Life takes some unexpected twists and turns. Perhaps it’s the remnants from the whirlwind that was the COVID-19 pandemic, but recently nothing seems to go to plan. Jostled is the best way to describe how I feel.
From unexpectedly falling in love, to cancelled trips and everything in between, pivoting can be hard even when it’s a welcomed change. There’s a part of me that fears hoping for the future because what if my vision of the future isn’t how life ends up? I don’t want to get stuck every time I come to a fork in the road. Or every time one road is closed, and I must take a detour.
Detours are rarely what my type-A personality desires, but they’re often what my heart needs. Though scenic routes usually take longer or are more difficult to navigate, they are also beautifully messy in their own way.
Being willing to take the detour challenges us to face our feelings head on.
- Grieve the loss of the original plan.
- Decide to step into the unexpected territories.
- Lean into the new skills being cultivated.
- Make it to your destination an older and wiser individual.
- Find a new dream or plan to take on.
- And do it all over again, taking each new detour in stride.
If life seems to be tossing you to and fro, requiring hard lefts and hard rights, don’t beat yourself up. Pivoting is hard. Don’t let it paralyze you: Breathe. Trust yourself. Be willing to make mistakes and grow. Feel all your emotions and let people help you along the way.
Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost
