Finding the right path in life

Finding the right path in life. How does one go about doing that?

What is the right path for me? How do I find the start of it? How do I even know if I am on it? And what on earth does it all mean anyway?

What is the path that you find yourself trekking on?

This is about our choices: what we do with our time – paid and unpaid; where we live; who we live with. Our values and what motivates us come into this too. When we are clear about what is most important to us, and what motivates us, it becomes easier to determine which path we walk on. Decisions are easier, and we are less likely to pick the wrong path.

How did you end up where you are?

Can you trace the route backwards? If you consider what your life looks like currently – job, relationships, hobbies and interests, finances, health – how easy is it to trace the path that has brought you here? To what extent has it been an intentional journey, where you have made conscious decisions about the direction of your next steps?

Perhaps, like many of us, there has been some blundering about in the dark, wandering off the path, having to retrace steps or shift across onto a different path, getting lost…perhaps falling into a different valley altogether.

But no matter where we start from, or what direction we want to travel in, finding the right path for each and every one of us has one thing in common.

You have to take the first step.

And therein lies the rub.

Because it can be oh so easy to look at the destination from a distance, and think:

Yes, that looks lovely, that is just where I want to get to.”

…but never ever get there because of an inability to take that first step.

Reasons for this abound. Fear of change. Fear of failure. Fear of what might crop up along the path. Inertia. Distractions and good intentions that keep us going round in circles. Lack of self belief or confidence. Not choosing to make the time (note I carefully avoided saying ‘not having time’ as there is always an element of choice). Unexpected or unassailable hurdles.

All valid. All challenging, and all worthy of further exploration.

[wee note: if that is you, and you resonate with any of the above get in touch – life coaching is the perfect way to get unstuck, to overcome these hurdles and get moving towards where you want to go]

Taking the first step towards finding the right path is about just that. At some point, you have to take the first step. And then trust that the next step will become clear. And the next.

What is required often is faith, trust, belief:

I can see where I want to get to, and I know there is a path to get there, but I cannot see it.

However, I CAN see the step right in front of me, so I will take that and trust the next step will become clear. 

Relying on our feelings can keep us stuck on the spot. But when we have a clear destination and a clear purpose for getting there, we can take that first step trusting in what we know.

Last week we were on Arran on holiday, off the West coast. Scotland in miniature, there are glens, lowlands, lochans, mountains, forests, beaches – the lot. And much weather of every kind. On a particularly stormy day, we walked along a rocky coastal path towards some impressive caves. Our destination was clear, but to all intents and purposes, there was no obvious path through the rocks at all. We had to trust the authority of the sign post pointing the way and start out.

And lo and behold, as we took each step, the next few became clear – worn down footholds in the rocks, gaps to clamber through. A definite path was revealed, but only a few steps at a time. Looking back from our destination, it was impossible to pick out our route.

We might know where we want to get to in life, be it a tangible thing like a new job or skill, or intangible like our own character growth or the development of a key relationship. Finding the right path to get there is not always clear. But if we are passionate about getting to the end point, and trust who we are and our motives, all we can really do is take that first step. And keep our eyes open and pay attention to what the next step after that is.

But until we take that first step, we will never get to where we want to go.