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A Chosen Path: Part II Welcome back to this series where we will explore what it means to a) choose a path of your own volition, b) change course and shift your path, and c) forge a new path when your current one ends. It is good to be back after a few months away - I needed to shift my focus…and my path…temporarily! As I write these musings from the Brook Nook (aka my favorite spot in Monrovia Canyon Park), I am reminded of the way nature teaches us how to adjust. The brook that runs through the park flows from springs and snowmelt high up in the San Gabriel mountain range. It had to traverse far and wide in order to end up at this exact spot. There is a very well-worn path the water takes day in and day out. Until a tree falls in the brook. Or there’s a huge storm and rocks slide and shift out of their predictable places. Maybe the disruption was small, like a mama bird building a nest that required the brook to go around it. One of the beautiful things about nature is that paths get disrupted, and yet, nature always finds a way, responding to what is presented. Oh, how our own human lives follow the same patterns, don’t they? Sometimes, paths abruptly end due to reasons out of our control. Other times, we realize we need to change course immediately because we simply cannot proceed as things are. But more often than not, it’s much more subtle and a small adjustment in your life could have a big impact. My hope for this newsletter is to help you slow down, reflect on your path, and consider how you feel about it. Are you in the midst of a disruption? Could you use a disruption to help break out of a season of stuckness? Or maybe there is a part of you that feels like a slight variation from the current path could be enough to help you feel recalibrated? I have been a part of several conversations recently with folks experiencing burnout, loss of motivation / interest, and noticing themselves increasingly engaging in patterns that aren't serving them well. We have been able to explore how those symptoms may be connected to feeling stuck in the circumstances of their life’s path. Over time, we have been able to start considering course correction, and sometimes even more significant changes. Of course, that may not be everyone’s story, and it may not solve all of life’s issues. But there can be something powerful about naming the desire to pause, reflect, and adjust. That awareness can restore a sense of agency and increase emotional investment in our own lives. Some questions to consider: When was the last time you took a moment to reflect on your current path? What topic do you notice your mind immediately going to? Is it your career, relationships, family, faith structure, something else? What have you continued doing in your life simply because you've been doing it for a long time? Do you have areas of your life that could use an adjustment, either in a small or much bigger way? What emotions arise when you consider making changes to your path?
When I consider making changes to my own path, I notice that it can evoke concern. I will be completely honest about that. I have definitely fallen into the “sunk cost fallacy” at times - the feeling that I really should stay on my chosen path after all the investment I have put towards it. It’s natural to feel fear, grief, or even dread when considering a path change. But it is never too late. You are never beyond hope. And pursuing a path that feels more aligned with who you are can be a deeply meaningful choice. And the best part is - this could look like picking up a hobby you have always wanted to try. Or returning to one you put off. Or setting a goal for yourself and sticking to it out of respect for yourself. It doesn’t have to be a huge change although it can be. In the same way the brook may need to adjust when a bird forms a nest, so can we adjust around what life presents to us. I encourage you to take an inventory of your current path and see if there are subtle adjustments you could, or would want to, make. Sometimes the work isn't to find a completely new path.
Sometimes it's to notice what has changed and allow yourself to move around it.
No pressure, just be curious.
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