Stay The Course

The only thing I know for sure is that I want to be a lawyer. There’s nothing I love more than advocating for those in need and sifting through the facts to get to the truth. The only issue is, I don’t really agree with the way our criminal justice system works in this country. I also can’t quite see myself spending hours on end reading through law books for reference. In fact, I’d much rather be in the forest collecting plants that heal different ailments naturally. But that would be kinda hard to explain to my parents who paid for me to attend law school. So I guess I have to go through with it... Right? After all, I don’t want to seem ungrateful for their sacrifices. Or even worse, I don’t want to seem crazy for choosing a path unfamiliar to those around me. I mean, I love the idea of being something as prestigious as a lawyer, but maybe that’s all it is… an idea. My heart beats for something else, something my friends and family wouldn’t understand. So I tuck my passion away and pursue other things. I pursue so many things that everything I touch starts to unravel and fall apart. This isn't what I want. This isn't what I dreamed of. This isn't who I am.   

Choosing a path, and sticking to it until you see it through, is one of the most difficult things to do in life. One reason is that our society makes it easy to become distracted with new information, new offers, and new ways of doing things. In addition, it has become increasingly difficult to resist being swayed one way or another by genius marketing tactics, peer pressure, and the desire to please the people around us. Moreover, when we don’t immediately experience the desired rewards from pursuing a particular path or venture, we begin to doubt whether or not we should have been on this path to begin with. Once this doubt begins to set it, it is easy to conclude that we must change our trajectory in order to avoid failure. However, by dropping out of the race long before the finish line, we do ourselves a disservice by not allowing us to learn and grow from the experience of the race itself. Then, when we do begin the next venture, we are ill-equipped to succeed because we have not mastered the ability to commit, problem solve and persevere in the face of adversity.    

Photographer: Jenny Desrosiers

When it comes to changing your path in life, the most important factor to consider is your true motivation behind making the change. If it is based on your desire to live a life that feels more authentic to you, and therefore genuinely makes you happier, this change should be embraced. For example, if you decide to switch your career because you develop a new interest, and pursuing that interest makes you feel happier and more excited to attend work every day, this can be viewed as a positive shift. This is especially true as opposed to staying in a position you are unhappy with simply to “see it through” until the end. On the other hand, if you decide to switch your career simply because you did not receive a promotion as quickly as you had hoped, this change may not be in alignment with developing the kind of character it takes to be successful in any field. This is because in most cases, people do not become successful overnight. In fact, many of the people we look up to as being great or successful in their endeavors will admit that it took long hours, high-risk decisions, belief without proof, and sticktoitiveness to get them where they are today. All of these characteristics are developed when your long-term motivations outweigh the discomfort caused by temporary challenges. When the immediate follow-up to adversity is completely changing paths, it makes it nearly impossible to progress in any area of your life, leaving you stuck in a position of constant motion, yet no actual progress.   

To combat the distractions and fear of failure, that often cause people to reroute, it is imperative to have a deep understanding of exactly WHY you are on a certain path to begin with. When people are motivated by why they are doing something, rather than how and when their actions will pay off, the chances of success become far greater. Being attached to the idea of helping sick people heal, will serve as a better motivator to finish medical school, than being attached to the idea of making a lot of money. Why? Because there are many things one could do in order to make a large amount of money, and it doesn’t necessarily include mastering a rigorous curriculum about the human body. Therefore, a person who is simply after money is less likely to have the tenacity to complete medical school, and will likely change their path several times as they are introduced to new ways to quickly make money. 

With this in mind, it is essential to remain mindful and intentional about everything we do. Our actions and decisions should bring us closer to the life we have taken the time to imagine for ourselves. By the same token, when we are confronted with challenges, we must remind ourselves of our “WHY”. This gives us the ability to problem solve and persist in order to stay the course, rather than jumping ship mid-journey. Lastly, if we do decide to change paths, we must be careful to consider how this change will bring us closer to our most authentic selves, rather than simply choosing the path of least resistance. 

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”  - Galatians 6:9

All Power And Love To The People,
Shani