completely different life. Symptoms of this change are evident in pretty much everything, from the office outfits now traded for an almost cartoon-like closet of black Lulu Lemon sets, to how much I use my car in a week, to even the food that I eat. Despite what could seem a dramatic shift, with the benefit of hindsight it’s actually this rhythm that feels more natural to me.
Recently I’ve had a few conversations with people about how I came to be doing the work that I am today. The reactions are mixed; surprise, joy, bewilderment, and the most surprising of all: Regret. “Imagine if you’d known back then and chosen differently!”
This led me to realise that subconsciously, I’d been experiencing the same background sense of conjecture; of considering what might be today if another path had been taken and different choices made. When looking back, it’s so easy for us to fall into the trap of believing that a hypothetical option B could have been the ‘better’ option and assume that it would have brought you even closer to your goals than you are today.
After catching this, I was able to unpack it based on what I know to be true. My understanding is that nothing is random, and that there are no mistakes. Even life’s ‘detours’ are there to serve a profound purpose. And while the full extent of the meaning behind each experience is continually unravelling to support us, when one pauses to consider, the tangible evidence of benefit is undeniably there. The very fact that any one of us sits where we are today, as who we are today in the life we've built, is a product of perfect alchemy; the culmination of each individual choice we’ve made up until now.
With opportunities for comparison so readily available it’s tempting to benchmark your own journey against those around you, or worse, against your own old expectations. This is not only a waste of time, but it also leaves us fundamentally short changed. The reality is that no one in the world has the exact same collection of values, passions, and experiences as you do. To ignore this truth is to essentially reject your personal value. Within the unique shape of your path lies your personal superpower.
You’re a better accountant because you chose it after quitting two different degrees first. You’re a better PE teacher because you spent five years before it being a nurse. You’re a better yoga teacher because you’ve experienced the impact of its absence in your life and came back to it. When you not only recognise but also embrace the individuality of your path, you bring a fresh approach and a perspective that nobody else can. To bring the totality of who you are to what you do is a gift - not only to those around you, but also to those who will inevitably experience the ripple effect.
