Path Ways (and Means)

“You cannot continue on the same path and arrive at a different destination…” Steve Maraboli

Most of us rarely, if ever, question the path we’re on. We put one foot in front of the other, head down, and simply keep moving forward. Until one day, we look up and see that we’ve reached a place where the same choices and the same decisions no longer serve us.

Several years ago, Mutual of Omaha did a series of clever 30-second commercials based on the “A-ha moment.” An A-ha moment is defined as an epiphany: a previously unsolvable problem becomes suddenly clear and obvious; the person experiencing the A-ha moment is convinced that a solution, a concept, or a new thought or belief is true.

Mutual of Omaha further characterized these moments as “a moment of clarity, a defining moment where you gain real wisdom – wisdom you can use to change your life.”

The people in the commercials described how they interpreted their own A-ha moments in various ways: “Step outside your comfort zone,” “Take action,” “Accept the invitation,” “Open your eyes to what is around you,” and “Make a choice.”

But my favorite comment regarding the meaning of an A-ha moment was this: “Something you didn’t expect to know, didn’t particularly seek to know, but it happened, it happened to you, and you better do something with it.”

For most of us, our lives are filled with A-ha moments. But, too often, those moments are largely ignored. And yet, recognizing our A-ha moments tells us that we’ve reached a crossroads – and we’d better do something.

“Our souls design many potent wake-up calls to get our attention back on track.” Christiane Northrup

The definition of a crossroads is “the place where roads intersect or a place at which a vital decision must be made.”

There are two significant elements of the definition that are fundamental to changing the paths we’ve always been on:

1. A crossroads involves options: this road or that road, this way or that, this direction or that.
2. A crossroads implies that we are intended to take action and select one of the options available to us: turn left instead of right; take the shady path rather than the sunny one; attempt the uphill climb rather than the downhill stroll. Otherwise, we come to a standstill.

The crossroads we encounter during our lives can shape the course of our future. Understandably, standing at a crossroads often means facing a lot of uncertainty, and uncertainty can be uncomfortable. But it can also mean that we’re on the verge of something new and exciting.

When was the last time you found yourself at a crossroads or had to make a major, possibly life-changing decision – and the action you took was based on what you’ve always done, but the result wasn’t what you hoped for? Or perhaps you were unable to take any action because the path ahead was hazy, filled with choices that could lead to different futures, and every choice felt weightier than ever before.

The decisions we make and the actions we take throughout our lives are usually based on our thoughts and beliefs about our present circumstances as well as our past experiences. You did this, and this happened. You didn’t do that, and that happened. Over time, this becomes the unexamined and unconscious criteria we use to make future decisions.

“A bend in the road is not the end of the road….unless you fail to make the turn.” Helen Keller

Recognizing our A-ha moments and acknowledging that we’ve reached a crossroads are essential steps in our journey of personal reinvention. It’s an invitation to embrace change and make choices that will lead you in new directions, down new and exciting paths.

At some point, you will come to a place where you realize that continuing on the same path will only result in the same destination – but that destination might no longer be satisfying, and, in some cases, might actually do more harm than good.

So, how do you make the turn when you come to that magical and mysterious bend in the road?