WHY DO WE TAKE THE PATHS WE DO?

Sometimes I wonder "what if"?  I am sure you do as well.  I think it is much of our makeup as human beings.  Did we make the right choices?  Are we sure we can make that leap?  What if we just "play it safe" and not take the risk?  These thoughts run through our minds pretty regularly.  That is OK.  It is good to reflect on our decisions.  BUT there comes a time when we need to ACT.  Take a step and move forward.

I look back on the paths I took in my career and my life and I clearly see where I followed my "safe and logical path" (education and career) and where I followed my heart/passion (marrying my husband 6 months after our first date).  My life would look very different today if my choices were all safe and logical or all driven by my heart.  I believe it is important to find that balance.  The great thing about choosing a path is that it is the journey, not the destination, that is important in our lives.  The paths we take create the individual we become, AND we can continue to refine ourselves as we choose each path.  How wonderful is that!

 

If we look honestly within ourselves we know what path we need to take.  I have had many conversations with God through the years on which path is right, asking for guidance in various situations, or just plain saying “thank you”.  I find him a wonderful listener!  When I tell people that Richard and I were married quickly (within 6 months) they are quite surprised.  I did not have any reservations with my decision, I just knew in my heart we were meant to be together.  In April, I will be married to my best friend for 25 years.  Marriage certainly is not easy, I like to call it character building, but it is worth all the work it takes to build a life together.  God brings wonderful people and experiences to us; it is up to us to act on them.

On the "play it safe" route with my career there have been a lot of career choices I had to make, beginning with my degree.  Did I make all the "right choices"?  Who knows?  What I do know, is that the choices I made created the person I am so far in life.  Beyond the stability of a traditional career, it has provided me the opportunity to meet interesting and challenging people from many parts of the world, learn good business practices and how to manage through difficult situations, stretch my comfort zone with presentations, people interactions and continue to learn new things.  So although it was not an art career I started in, I do value the learning’s and growth as a person I became because of the paths I chose.  The beauty of it all is that art still can be a special part of my life.  The start of my career in the business world will enhance my retirement career in art. 

It is interesting when I talk to people who need desperately to figure out what they want to be when they grow up.  For me this is not the question I think we should ask ourselves.  It is more, what experiences do I want from life’s journey?  As you evolve through life’s experiences, this answer may very well change “who you want to be when you grow up”.  So look back and see how you have grown, even with your difficult experiences, and be proud of yourself for taking a step, whatever the direction! 

Making my art more visible to the world is how I am working to create this new path for myself.  I stepped my little toes over the career path I was on, a few years ago, when I put pieces at Glass House Designs.  Getting a view of what could be done, if the effort is applied.  Now I have added pieces at Creative Corner, pursuing it further.  I have a dream to create a space where art is created, shared and taught.  Creating that space where artists can share their passion and talent with others to spark their love of art.  This is the beginning of that journey.  How it evolves is dependent on where the path goes.  We don’t want to get there too soon, or we may miss some of the fun (and character building) along the way.